--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: John Cassavetes wrote A Woman Under the…" description: "\"John Cassavetes wrote A Woman Under the Influence as a play. He said, \"Hey, I wrote you a play.\" And I said, \"Great, let's read it.\" I read it and I sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/gena-rowlands-15239_every-night_john-cassavetes-wrote-a-woman-under-the_2852986.jpg" --- # John Cassavetes wrote A Woman Under the Influence as a… ![“John Cassavetes wrote A Woman Under the Influence as a play. He said, "Hey, I wrote you a play." And I said, "Great, let's read it." I read it and I said, "John, I couldn't do this every night and twice on Wednesday and Saturday".” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/gena-rowlands-15239_every-night_john-cassavetes-wrote-a-woman-under-the_2852986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/gena-rowlands-15239_every-night_john-cassavetes-wrote-a-woman-under-the_2852986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/gena-rowlands-15239_every-night_john-cassavetes-wrote-a-woman-under-the_2852986.jpg) > “John Cassavetes wrote A Woman Under the Influence as a play. He said, "Hey, I wrote you a play." And I said, "Great, let's read it." I read it and I said, "John, I couldn't do this every night and twice on Wednesday and Saturday".” [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rowlands describes a candid exchange with Cassavetes about the demanding schedule of rehearsing and performing the play. **In simple terms:** She highlights the difficulty of constant, intensive work. Key Takeaway Recognize personal limits and negotiate realistic expectations. Themes workload collaboration artistic integrity Mood reflective determined Type dialogue personal anecdote When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - film shoots - daily creative tasks Key Concepts method acting creative process time management Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance artistic passion with personal well‑being? - What boundaries are essential for long‑term creativity? A Different Perspective Sustaining such intensity may lead to burnout without proper rest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cassavetes Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cassavetes-wrote-3806864/) [Every night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-night/) [Hey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hey/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-cassavetes-609257/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Saturday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saturday/) [Wednesday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wednesday/) [Woman Under The Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-under-the-influence-213882/) [Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote/) [Wrote Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-play-341187/) [Wrote Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-woman-3806865/) ## Related quotes > [I'd rather do 'She's So Lovely' that John Cassavetes wrote versus doing 'Batman.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-wright/i-d-rather-do-she-s-so-lovely-that-john-cassavetes-wrote-versus-doing/) [Robin Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-wright/) > [ It was a very hard play \[Woman Under the Influence\] to do every night. And John Cassavetes said, "Don't worry. Don't even think about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/it-was-a-very-hard-play-woman-under-the-influence-to-do-every-night/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ I read the script of \[Woman Under the Influence \] 50 times. And I thought about it. And then I did it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-read-the-script-of-woman-under-the-influence-50-times-and-i-thought/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [A Woman Under the Influence was my favorite. I loved doing that. And it was challenging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/a-woman-under-the-influence-was-my-favorite-i-loved-doing-that-and-it/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ He\[John Cassavetes\] was just being an actor. A very successful actor, especially in live TV. He did many wonderful performances. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/he-john-cassavetes-was-just-being-an-actor-a-very-successful-actor/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ John \[Cassavetes\] had shot a great deal of Shadows and I had to go fulfill my contract in California, so he and all the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/john-cassavetes-had-shot-a-great-deal-of-shadows-and-i-had-to-go/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [John Cassavetes was a year ahead of me but we met there. What you do when you are at a school for drama, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/john-cassavetes-was-a-year-ahead-of-me-but-we-met-there-what-you-do/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [It was more freedom than I think most people get when they're starting out - or even when they're not starting out. He \[John…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/it-was-more-freedom-than-i-think-most-people-get-when-they-re/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ John \[Cassavetes\] loved actors. He gave them a lot of freedom. So if something came up that a certain actor just felt at the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/john-cassavetes-loved-actors-he-gave-them-a-lot-of-freedom-so-if/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [Because John Cassavetes was so terrific in live TV, a lot of his friends had not been able to participate in that yet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/because-john-cassavetes-was-so-terrific-in-live-tv-a-lot-of-his/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [Of course I would change anything if