--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the great things that playwright…" description: "\"One of the great things that playwright A.R. Gurney does in 'Sylvia' is he gives language to the emotional gestures and energy that our dogs give to us..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/annaleigh-ashford-8567_energy_one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright_2043583.jpg" --- # One of the great things that playwright A.R. Gurney does… ![“One of the great things that playwright A.R. Gurney does in 'Sylvia' is he gives language to the emotional gestures and energy that our dogs give to us when they're communicating.” quote by Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/annaleigh-ashford-8567_energy_one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright_2043583.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/annaleigh-ashford-8567_energy_one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright_2043583.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/annaleigh-ashford-8567_energy_one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright_2043583.jpg) > “One of the great things that playwright A.R. Gurney does in 'Sylvia' is he gives language to the emotional gestures and energy that our dogs give to us when they're communicating.” [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The playwright translates canine body language into human speech, revealing how animals express feelings through movement. **In simple terms:** Dogs show feelings with gestures; words can capture that. Key Takeaway Observe and interpret non‑verbal cues. Themes communication empathy animal behavior Mood curious reflective Type observational insightful When to use this quote - pet training - child education - animal therapy - creative writing Key Concepts non‑verbal expression anthropomorphism Questions to Reflect On - How can we better understand animal emotions? - What does translating animal gestures teach us about empathy? A Different Perspective Human language may oversimplify complex animal signals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ## Related quotes > [ It had a language. It's a very emotional language that only exists in India, that part of \[inaudible\] so we wanted to use that.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/it-had-a-language-it-s-a-very-emotional-language-that-only-exists-in/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [“The truth is, we don't have an easy language for emotional life. That's why we have writers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-orbach/the-truth-is-we-don-t-have-an-easy-language-for-emotional-life-that-s/) [Susie Orbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-orbach/) > [What I do know is I'm going to give absolute 100 percent effort any time I'm on the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-ariza/what-i-do-know-is-i-m-going-to-give-absolute-100-percent-effort-any/) [Trevor Ariza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-ariza/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) > [What greater insult can you give God than to take your own life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thibodeau/what-greater-insult-can-you-give-god-than-to-take-your-own-life/) [David Thibodeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thibodeau/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [You've got a lot of Tupac clones, but I don't think I'm one of them. I just think I give people a little piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-gibbs/you-ve-got-a-lot-of-tupac-clones-but-i-don-t-think-i-m-one-of-them-i/) [Freddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-gibbs/) > [In France they spend six months training policemen, then they give them a gun and put them on the streets, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-kassovitz/in-france-they-spend-six-months-training-policemen-then-they-give/) [Mathieu Kassovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-kassovitz/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [I can get runs much faster if I stay there in the middle to give bowlers more time and cushion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-l-rahul/i-can-get-runs-much-faster-if-i-stay-there-in-the-middle-to-give/) [K. L. Rahul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-l-rahul/) > [I listen to my body, I give it things it wants and I eliminate things it doesn't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-ekland/i-listen-to-my-body-i-give-it-things-it-wants-and-i-eliminate-things/) [Britt Ekland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-ekland/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [Give me an impromptu 50-person guest list, a fold-out emergency trestle table and a pack of frozen vol-au-vent cases and, darlings, I will give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/give-me-an-impromptu-50-person-guest-list-a-fold-out-emergency/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) > [I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-burrow/i-would-give-anything-to-be-able-to-kick-a-ball-with-my-son-or-read/) [Rob Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-burrow/) ## More by Annaleigh Ashford > [I've chosen a career that's quite tricky. You have such high highs and low lows, and it's outrageously inconsistent. But it is what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-ve-chosen-a-career-that-s-quite-tricky-you-have-such-high-highs-and/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [A dog's heart chakra is always open; their aim in life is to please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/a-dog-s-heart-chakra-is-always-open-their-aim-in-life-is-to-please/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [I grew up listening to cabaret. At 7 and 8 years old, I was already singing like a club performer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-grew-up-listening-to-cabaret-at-7-and-8-years-old-i-was-already/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [In the comedy world, there's always been one woman to five men. I think that's changing, that we're being respected more as writers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/in-the-comedy-world-there-s-always-been-one-woman-to-five-men-i-think/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [The people I see be the most successful are the people who have an inner confidence and an inner strength that comes from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/the-people-i-see-be-the-most-successful-are-the-people-who-have-an/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [I took obedience, agility, and shepherding with my dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-took-obedience-agility-and-shepherding-with-my-dog/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [This is magic - the people of Broadway. There's nothing better!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/this-is-magic-the-people-of-broadway-there-s-nothing-better/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [We actually found some home videos, some really funny footage of me when I was around 3 years old. I come up to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/we-actually-found-some-home-videos-some-really-funny-footage-of-me/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [I think there's something beautiful about the art of making art, and it just will live and breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-think-there-s-something-beautiful-about-the-art-of-making-art-and/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [I think every New York actor's dream is to do Shakespeare in the Park. Each show is so special and unique and diverse because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-think-every-new-york-actor-s-dream-is-to-do-shakespeare-in-the-park/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [My very first scene on camera for anything was with Sarah Jessica Parker in the 'Sex and the City' movie, and she couldn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/my-very-first-scene-on-camera-for-anything-was-with-sarah-jessica/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [There are certain performers that the gay community receives and recognizes with love, and my whole life, I've always responded to those same artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/there-are-certain-performers-that-the-gay-community-receives-and/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [I was born and raised in Denver, CO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-was-born-and-raised-in-denver-co/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [I'm so not a Bridezilla.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-m-so-not-a-bridezilla/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [If you've ever been to a great clown show, there's always a moment where the clown goes into the house and fuses with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/if-you-ve-ever-been-to-a-great-clown-show-there-s-always-a-moment/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) [Explore all 80 Annaleigh Ashford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) Mak\_786 > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of the great things that playwright A.R. Gurney does in 'Sylvia' is he gives language to the emotional gestures and energy that our dogs give to us when they're communicating.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Annaleigh Ashford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright-a-r-gurney-does-in-sylvia-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright-a-r-gurney-does-in-sylvia-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/annaleigh-ashford-8567_energy_one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright_2043583.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/annaleigh-ashford-8567_energy_one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright_2043583.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/annaleigh-ashford-8567_energy_one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright_2043583.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One of the great things that playwright A.R. Gurney does in 'Sylvia' is he gives language to the emotional…” — Annaleigh Ashford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Annaleigh Ashford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One of the great things that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright-a-r-gurney-does-in-sylvia-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/one-of-the-great-things-that-playwright-a-r-gurney-does-in-sylvia-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```