Best Theatre Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 5

“In early youth, as we contemplate our coming life, we are like children in a theatre before the curtain is raised, sitting there in high spirits and eagerly waiting for the play to begin. It is a blessing that we do not know what is really going to happen. Could we foresee it, there are times when children might seem like innocent prisoners, condemned, not to death, but to life, and as yet all unconscious of what their sentence means.”

Source: Suffering, Suicide and Immortality: Eight Essays from The Parerga

“I'd love to work across all three fields - theatre, film and TV.”

Film Three Fields Tvs Theatre

Author:Jenna Coleman

“I grew up performing in theatre.”

Grew Grew Up Theatre Performing

Author:Valorie Curry

“My mother was working on her college degree throughout my childhood, and being the youngest in the family, that meant being dragged to a lot of her classes. She majored in playwriting, so I was exposed to theatre from a very young age, and it was just the most magical world to me.”

World Age Young Mother Class Childhood College Degrees Theatre Exposed Young Age College Degree Playwriting

Author:Valorie Curry

“I have to say my background was mostly theatre, which I love, and it took a long time to feel comfortable there. That's probably true of anyone's career.”

Feels Long Careers Comfortable Long Time Theatre Backgrounds

Author:Ann Dowd

“I have a very 'theatre' face. I have what they call a wide mask. I probably would have been a big film star in the '20s with the silent films where they used a lot of key lighting, and make-up carved out your face.”

Has Beens Bigs Film Faces Used Stars Keys Silent Wide Theatre Mask Your Face Lighting Film Stars Silent Films

Author:Faith Prince

“When I used to do musical theatre, my dad refused to come backstage. He never wanted to see the props up close or the sets up close. He didn't want to see the magic.”

Want Wanted Used Magic Dad Musical My Dad Theatre Props Musical Theatre

Author:Nia Vardalos

“I'd like to be for cinema what Shakespeare was for theatre, Marx for politics and Freud for psychology: someone after whom nothing is as it used to be.”

Used Psychology Theatre Used To Be Cinema

Author:Rainer Werner Fassbinder

“I love theatre. It's far more satisfying than film. Sometimes there's a collective sigh from the audience, or it's so quiet you can hear a pin drop. I couldn't believe how easy acting was when there's an audience; after a few previews I almost couldn't do it without one.”

Believe Sometimes Film Easy Acting Audience Quiet Theatre Collectives Satisfying Sigh Pins Preview

Author:Katie Leung

“My approach to 'Eastenders' is the same as my approach to film and the same approach to theatre. Whatever I do, I use the same skills and tools.”

Use Film Skills Approach Tools Theatre

Author:Steve McFadden

“My advice to young actors is probably to do some theatre; definitely do that. I keep running into these actors who have never been on stage, and it's invaluable for an actor. What you will learn about yourself is huge.”

Running Young Actors Advice Stage Huge Theatre About Yourself Invaluable Keep Running Young Actors

Author:Yul Vazquez

“It is in the irony of things that the theatre should be the most dangerous place for the actor. But, then, after all, the world is the worst possible place, the most corrupting place, for the human soul. And just as there is no escape from the world, which follows us into the very heart of the desert, so the actor cannot escape the theatre. And the actor who is a dreamer need not. All of us can only strive to remain uncontaminated. In the world we must be unworldly, in the theatre the actor must be untheatrical.”

World Needs Should Humans Heart Soul Actors Worst Dangerous Theater Strive Theatre Desert Irony Dreamer Human Soul Dangerous Places

Author:Minnie Maddern Fiske

“You go through a process of refinement and getting rid of the excesses of your early youth in terms of your excitement about what theatre can do.”

Process Term Can Do Youth Theatre Excitement Excess Refinement

Author:Stephen Daldry

“Every now and then I have to teach directing. The thing about the theatre is that the most important thing you can do as a director is to make sure that everybody is in the same world - you have to create the world and make sure everyone buys into it.”

World Important Can Do Teach Directors Important Things Theatre Now And Then

Author:Stephen Daldry

“I love test screenings. Some directors don't, I know. But I love it. I think it's because I come from the theatre and in the theatre, previews are where you really have to listen to the audience and really feel how they're responding. I found our test screenings incredibly useful.”

Thinking Knows Feels Found Audience Directors Tests Theatre Responding Screening Preview Theatre Directors

Author:Stephen Daldry

“I'm a theatre person, that's who I am. I'm happy to make sojourns into the world of movies but I'm basically a theatre director that potters off and does a couple of movies.”

