I'm trying as hard as I can to keep pushing the boundaries of what a woman is capable of doing. And it turns out there's a lot we can do. There's a lot we can speak about.
Rita MorenoRead
You see a script, and you say, 'Oh, I can play the heck out of that,' talk to your agent, and he says they don't want to see you. That's heartbreaking.
Interpretation
The quote expresses the disappointment of having talent and being eager to perform, but facing rejection.
Rita Moreno's quote captures the emotional turmoil that comes with the aspirations of performers. It highlights the clash between a performer’s confidence in their abilities and the harsh reality of the entertainment industry, where even the most talented individuals can face rejection and heartbreak, regardless of their skills or enthusiasm.
In practice
In a speech during an acting workshop to inspire aspiring actors.
I'm trying as hard as I can to keep pushing the boundaries of what a woman is capable of doing. And it turns out there's a lot we can do. There's a lot we can speak about.
No one's going to tell me how to make my own choices. For too many years, everybody told me what to say and what to do and how to be.
I started dancing almost before I could walk.
What musical performers bring to straight characterizations is that physical flexibility that comes with knowing your body so well. A lot of actors are terribly awkward. Terribly. And I think it's so important for them, when they're young, to work on their physical selves.
I've always had this image of this strong, sprightly person who is undaunted by anything; on the contrary, I was one of the shyest, most unsure people you ever met in your life. But I have one very specific quality: I'm plucky. I really am. I would say that's a perfect description of my personality.
I was determined that with perseverance and faith, at some point, someone would say, 'This girl has talent,' and would cast me in something meaningful.
…I go through a story for lies. I might discover the lie of trying to show off. Sometimes they’re lies of character. Sometimes they are lies of writing the most beautiful sentence in the world that has nothing to do with the story.
Sometimes I sound like gravel, and sometimes I sound like coffee and cream.
I am in the mood to dissolve in the sky.
If you are working in an office, where do you find the time to write a novel? But you can finish a short story in five pages. Furthermore, a short story is a perfect place to learn the craft.
There is one way that architecture is superior to sculpture, and that is scale. You can walk into a building and have it all around you.
I am just beginning to understand what it is to paint. A painter should have two lives, one in which to learn, and one in which to practice his art.
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