Theatre Quotes

An actor is a sculptor who carves in snow.

The dramatist's function is (1) to earn a living for his family and himself and (2) to try to entertain people for a few hours.

Acting is the most personal of our crafts. The make-up of a human being - his physical, mental and emotional habits - influence his acting to a much greater extent than commonly recognized.

The actor creates with his own flesh and blood all those things which all the arts try in some way to describe.

Never get caught acting.

I've always had great satisfaction out of writing the plays. I've not always had great satisfaction out of seeing them produced--although often I've had satisfaction there. When things go well in production, on opening there's no nicer feeling in the world--what could be nicer than watching an audience respond? You can't that from a book. It's a fine feeling to walk into the theater and see living people respond to something you've done.

Musicals were never not cool to me.

The performance is not an illusionist copy of reality, its imitation; nor is it a set of conventions, accepted as a kind of deliberate game, playing at a seperate theatrical reality... The actor does not play, does not imitate, or pretend. He is himself.

It isn't what I do, but how I do it. It isn't what I say but how I say it - and how I look when I do and say it.