World Persons Doe Couple Directors Theatre Who I Am Potters Theatre Directors

Author:Stephen Daldry

“The best theatre I've done, I've done right here in this living room.”

Done Rooms Theatre Living Room

Author:Jonathan Frid

“Wyndham's is a beautiful old theatre. The sensation on the stage isn't as different as you might think from the Royal Court.”

Thinking Different Might Beautiful Stage Court Theatre Sensations Royal

Author:Sophie Thompson

“My father made sure that I had lots of levels of education – from ballroom-dancing to painting, commando training, theatre and magic.”

Made Father Levels Magic Painting Training Dancing Theatre Ballroom Ballroom Dancing Commandos

Author:Baz Luhrmann

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women mearly players.”

“Once you do a piece on the stage, you become that poem or you become that piece. That's really who you are. I think that's why some artists have stage names, you know? I don't have a stage name, it's pretty much just me.”

Thinking Knows Artist Actors Names Acting Pieces Stage Who You Are Theatre

Author:Clinton D. Powell

“With theatre especially, you don't want to do it unless you love it - there's no way you can pull it off, making people happy, making yourself happy for 12 weeks or whatever.”

People Way Want Week Theatre Making People Happy

Author:Carey Mulligan

“I wanted to be a musical theatre actress - I wanted to play Sally Bowles, forever and ever always.”

Play Wanted Forever Musical Actresses Theatre Musical Theatre

Author:Carey Mulligan

“I got the O.B.E because I represent England outside of England more...but thinking of me as an actor, I haven't done all the classical theatre, all the great roles. Think of Helen Mirren and me. Helen, who I adore, is a friend - should be Dame. I am the rebel, the revolutionary on the side.”

Thinking Should Done Actors Sides Roles Havens England Theatre Revolutionary Rebel Adore Helen Dames

Author:Charlotte Rampling

“I don't remember what my favourite comedy film is - truthfully! I saw Borat and I thought I was not going to be able to get out of the theatre because I was in so much pain from the laughter.”

Able Pain Remember Film Saws Comedy Laughter Theatre Favourite

Author:Morgan Freeman

“I was going to be a High School teacher. I was studying at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, up in Canada. I was also acting in a wonderfully supportive theatre community in Edmonton. There's a lot of support for theatre there. So, I was having a great time, but I didn't consider acting as a serious career initially, because even the most successful actors that I know in Edmonton are not super successful. Acting over there is just not a success-oriented career.”

“Christopher Walken was probably the most experienced dancing partner I've had in movies, because he has the same background as I do. He's from theatre, Broadway and off-Broadway, and we both shared that.”

Dancing Theatre Partners Backgrounds Broadway And Off

Author:John Travolta

“Dread of disaster makes everybody act in the very way that increases the disaster. Psychologically the situation is analogous to that of people trampled to death when there is a panic in a theatre caused by a cry of `Fire!'.”

People Way Situation Fire Cry Increase Theatre Disaster Dread Panic

Book:Bertrand Russell's Best

Source: Bertrand Russell's Best

“Inspiration arrived as a result of profound indolence... I awoke with a start and witnessed as from a seat in a theatre, three acts of a potentially awesome play.”

Play Inspiration Three Results Profound Theatre Seats Indolence

Author:Jean Cocteau

“I think now that the great thing is not so much the formulation of an answer for myself, for the theatre, or the play - but rather the most accurate possible statement of the problem.”

Thinking Play Problem Answers Theatre Statements Great Things Accurate

Author:Arthur Miller

“Let a single complete action, in one place and one day, keep the theatre packed to the last.”

Action Lasts One Day Theatre

Author:Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux

“I am a critic - as essential to the theatre as ants to a picnic.”

Essentials Critics Theatre Ants Picnics

Author:Joseph L. Mankiewicz

“I just am committed wholeheartedly to theatre with no intermission.”

Committed Theatre Wholeheartedly Intermission

Author:Lady Gaga

“I was sad to leave Europe in 1890, after my student days in Germany... But then, once back in New York, I experienced an intense longing for Europe, for its vital tradition of music, theatre, art, craftsmanship... I felt bewildered and lonely. How was I to use myself?”

Art Use Felt Loneliness New York Students Europe Tradition Lonely Longing Theatre Intense Germany Bewildered Craftsmanship

Book:Alfred Stieglitz

Source: Alfred Stieglitz

“Auctions are bizarre combinations of slave market, trading floor, theatre and burlesque... a lot of people are going to be making a lot of excuses or maintaining that they were never part of this.”

People Slave Excuse Theatre Combination Commerce Bizarre Trading Maintaining Auctions Burlesque Trading Floor

Author:Jerry Saltz

“I prepare myself very intensely. I am at the theatre four hours before the performance. It allows for complete concentration and preparation.”