John Cassavetes said so - it's his script. But he was very easy about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/of-course-i-would-change-anything-if-john-cassavetes-said-so-it-s-his/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ So many people mistakenly think that the rest of his \[John Cassavetes\] pictures and the ones we did were improvised, which isn't true. He… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/so-many-people-mistakenly-think-that-the-rest-of-his-john-cassavetes/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ John Cassavetes was there at night while I was working. After they \[with his friends\] discussed as much live TV as they felt they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/john-cassavetes-was-there-at-night-while-i-was-working-after-they/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [Everyone thinks I have a coffee plantation in Sierra Leone, but I have a cashew crop project. I wrote about a woman who owns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aminatta-forna/everyone-thinks-i-have-a-coffee-plantation-in-sierra-leone-but-i-have/) [Aminatta Forna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aminatta-forna/) > [An English professor wrote the words, "Woman without her man is nothing" on the blackboard and directed his students to punctuate it correctly. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-english-professor-wrote-the-words-woman-without-her-man-is-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Gena Rowlands > [all creative writers need a certain amount of time when they're creating something where nobody should criticize them at all - at all. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/all-creative-writers-need-a-certain-amount-of-time-when-they-re/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ It was a very hard play \[Woman Under the Influence\] to do every night. And John Cassavetes said, "Don't worry. Don't even think about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/it-was-a-very-hard-play-woman-under-the-influence-to-do-every-night/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [So I went home and I told my mom that I wanted to quit and be an actress and she said, “Huh, that sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/so-i-went-home-and-i-told-my-mom-that-i-wanted-to-quit-and-be-an/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [When I went to my parents I was at the University of Wisconsin, and I just couldn't wait anymore to go be an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/when-i-went-to-my-parents-i-was-at-the-university-of-wisconsin-and-i/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ I'd wanted to be \[an actress\] all my life. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-d-wanted-to-be-an-actress-all-my-life/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ John Cassavetes was there at night while I was working. After they \[with his friends\] discussed as much live TV as they felt they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/john-cassavetes-was-there-at-night-while-i-was-working-after-they/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [I always do make a back story for myself, but I'm not sure how necessary it is. I just like to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-always-do-make-a-back-story-for-myself-but-i-m-not-sure-how/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [I only watch my movies that I make once, so I can just see how it hangs together, but after that, I don't watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-only-watch-my-movies-that-i-make-once-so-i-can-just-see-how-it/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [After you play a part, you think of it as your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/after-you-play-a-part-you-think-of-it-as-your-own/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ So many people mistakenly think that the rest of his \[John Cassavetes\] pictures and the ones we did were improvised, which isn't true. He… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/so-many-people-mistakenly-think-that-the-rest-of-his-john-cassavetes/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [Of course I would change anything if John Cassavetes said so - it's his script. But he was very easy about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/of-course-i-would-change-anything-if-john-cassavetes-said-so-it-s-his/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [I got a part opposite Edward G. Robinson in a play called Middle of The Night, which Paddy Cheyafsky had written. It played for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-got-a-part-opposite-edward-g-robinson-in-a-play-called-middle-of/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [ I read the script of \[Woman Under the Influence \] 50 times. And I thought about it. And then I did it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-read-the-script-of-woman-under-the-influence-50-times-and-i-thought/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [Because John Cassavetes was so terrific in live TV, a lot of his friends had not been able to participate in that yet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/because-john-cassavetes-was-so-terrific-in-live-tv-a-lot-of-his/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) > [I can never have a poker face. Anybody looking at me can tell exactly what I'm thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-rowlands/i-can-never-have-a-poker-face-anybody-looking-at-me-can-tell-exactly/) [Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) [Explore all 43 Gena Rowlands quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-rowlands/) ## More Every night quotes > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You can date every girl in town as far as I’m concerned. I hate you. 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