--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An actor and a [theatre] director are…" description: "\"An actor and a [theatre] director are both what I would call interpreters of work. We interpret a work, just as a musician will interpret a composer's ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/george-ogilvie-34528_actors_an-actor-and-a-theatre-director-are-both_3214543.jpg" --- # An actor and a \[theatre\] director are both what I would… ![“An actor and a [theatre] director are both what I would call interpreters of work. We interpret a work, just as a musician will interpret a composer's work, we interpret the work of a playwright. We are servants of the theatre and I've always believed that. We must serve what has been written…” quote by George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/george-ogilvie-34528_actors_an-actor-and-a-theatre-director-are-both_3214543.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/george-ogilvie-34528_actors_an-actor-and-a-theatre-director-are-both_3214543.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/george-ogilvie-34528_actors_an-actor-and-a-theatre-director-are-both_3214543.jpg) > “An actor and a \[theatre\] director are both what I would call interpreters of work. We interpret a work, just as a musician will interpret a composer's work, we interpret the work of a playwright. We are servants of the theatre and I've always believed that. We must serve what has been written, that's what we're there for.” [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors and directors must faithfully bring a playwright’s text to life, serving the written work rather than imposing personal agendas. **In simple terms:** They serve the script, not themselves. Key Takeaway Respect the writer’s intent. Themes theatre interpretation service Mood reflective dedicated Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - rehearsal - performance - directing - acting Key Concepts authorship fidelity collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor a text while making it fresh? - When does interpretation become alteration? A Different Perspective Balancing personal creativity with fidelity can limit innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Interpreter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpreter/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Playwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwright/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Theatre Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre-director/) ## Related quotes > [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/) [Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/) > [Whenever I'm in theatre situations I will go out of my way not to talk about my father, but in the film world I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/whenever-i-m-in-theatre-situations-i-will-go-out-of-my-way-not-to/) [Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/) > [I'm a theatre person, that's who I am. 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The last note reverberated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cook/anya-s-final-sweep-of-the-bow-was-as-if-she-had-delivered-the-coup-de/) [Christian Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cook/) > [My first visit to Lucknow was perhaps in 1995-96. I was then working with theatre director Ranjit Kapur on the production of 'Court Martial'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoojit-sircar/my-first-visit-to-lucknow-was-perhaps-in-1995-96-i-was-then-working/) [Shoojit Sircar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoojit-sircar/) > [I started singing in my church choir, and then when I got to middle school, I had the coolest musical theatre director, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanice-williams/i-started-singing-in-my-church-choir-and-then-when-i-got-to-middle/) [Shanice Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanice-williams/) > [The man who raised me is black. Culturally, he made me who I am. He was a theatre director, so he also guided me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-diesel/the-man-who-raised-me-is-black-culturally-he-made-me-who-i-am-he-was/) [Vin Diesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-diesel/) ## More by George Ogilvie > [When you have an empty mind, you are prepared for the next thing that happens. It's like to be part of a spiritual practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/when-you-have-an-empty-mind-you-are-prepared-for-the-next-thing-that/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [ I loved doing school musicals \[as a kid\], I even started at an early age to write little plays for the school to perform.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/i-loved-doing-school-musicals-as-a-kid-i-even-started-at-an-early-age/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [I spent a month in India and where I learnt an important word for me, for everything that had come before and after, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/i-spent-a-month-in-india-and-where-i-learnt-an-important-word-for-me/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [One of the things that you never realise while you are young is that things do come to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/one-of-the-things-that-you-never-realise-while-you-are-young-is-that/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [My mother and my father had very, very strong Scots accents. 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And particularly those who are battlers in life, those who are on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/the-inter-relationships-between-people-have-always-fascinated-me-as-a/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [The word 'ego' is very important. The ego is an important element of being human, and of being creative. We need that ego in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/the-word-ego-is-very-important-the-ego-is-an-important-element-of/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [Music has always been a part of my spiritual seeking, from the moment that Handel's 'Messiah' gave me the experience when I was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/music-has-always-been-a-part-of-my-spiritual-seeking-from-the-moment/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [World is full of followers and leaders, and I think that if one can become both and be both, to follow in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/world-is-full-of-followers-and-leaders-and-i-think-that-if-one-can/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [Identity is a very difficult thing in the theatre. As an actor said to me one day, 'What are we doing today?' when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/identity-is-a-very-difficult-thing-in-the-theatre-as-an-actor-said-to/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [I think that in fact by taking on the persona of a human being, you begin to realise that it is all ego, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/i-think-that-in-fact-by-taking-on-the-persona-of-a-human-being-you/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) [Explore all 14 George Ogilvie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. 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