Hours Four Performances Theatre Preparation Concentration

Author:Natalia Makarova

“It's not enough to have talent. You have to have a talent for your talent.”

Enough Acting Talent Theatre

Author:Stella Adler

“The theatre-acting, creating, interpreting - means total involvement, the totality of heart, mind and spirit.”

Mind Heart Mean Spirit Acting Creating Theatre Involvement Totality Interpreting Theatre Acting

Author:Stella Adler

“Until a character becomes a personality it cannot be believed. Without personality, the character may do funny or interesting things, but unless people are able to identify themselves with the character, its actions will seem unreal. And without personality, a story cannot ring true to the audience.”

People May Character Stories Seems Able Action Interesting Audience Personality Theatre Rings Animation Interesting Things Unreal

Author:Walt Disney

“Don’t use your conscious past. Use your creative imagination to create a past that belongs to your character. I don’t want you to be stuck with your own life. It’s too little.”

Want Littles Character Use Past Imagination Creative Conscious Theatre Stuck Creative Imagination

Author:Stella Adler

“The play is not in the words, it’s in you!”

Play Theatre

Book:Stella Adler - The Art of Acting: preface by Marlon Brando compiled & edited by Howard Kissel

Source: Stella Adler - The Art of Acting: preface by Marlon Brando compiled & edited by Howard Kissel

“Growth as an actor and as a human being are synonymous.”

Humans Actors Growth Human Beings Theatre

Author:Stella Adler

“Life in the theatre isn't necessarily when you get money from performing. It isn't when you sign a contract. It isn't even when you are in a play. It's when you understand it. If you understand it, you'll know why you want to act.”

Ifs Knows Want Play Theatre Performing Contracts Get Money

Book:Stella Adler - The Art of Acting: preface by Marlon Brando compiled & edited by Howard Kissel

Source: Stella Adler - The Art of Acting: preface by Marlon Brando compiled & edited by Howard Kissel

“I listened to a lot of tapes of British theatre actresses and tried to learn from them. As Americans, we don't have such a gift with language.”

Language British Actresses Theatre Tape

Author:Angelina Jolie

“I did some professional radio acting as a teenager, and I essentially put myself through college with radio acting in Montreal. When I graduated, I got jobs in professional theatres, repertory, and stock theatres in Canada for a couple of years. And then I went to Stratford, Ontario, where I spent three years with a Shakespeare company. We took a classical play from Stratford to New York City, and I got some good notices there and essentially stayed and did live television. And that brings you to the beginning of filming.”

Years Play Jobs Three Acting Cities Company New York Television College Couple Radio Theatre Teenager Canada New York City Three Years Montreal Ontario Live Television

Author:William Shatner

“I proceeded to prove everybody right as to how bad an economics student I was by failing as an assistant manager in every theatre I went to that hired me, both as an assistant manager and as an actor. I lost money and tickets, and I couldn't keep track of anything. So eventually they fired me from assistant-manager jobs, but kept me on as an actor.”

Jobs Actors Lost Failing Students Prove Economics Track Theatre Managers Tickets Assistants Lost Money

Author:William Shatner

“I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in rep with a then unknown actor called Peter O'Toole playing Vladimir. I remember leaving the theatre promising myself that one day I would have a go at this play and then pretty much forgot it for 50 years.”

Years Play Remember Actors Waiting Saws One Day Leaving Theatre Peter Godot Waiting For Godot

Author:Patrick Stewart

“I've always longed for the theatre and acting to be popular. No actor wants to play to an empty house. We only do it for an audience. The more the merrier. I don't make any distinction between a popular TV series or blockbuster film and doing Shakespeare. They're different, but as long as the material is good and the intention is honourable, it's all the same to me.”

Want Long Different Play Film Actors House Acting Audience Materials Tvs Empty Series Intention Theatre Distinction Tv Series Blockbuster Empty Houses More The Merrier

Author:Ian Mckellen

“I don't see the theater as an establishment. The National Theatre has always seemed to me a people's theater. It was never meant to reinforce the values of the government of the day, nor does it, nor should it.”

People Should Doe Government Values Theater Theatre Establishment

Author:David Hare

“My parents started with very little and were the only ones in their families to graduate from college. As parents, they focused on education, but did not stop at academics - they made sure that we knew music, saw art and theatre and traveled - even though it meant budgeting like crazy.”

Littles Art Made Parent Saws Crazy College Focused Theatre Graduates Traveled Budgeting

Author:Jennifer Garner

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