--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first summer at a repertory theater, I…" description: "\"My first summer at a repertory theater, I was making $20 a week. I was making a living, as far as I was concerned, and I was doing theater. And next se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/david-morse-11828_family_my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i_2416114.jpg" --- # My first summer at a repertory theater, I was making $20 a… ![“My first summer at a repertory theater, I was making $20 a week. I was making a living, as far as I was concerned, and I was doing theater. And next season, I made $40 a week. But I don't think anyone in my family would have considered that making a living.” quote by David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/david-morse-11828_family_my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i_2416114.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/david-morse-11828_family_my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i_2416114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/david-morse-11828_family_my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i_2416114.jpg) > “My first summer at a repertory theater, I was making $20 a week. I was making a living, as far as I was concerned, and I was doing theater. And next season, I made $40 a week. But I don't think anyone in my family would have considered that making a living.” [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights how modest earnings in the arts can be perceived as insufficient despite personal fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Low pay in theater may feel inadequate. Key Takeaway Seek fulfillment beyond salary. Themes career art valuation perception family expectations Mood contemplative realistic Type career personal development When to use this quote - job negotiation - budget planning - career counseling - artistic projects Key Concepts financial stability artistic passion societal norms self-worth Questions to Reflect On - What defines a “living” for you? - How do you balance art and finances? A Different Perspective Higher income may not guarantee happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-theater/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Making 20](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-20-6099073/) [Making a living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-living/) [Making Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-living/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Summer Repertory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer-repertory-6099072/) [Theater Making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater-making-4846205/) ## Related quotes > [It isn't called TV money for nothing. There was a time where I paid my rent by doing theater for years, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-parsons/it-isn-t-called-tv-money-for-nothing-there-was-a-time-where-i-paid-my/) [Jim Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-parsons/) > [On television, you have an intimate moment with the camera. In theater, you are making something live with people there. My brain doesn't understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-vangsness/on-television-you-have-an-intimate-moment-with-the-camera-in-theater/) [Kirsten Vangsness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-vangsness/) > [I like to think of performance-wear just like theater: we're making a character come to life each night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doechii/i-like-to-think-of-performance-wear-just-like-theater-we-re-making-a/) [Doechii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doechii/) > [“No difference making a living with what’s between your ears and making one with what’s between your legs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-vickers/no-difference-making-a-living-with-what-s-between-your-ears-and/) [Dennis Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-vickers/) > [I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-person-by-the-way-he-she/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Playing live and making a living from music was always the only goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-capaldi/playing-live-and-making-a-living-from-music-was-always-the-only-goal/) [Lewis Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-capaldi/) > [We've given up making a living, its all this crazy love poetry now!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/we-ve-given-up-making-a-living-its-all-this-crazy-love-poetry-now/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [The only people who have control over their careers are the ones you see on the covers of magazines. Everyone else is just plodding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-baldwin/the-only-people-who-have-control-over-their-careers-are-the-ones-you/) [Adam Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-baldwin/) > [If you love writing or making music or blogging or any sort of performing art, then do it. Do it with everything you've got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-love-writing-or-making-music-or-blogging-or-any-sort-of/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I'm fortunate that I'm making a living at it now because I'm not equipped to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-m-fortunate-that-i-m-making-a-living-at-it-now-because-i-m-not/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Any time you're making a living at what you love to do, you're blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/any-time-you-re-making-a-living-at-what-you-love-to-do-you-re-blessed/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Before I became a writer, I was running a jazz bar in the center of Tokyo, which means that I worked in filthy air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/before-i-became-a-writer-i-was-running-a-jazz-bar-in-the-center-of/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Why should I stop working? If I do, I'll die and it'll all be finished. 'm lucky to work in the most perfect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/why-should-i-stop-working-if-i-do-i-ll-die-and-it-ll-all-be-finished/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [I always felt that making a living wasn't the easiest thing in the world, and I decided I was going straight ahead and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-day/i-always-felt-that-making-a-living-wasn-t-the-easiest-thing-in-the/) [Doris Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-day/) > [“There’s a common misconception that work is necessary. You will meet people working at miserable jobs. They tell you they are “making a living”.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tan/there-s-a-common-misconception-that-work-is-necessary-you-will-meet/) [Adrian Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tan/) ## More by David Morse > [When I was in school, in eighth grade, someone recognized something in me. She was an English teacher, and we read a play out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/when-i-was-in-school-in-eighth-grade-someone-recognized-something-in/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [Because I'd only done theater, that's really what I thought most of my life would be. I always figured that movies would be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/because-i-d-only-done-theater-that-s-really-what-i-thought-most-of-my/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [One year, I went to Cannes with the film 'The Indian Runner' that Sean Penn directed. Everyone else in the film was all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/one-year-i-went-to-cannes-with-the-film-the-indian-runner-that-sean/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I'm acting for the pleasure of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-m-acting-for-the-pleasure-of-it/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I thought, "I don't want to be the only unfunny guy in this movie. I really would like to be somehow involved in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-thought-i-don-t-want-to-be-the-only-unfunny-guy-in-this-movie-i/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I have so many people who still talk to me about The Long Kiss Goodnight, about that being one of their favorite movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-have-so-many-people-who-still-talk-to-me-about-the-long-kiss/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [There's been one movie star that would not work with me because of my height. I had so many people who had to stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/there-s-been-one-movie-star-that-would-not-work-with-me-because-of-my/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I didn't want to do television at all. I really didn't want to do it. I really thought I was just going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-didn-t-want-to-do-television-at-all-i-really-didn-t-want-to-do-it-i/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I was a teenager and it was tough years for me. Being able to bring myself into a character and live in somebody else's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-was-a-teenager-and-it-was-tough-years-for-me-being-able-to-bring/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I've always tried to not let movie, television or theatre be all that my life is about. I've always tried to get involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-ve-always-tried-to-not-let-movie-television-or-theatre-be-all-that/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I'd never done any film or television. Well, I'd done one little stupid commercial in Boston when I was doing theater, but that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-d-never-done-any-film-or-television-well-i-d-done-one-little-stupid/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I gave up planning when our children were born, when I had three children to feed and a roof to keep over our head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-gave-up-planning-when-our-children-were-born-when-i-had-three/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I try to do things I haven't been able to before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-try-to-do-things-i-haven-t-been-able-to-before/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I had the great good fortune of working with Christopher Plummer, Frances Sternhagen, and Arthur Hill early in my career, and it set a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-had-the-great-good-fortune-of-working-with-christopher-plummer/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [Everything is interesting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/everything-is-interesting-to-me/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) [Explore all 57 David Morse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) ## More Family 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/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) [Maureen Andeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-andeson/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. The people have always been very, very kind to me, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/the-people-have-always-been-family-to-me-here-in-las-vegas-the-people/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 36,913 Family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My first summer at a repertory theater, I was making $20 a week. I was making a living, as far as I was concerned, and I was doing theater. And next season, I made $40 a week. But I don't think anyone in my family would have considered that making a living.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Morse" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i-was-making-20-a-week-i-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Family" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i-was-making-20-a-week-i-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/david-morse-11828_family_my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i_2416114.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/david-morse-11828_family_my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i_2416114.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/david-morse-11828_family_my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i_2416114.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My first summer at a repertory theater, I was making $20 a week. I was making a living, as far as I was…” — David Morse", "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": "David Morse", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My first summer at a repertory...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i-was-making-20-a-week-i-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/my-first-summer-at-a-repertory-theater-i-was-making-20-a-week-i-was/#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 } } ] } ```