--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My crutch was, in improvs, when in doubt…" description: "\"My crutch was, in improvs, when in doubt, play insane, because you didn't have to excuse anything that came out of your mouth. It didn't have to make s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/catherine-o-hara-12956_comedy_my-crutch-was-in-improvs-when-in-doubt-p_155442.jpg" --- # My crutch was, in improvs, when in doubt, play insane… ![“My crutch was, in improvs, when in doubt, play insane, because you didn't have to excuse anything that came out of your mouth. It didn't have to make sense.” quote by Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/catherine-o-hara-12956_comedy_my-crutch-was-in-improvs-when-in-doubt-p_155442.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/catherine-o-hara-12956_comedy_my-crutch-was-in-improvs-when-in-doubt-p_155442.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/catherine-o-hara-12956_comedy_my-crutch-was-in-improvs-when-in-doubt-p_155442.jpg) > “My crutch was, in improvs, when in doubt, play insane, because you didn't have to excuse anything that came out of your mouth. It didn't have to make sense.” [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In improv, abandoning logic and embracing wildness frees expression, removing the need to justify oneself. **In simple terms:** Play insane in improv to avoid self‑censorship. Key Takeaway Allow spontaneity to guide performance. Themes improvisation freedom creativity Mood playful experimental Type educational entertaining When to use this quote - theatre - stand‑up comedy - workshops - creative brainstorming Key Concepts performance art psychology of play Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance chaos and clarity? - When does wildness enhance a performance? A Different Perspective Risk of incoherence may alienate audience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [“We act insane, because if we didn't, we would most surely become insane. - Hawkeye”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hooker/we-act-insane-because-if-we-didn-t-we-would-most-surely-become-insane/) [Richard Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hooker/) > [I'd love to play someone who's insane or something, just so I can go flake out. I like a superhero. 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No more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/when-in-doubt-the-rule-of-threes-is-a-rule-that-plays-well-with-all/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [When in doubt, mock the powerful, not the powerless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/when-in-doubt-mock-the-powerful-not-the-powerless/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [My father said, ‘When in doubt, castle.’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-father-said-when-in-doubt-castle/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [When in doubt, leave it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-bloch/when-in-doubt-leave-it-out/) [Joshua Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-bloch/) ## More by Catherine O'Hara > [There's nothing like having a history with someone, when you're in a foreign land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/there-s-nothing-like-having-a-history-with-someone-when-you-re-in-a/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [From November through December, 'tis the season for 'Home Alone!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/from-november-through-december-tis-the-season-for-home-alone/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [As a teenager, I loved 'The Carol Burnett Show' and 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' and I lived to watch 'Monty Python.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/as-a-teenager-i-loved-the-carol-burnett-show-and-rowan-martin-s-laugh/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [Everybody in my family's funny. Being funny was highly encouraged in our family, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/everybody-in-my-family-s-funny-being-funny-was-highly-encouraged-in/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [I guess the more women are present and out there in life, the more their stories will be told. I don't know. Their stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/i-guess-the-more-women-are-present-and-out-there-in-life-the-more/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [I think everyone is born with humor, but your life can beat it out of you, sadly, or you can be lucky enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/i-think-everyone-is-born-with-humor-but-your-life-can-beat-it-out-of/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [“Nighttime is really the best time to work. 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All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/night-time-is-really-the-best-time-to-work-all-the-ideas-are-there-to/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [The year I married my American husband, I won the lottery - and I tried to give it to somebody else, because I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/the-year-i-married-my-american-husband-i-won-the-lottery-and-i-tried/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [I mean, I knew I wanted to do this kind of thing in school, but to actually have somebody that would bring you into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/i-mean-i-knew-i-wanted-to-do-this-kind-of-thing-in-school-but-to/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [I met Gilda Radner, God bless her, when I was in grade 13, which doesn't exist anymore. 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Or if they did have parents, they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/i-lived-in-la-for-a-few-months-it-seemed-like-no-one-there-had/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) [Explore all 52 Catherine O'Hara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) ## More Comedy quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. 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Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. 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