--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all know that the theater and every…" description: "\"We all know that the theater and every play that comes to Broadway have within themselves, like the human being, the seed of self-destruction and the c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/james-thurber-1534_actor_we-all-know-that-the-theater-and-every-p_3038379.png" --- # We all know that the theater and every play that comes to… ![“We all know that the theater and every play that comes to Broadway have within themselves, like the human being, the seed of self-destruction and the certainty of death. The thing is to see how long the theater, the play, and the human being can last in spite of themselves.” quote by James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/james-thurber-1534_actor_we-all-know-that-the-theater-and-every-p_3038379.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/james-thurber-1534_actor_we-all-know-that-the-theater-and-every-p_3038379.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/james-thurber-1534_actor_we-all-know-that-the-theater-and-every-p_3038379.png) > “We all know that the theater and every play that comes to Broadway have within themselves, like the human being, the seed of self-destruction and the certainty of death. The thing is to see how long the theater, the play, and the human being can last in spite of themselves.” [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Theatre mirrors humanity’s self-destructive nature and mortality, yet its value lies in its endurance despite these flaws. **In simple terms:** Theatre reflects human self-destruction and death. Key Takeaway Appreciate art’s resilience. Themes mortality self-destruction theatre human nature Mood thoughtful melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - stage productions - film analysis - personal reflection - life coaching Key Concepts existentialism dramatic irony resilience Questions to Reflect On - What sustains art despite its flaws? - How do we find meaning in fleeting performances? A Different Perspective Art may not always overcome its own contradictions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Broadway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broadway/) [Broadway Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broadway-like-1388895/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Certainty of death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty-of-death/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Know Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-theater-1056747/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Seeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeds/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-destruction/) [Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theater Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater-play-696922/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Broadway is like a club I haven't been invited to, and I'm hoping that maybe they will give me a guest pass one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merritt-wever/broadway-is-like-a-club-i-haven-t-been-invited-to-and-i-m-hoping-that/) [Merritt Wever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merritt-wever/) > [Now that I'm on Broadway, it's like NASA engineering with the costumes. I was very grateful for the slightly more high-tech ones in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-arianda/now-that-i-m-on-broadway-it-s-like-nasa-engineering-with-the-costumes/) [Nina Arianda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-arianda/) > [All the way on the West Coast, never having seen a Broadway show, it was like, 'They don't want me. There's nothing there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daveed-diggs/all-the-way-on-the-west-coast-never-having-seen-a-broadway-show-it/) [Daveed Diggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daveed-diggs/) > [I like pop, rock n' roll, big band, Broadway - I like all those elements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-like-pop-rock-n-roll-big-band-broadway-i-like-all-those-elements/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [Launching a Broadway show is like no other endeavor. 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I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/i-didn-t-know-anything-about-acting-i-didn-t-know-anything-about/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [I know theater can improve the quality of people's lives, and I know theater can heal. I've worked as a doctor clown in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-tsakos/i-know-theater-can-improve-the-quality-of-people-s-lives-and-i-know/) [Natasha Tsakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-tsakos/) > [I don't have much to compare it to because I really didn't know much about theater. After I signed on, I started reading a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taissa-farmiga/i-don-t-have-much-to-compare-it-to-because-i-really-didn-t-know-much/) [Taissa Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taissa-farmiga/) > [I don't come from an artistic family, so I didn't know what theater was. 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There's no middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/you-know-theater-is-either-heaven-or-hell-there-s-no-middle/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [I played a little basketball, but basketball interfered with theater season. That's when we did our term plays and did nutshell versions of Shakespeare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/i-played-a-little-basketball-but-basketball-interfered-with-theater/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) ## More by James Thurber > [ Salvador \[Dali\] was brought up in Spain, a country colored by the legends of Hannibal, El Greco, and Cervantes. I was brought up in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/salvador-dali-was-brought-up-in-spain-a-country-colored-by-the/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“Her own mother lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all over the house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/her-own-mother-lived-the-latter-years-of-her-life-in-the-horrible/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“Against the may, the could be, and the should, folly 'tis to balance doubt or hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/against-the-may-the-could-be-and-the-should-folly-tis-to-balance/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Love is the strange bewilderment that overtakes one person on account of another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/love-is-the-strange-bewilderment-that-overtakes-one-person-on-account/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“ There was an old coddle so molly, He talked in a glot that was poly, His gaws were so gew That his laps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/there-was-an-old-coddle-so-molly-he-talked-in-a-glot-that-was-poly/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“you might as well fall on your face as lean over too far backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/you-might-as-well-fall-on-your-face-as-lean-over-too-far-backwards/) [james thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [I myself have known some profoundly thoughtful dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-myself-have-known-some-profoundly-thoughtful-dogs/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [He knows all about art, but he doesn't know what he likes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/he-knows-all-about-art-but-he-doesn-t-know-what-he-likes/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/all-men-should-strive-to-learn-before-they-die-what-they-are-running/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Quick, name some towns in New Jersey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/quick-name-some-towns-in-new-jersey/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Looks can be deceiving; it's eating that's believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/looks-can-be-deceiving-it-s-eating-that-s-believing/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“I don’t understand,” said the scientist, “why you lemmings all rush down to the sea and drown yourselves.” “How curious,” said the lemming. “The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-don-t-understand-said-the-scientist-why-you-lemmings-all-rush-down/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Humor does not include sarcasm, invalid irony, sardonicism, innuendo, or any other form of cruelty. When these things are raised to a high point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/humor-does-not-include-sarcasm-invalid-irony-sardonicism-innuendo-or/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Where most of us end up there is no knowing, but the hellbent get where they are going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/where-most-of-us-end-up-there-is-no-knowing-but-the-hellbent-get/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Comedy has to be done en clair. You can't blunt the edge of wit or the point of satire with obscurity. Try to imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/comedy-has-to-be-done-en-clair-you-can-t-blunt-the-edge-of-wit-or-the/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) [Explore all 229 James Thurber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. 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I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We all know that the theater and every play that comes to Broadway have within themselves, like the human being, the seed of self-destruction and the certainty of death. 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