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I deal with the depraved, the sick, the pathetic, the…

“I deal with the depraved, the sick, the pathetic, the disturbing and the profoundly depressed. I will try it all on. I will try on what I am and what I never want to be. And everything I wanted to be, but never can be. I can be a supermodel, or your worst nightmare. Off-stage, I just get to leave…” quote by Susan Messing
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“I deal with the depraved, the sick, the pathetic, the disturbing and the profoundly depressed. I will try it all on. I will try on what I am and what I never want to be. And everything I wanted to be, but never can be. I can be a supermodel, or your worst nightmare. Off-stage, I just get to leave it, and nobody thinks I'm like that. This is what prevents me from being a psychopath and a sociopath, my time on stage.”

Susan Messing

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Describes using performance to explore dark personal themes, preventing personal pathology by channeling them into art.

In simple terms: Stage work helps process dark emotions.

Key Takeaway

Channel inner turmoil into performance.

Themes

mental health art therapy identity performance

Mood

introspective raw

Type

artistic therapeutic

When to use this quote

  • theatre practice
  • personal therapy
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

psychology self‑exploration

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does performance differ from therapy?
  • What limits exist for art as coping?
A Different Perspective

May not replace professional therapy.

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