--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The audience will teach you how to act…" description: "\"The audience will teach you how to act and the audience will teach you how to write and to direct. The classroom will teach you how to obey, and obedie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/david-mamet-1178_audience_the-audience-will-teach-you-how-to-act-a_969840.jpg" --- # The audience will teach you how to act and the audience… ![“The audience will teach you how to act and the audience will teach you how to write and to direct. The classroom will teach you how to obey, and obedience in the theatre will get you nowhere. It’s a soothing falsity.” quote by David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/david-mamet-1178_audience_the-audience-will-teach-you-how-to-act-a_969840.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/david-mamet-1178_audience_the-audience-will-teach-you-how-to-act-a_969840.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/david-mamet-1178_audience_the-audience-will-teach-you-how-to-act-a_969840.jpg) > “The audience will teach you how to act and the audience will teach you how to write and to direct. The classroom will teach you how to obey, and obedience in the theatre will get you nowhere. It’s a soothing falsity.” [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The theater teaches creativity, but formal education enforces conformity, which can stifle artistic growth. **In simple terms:** Theatre encourages originality; school can enforce obedience. Key Takeaway Question institutional norms that limit creative freedom. Themes creativity conformity education Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - acting workshops - directing classes - writing groups - theatre rehearsals Key Concepts artistic expression authority learning Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance discipline with artistic risk? - What habits nurture authentic expression? A Different Perspective Formal training may neglect the importance of personal voice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Classroom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classroom/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Falsity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsity/) [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) [Soothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soothing/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is being attacked, and every man will be glad of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the-2/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The truth is that schools don't really teach anything except how to obey orders. This is a great mystery to me because thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/the-truth-is-that-schools-don-t-really-teach-anything-except-how-to/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [Parents, do you wish to see your children happy? Take care, then, that you train them to obey when they are spoken to, -to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/parents-do-you-wish-to-see-your-children-happy-take-care-then-that/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [“I've noticed a fascinating phenomenon in my thirty years of teaching: schools and schooling are increasingly irrelevant to the great enterprises of the planet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/i-ve-noticed-a-fascinating-phenomenon-in-my-thirty-years-of-teaching/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [Most owners are at length able to teach themselves to obey their dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-morley/most-owners-are-at-length-able-to-teach-themselves-to-obey-their-dog/) [Robert Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-morley/) > [The truth is that schools don't really teach anything except how to obey orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/the-truth-is-that-schools-don-t-really-teach-anything-except-how-to-2/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [To get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded...The object with me is to obey and teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/to-get-salvation-we-must-not-only-do-some-things-but-everything-which/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [When you go to commercial, you want something to call the viewers back, and if you don't have a decent act out, the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-abrams/when-you-go-to-commercial-you-want-something-to-call-the-viewers-back/) [J. J. Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-abrams/) > [I don't know any comedian who tailors his act to his audience. Maybe people say they do, but I can't even imagine them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/i-don-t-know-any-comedian-who-tailors-his-act-to-his-audience-maybe/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) > [In a play, you can adjust your performance to audience reaction, but in a film, it's like you're trapped in a bad dream watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-groff/in-a-play-you-can-adjust-your-performance-to-audience-reaction-but-in/) [Jonathan Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-groff/) > [Why do you act? You act for an audience. In the theatre, you're in their presence. Film stars don't know what it is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/why-do-you-act-you-act-for-an-audience-in-the-theatre-you-re-in-their/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [In the first act, you get the audience's attention - once you have it, they will repay you in the second. Play through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/in-the-first-act-you-get-the-audience-s-attention-once-you-have-it/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [That's the nice thing about being a live act. I can get the audience, but it's for the moment. It's like, 'Can I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-lynott/that-s-the-nice-thing-about-being-a-live-act-i-can-get-the-audience/) [Phil Lynott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-lynott/) > [I passionately believe if you put on an act, the audience will be able to tell. That does not mean that I am going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/i-passionately-believe-if-you-put-on-an-act-the-audience-will-be-able/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) ## More by David Mamet > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Culture exists and evolves to relegate to habit categories of interactions the constant conscious reference to which would make human interaction impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/culture-exists-and-evolves-to-relegate-to-habit-categories-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [When I started out I was a failed actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/when-i-started-out-i-was-a-failed-actor/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/we-must-have-a-pie-stress-cannot-exist-in-the-presence-of-a-pie/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“We cannot live in peace without Law. 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We wish to absorb this person. We wish to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/the-product-of-the-artist-has-become-less-important-than-the-fact-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [In a world we find terrifying, we ratify that which doesn't threaten us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/in-a-world-we-find-terrifying-we-ratify-that-which-doesn-t-threaten-us/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“As a youth I enjoyed — indeed, like most of my contemporaries, revered — the agitprop plays of Brecht, and his indictments of Capitalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/as-a-youth-i-enjoyed-indeed-like-most-of-my-contemporaries-revered/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) [Explore all 278 David Mamet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. 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My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The audience will teach you how to act and the audience will teach you how to write and to direct. The classroom will teach you how to obey, and obedience in the theatre will get you nowhere. 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