Acting Quote by George Henry Lewes
“Bad acting, like bad writing, has a remarkable uniformity, whether seen on the French, German, or English stages; it all seems modeled after two or three types, and those the least like types of good acting. The fault generally lies less in the bad imitation of a good model, than in the successful imitation of a bad model.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Theory of Literature, George Henry Lewes, 1877
Bad performance often copies poor examples rather than good ones, leading to uniform mediocrity across cultures.
In simple terms: Bad acting copies bad models, not good ones.
Key Takeaway
Seek quality role models.
Themes
art
performance
imitation
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
observational
critical
When to use this quote
- theatre criticism
- acting workshops
- directing
- education
- analysis
Key Concepts
cultural criticism
modeling
uniformity
Questions to Reflect On
- What models influence your work?
- How can you identify quality examples?
A Different Perspective
Good models are harder to find than bad ones.
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