All my career, I've said this: Critics and producers think audiences want actors that only present the silhouette and hit the points in the silhouette. What I do is too dangerous.
Patti LuponeRead
The only thing we are as actors are messengers. That's all we are. Correct? We are delivering the playwright's intention through the concept of the director. And I come on stage; if I feel confident in the role, then I give it away.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Actors are merely conduits for the playwright's message, interpreting it through the director's vision.
In this quote, Patti Lupone emphasizes the role of an actor as a messenger rather than a creator. She articulates that the true essence of acting lies in the ability to interpret and convey the playwright's intentions as guided by the director, highlighting the collaborative nature of theater where individual contributions serve a larger artistic vision.
Themes
ActingTheaterMessengerPlaywrightDirectorArtistic Interpretation
In practice
Example use cases
During a theater workshop, I shared this quote to illustrate the importance of collaboration in acting.
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Night came walking through Egypt swishing her black dress.
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Frank Lloyd WrightRead
The drama's altar isn't on the stage: it is candle-sticked and flowered in the box office. There is the gold, though there be no frankincense or myrrh; and the gospel for the day always The Play will Run for a Year. The Dove of Inspiration, of the desire for inspiration, has flown away from it; and on it's roof, now, the commonplace crow caws candidly.
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Every day look at a beautiful picture, read a beautiful poem, listen to some beautiful music, and if possible, say some reasonable thing.
Johann Wolfgang Von GoetheRead