Actor Quote by Charles S. Dutton
“What I learned as an actor was the only way you could really do August Wilson's work, you had to leave an ounce of your essence on that stage,... Otherwise it was impossible.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Acting Craft, Charles S. Dutton, 2015
To honor a playwright’s voice, an actor must infuse personal truth into the performance, otherwise the work loses authenticity.
In simple terms: Give a piece of yourself to the role.
Key Takeaway
Embed personal essence in performance.
Themes
authenticity
craft
legacy
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
artistic
process
When to use this quote
- theatre rehearsals
- stage debut
- directed readings
- play workshops
Key Concepts
method acting
embodiment
interpretation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you protect the original text while adding self?
- When does personal infusion become over‑interpretation?
A Different Perspective
Balancing personal expression with the playwright’s intent can be challenging.
![“We just had to stay out-of-the-way [in Fences]. [August Wilson] already wrote a masterpiece. And you really don't know how it's going to work until you get it in front of an audience.” quote by Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/474/denzel-washington-1345_audience_we-just-had-to-stay-out-of-the-way-in-fe_2351915.jpg)
![“It just happened that we did [Fences] seven years ago on Broadway. Scott Rudin brought me August Wilson's original screenplay for it, and I realized I hadn't read the play. So I read it. Then I realized that Troy (my character) was 53 - and I was 55 at the time. I realized I better hurry up! I…” quote by Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c64/denzel-washington-1345_august_it-just-happened-that-we-did-fences-seve_1828104.jpg)
![“August [Wilson] elevates in us is the average man in a way that is heroic and real and human. What you do is you sit with our pathology, you invest in our humanity. We're not walking around like walking symbols like we mean something larger. We're just moving throughout our lives and that's the…” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/42b/viola-davis-1174_august_august-wilson-elevates-in-us-is-the-aver_998884.jpg)
![“In 2009, Scott Rudin sent me August's [Wilson] original screenplay [Fences] and asked me what I wanted to do with it. He wanted to know if I wanted to act in it, direct it or produce it. I said, "Well, let me read it first."” quote by Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c2b/denzel-washington-1345_august_in-2009-scott-rudin-sent-me-august-s-wil_1954686.jpg)
