---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want an audience that will come sitting…"
description: "\"I want an audience that will come sitting forward in their seats.\" — Diane Paulus"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/diane-paulus-16351_audience_i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sittin_1124421.png"
---

#  I want an audience that will come sitting forward in their…

![“I want an audience that will come sitting forward in their seats.” quote by Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/diane-paulus-16351_audience_i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sittin_1124421.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/diane-paulus-16351_audience_i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sittin_1124421.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/diane-paulus-16351_audience_i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sittin_1124421.png)

> “I want an audience that will come sitting forward in their seats.”

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She desires an audience that is actively engaged and emotionally present.

**In simple terms:** Want engaged listeners.

Key Takeaway

Create immersive experiences.

Themes

engagement audience performance presence empathy

Mood

inspired anticipatory

Type

motivational instructional

When to use this quote

- theatre productions
- workshops
- public speaking
- online webinars

Key Concepts

participatory theater emotional resonance

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you design moments that demand forward leaning?
- What barriers prevent audience immersion?

A Different Perspective

Audience may still be passive despite efforts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/)

## Related quotes

> [You have to think about why you're asking an audience to come to the theater. It's not that they should come because it's good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/you-have-to-think-about-why-you-re-asking-an-audience-to-come-to-the/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [I expect the audience to come up to my level. I am not interested in compromising my music to make it palatable to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-ellis/i-expect-the-audience-to-come-up-to-my-level-i-am-not-interested-in/)

[Don Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-ellis/)

> [My reaction to 3D is subtly. Things don't come out at you, but rather you - The audience come into the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/my-reaction-to-3d-is-subtly-things-don-t-come-out-at-you-but-rather/)

[Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/)

> [I know that people in Dubai are particularly well read, educated and intelligent and that the audience in front of me will come looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-kapur/i-know-that-people-in-dubai-are-particularly-well-read-educated-and/)

[Pankaj Kapur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-kapur/)

> [Audience today like an honest approach to cinema; if you try to please the audience they come to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-manjrekar/audience-today-like-an-honest-approach-to-cinema-if-you-try-to-please/)

[Mahesh Manjrekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-manjrekar/)

> [I'd just love to have an audience and it's the most fun in the world to get a new script every week and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gilbert/i-d-just-love-to-have-an-audience-and-it-s-the-most-fun-in-the-world/)

[Sara Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gilbert/)

> [I can reach the mass audience if I come from different perspectives on every song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-lambert/i-can-reach-the-mass-audience-if-i-come-from-different-perspectives/)

[Miranda Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-lambert/)

> [I expect the audience to come up to my level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-ellis/i-expect-the-audience-to-come-up-to-my-level/)

[Don Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-ellis/)

> [Id just love to have an audience and its the most fun in the world to get a new script every week and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gilbert/id-just-love-to-have-an-audience-and-its-the-most-fun-in-the-world-to/)

[Sara Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gilbert/)

> [I've seen the power of the community. A young person can stand up, talk about his dream, and someone from the audience will come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakshmi-pratury/i-ve-seen-the-power-of-the-community-a-young-person-can-stand-up-talk/)

[Lakshmi Pratury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakshmi-pratury/)

> [ My objective is to satisfy \[my\] audience so they come back the next day. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/my-objective-is-to-satisfy-my-audience-so-they-come-back-the-next-day/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I'm so keen to convey what I'm thinking and feeling, as opposed to letting the audience come to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/i-m-so-keen-to-convey-what-i-m-thinking-and-feeling-as-opposed-to/)

[Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/)

> [It doesn't matter as long as there's interaction between me and the audience. That's why they come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-rieu/it-doesn-t-matter-as-long-as-there-s-interaction-between-me-and-the/)

[Andre Rieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-rieu/)

> [Audience come with expectations, and our job is to engage them for two hours. We take efforts to make the story more interesting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-sethupathi/audience-come-with-expectations-and-our-job-is-to-engage-them-for-two/)

[Vijay Sethupathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-sethupathi/)

> [I want an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-ramsay/i-want-an-audience/)

[Lynne Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-ramsay/)

## More by Diane Paulus

> [I am always looking for what piece, what artists, what playwrights, what directors, what subject matter is going to catalyze an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-am-always-looking-for-what-piece-what-artists-what-playwrights-what/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [We're a depraved civilization. All this technology, all the computer games and the iPhones... nobody will sit for art anymore. What a dismaying state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/we-re-a-depraved-civilization-all-this-technology-all-the-computer/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [Im always interested in looking - historically - at how theater can animate history and how all of that can make us engage with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/im-always-interested-in-looking-historically-at-how-theater-can/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [Creativity and the world of the imagination - the beauty of what we see as a child and the kind of play that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/creativity-and-the-world-of-the-imagination-the-beauty-of-what-we-see/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [The idea of making audiences feel like they matter, that the theatre matters, and that they're a partner in the event—that's what fuels me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/the-idea-of-making-audiences-feel-like-they-matter-that-the-theatre/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [Creativity is a form of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/creativity-is-a-form-of-knowledge/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [I think every theater in America wants a younger audience... and you can't just hope to have a younger audience, you have to program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-think-every-theater-in-america-wants-a-younger-audience-and-you-can/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [You have to think about why you're asking an audience to come to the theater. It's not that they should come because it's good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/you-have-to-think-about-why-you-re-asking-an-audience-to-come-to-the/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [At the core of what I'm doing is a belief in the audience, a belief that populism doesn't mean dumbing down theater, but rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/at-the-core-of-what-i-m-doing-is-a-belief-in-the-audience-a-belief/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [I don't want to be in an art bubble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-don-t-want-to-be-in-an-art-bubble/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [I listen to music, I read scripts, and I know pretty intuitively if I can unlock it in a way. It's actually very liberating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-listen-to-music-i-read-scripts-and-i-know-pretty-intuitively-if-i/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [I knew ART was was going to give me this opportunity to expand my role as a director and finally let me have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-knew-art-was-was-going-to-give-me-this-opportunity-to-expand-my/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [I'm always interested in working with people who are good team players - that are selfless that way in their interests and dedication to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-m-always-interested-in-working-with-people-who-are-good-team/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [I think in our culture there's been a tendency for people to blame the audience. There is a tendency in our industry to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-think-in-our-culture-there-s-been-a-tendency-for-people-to-blame/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

> [For me, the reason why people go to a mountaintop or go to the edge of the ocean is to look at something larger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/for-me-the-reason-why-people-go-to-a-mountaintop-or-go-to-the-edge-of/)

[Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

[Explore all 40 Diane Paulus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/)

## 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. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/)

[J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/)

> [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/)

[Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/)

> [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' 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": "I want an audience that will come sitting forward in their seats.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Diane Paulus"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sitting-forward-in-their-seats/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Audience"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sitting-forward-in-their-seats/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/diane-paulus-16351_audience_i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sittin_1124421.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/diane-paulus-16351_audience_i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sittin_1124421.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/diane-paulus-16351_audience_i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sittin_1124421.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I want an audience that will come sitting forward in their seats.” — Diane Paulus",
                "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": "Diane Paulus",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I want an audience that will...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sitting-forward-in-their-seats/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-want-an-audience-that-will-come-sitting-forward-in-their-seats/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
