Epitaph for a dead waiter - God finally caught his eye.
George S. KaufmanRead
At dramatic rehearsals, the only author that's better than an absent one is a dead one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously suggests that a silent author is preferable to one who is present and potentially critical during rehearsals.
This quote by George S. Kaufman reflects the often tumultuous nature of the creative process, particularly in theater. It implies that the presence of an author during rehearsals can lead to conflict or disruption, as they may have strong opinions about the actors' interpretations of their work. Kaufman's wit points to the value of letting a piece evolve without the constraints of an author's expectations, suggesting that sometimes, the best outcome comes from a less hands-on approach.
Themes
TheaterCreativityAuthorHumorRehearsal
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote at a theater workshop to lighten the mood during discussions about authors' notes.
More from George S. Kaufman
All quotes βSatire is what closes on Saturday night.
George S. KaufmanRead
Similar quotes
Whoever named it necking was a poor judge of anatomy.
Groucho MarxRead
Why can't they have gay people in the army? Personally, I think they are just afraid of a thousand guys with M16s going, "Who'd you call a faggot?"
Jon StewartRead
I have no idea what my best material is. Different people like different things. I'll say this: The political stuff gets the press, but the relationship jokes sell all the seats.
Chris RockRead
I don't know much about being a millionaire, but I'll bet I'd be darling at it.
Dorothy ParkerRead
Every word she writes is a lie, including "and" and "the."
Mary MccarthyRead
In the family of punctuation, where the full stop is daddy and the comma is mummy, and the semicolon quietly practises the piano with crossed hands, the exclamation mark is the big attention-deficit brother who gets overexcited and breaks things and laughs too loudly.
Lynne TrussRead