---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's something strange about theater…"
description: "\"There's something strange about theater. My characters consistently demonize elitism, but of course it's taking place in a theater where only so many p..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jesse-eisenberg-2642_actor_there-s-something-strange-about-theater_2142351.jpg"
---

#  There's something strange about theater. My characters…

![“There's something strange about theater. My characters consistently demonize elitism, but of course it's taking place in a theater where only so many people can see it. I've been in silly popcorn movies - the kind of thing that as an actor you might feel embarrassed about - but those movies reach…” quote by Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jesse-eisenberg-2642_actor_there-s-something-strange-about-theater_2142351.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jesse-eisenberg-2642_actor_there-s-something-strange-about-theater_2142351.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jesse-eisenberg-2642_actor_there-s-something-strange-about-theater_2142351.jpg)

> “There's something strange about theater. My characters consistently demonize elitism, but of course it's taking place in a theater where only so many people can see it. I've been in silly popcorn movies - the kind of thing that as an actor you might feel embarrassed about - but those movies reach many more people.”

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

## About This Quote

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

Theater often critiques elitism while itself being limited to a small audience, highlighting a paradox of reach and exclusivity.

**In simple terms:** Theater can both challenge and be exclusive.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the paradox and seek broader impact.

Themes

artistic expression elitism audience dynamics

Mood

thoughtful ironic

Type

observational critical

When to use this quote

- indie film
- commercial cinema
- theater productions

Key Concepts

sociology media studies performance theory

Questions to Reflect On

- Does the medium limit the message?
- How can you expand the audience?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-feel/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistently/) [Elitism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elitism/) [Embarrassed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarrassed/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place/) [Popcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popcorn/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Strange Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange-theater-4466127/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theater Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater-characters-3773353/) [Theater People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater-people-232796/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/)

## Related quotes

> [In the theater, characters have to cut the umbilical cord from the writer and talk in their own voices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/in-the-theater-characters-have-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-from-the/)

[Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/)

> [Theater people and normal people sometimes speak a completely different language, but if they come together, there's a lot of mutual love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-gordon/theater-people-and-normal-people-sometimes-speak-a-completely/)

[Molly Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-gordon/)

> [You'd have to go all the way back to 1972 to find a version of me who didn't care about theater, who didn't read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/you-d-have-to-go-all-the-way-back-to-1972-to-find-a-version-of-me-who/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [Comedy people are always present because they're always looking for the funniest version of whatever the line is. Sometimes theater people, where scripts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-dowd/comedy-people-are-always-present-because-they-re-always-looking-for/)

[Chris O'Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-dowd/)

> [Theater people work by instinct. I've never known a really calculated artistic decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goodwin/theater-people-work-by-instinct-i-ve-never-known-a-really-calculated/)

[John Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goodwin/)

> [I thought theater people wouldn't see me if I hadn't trained. I didn't want to just be the Brideshead guy, to spend the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/i-thought-theater-people-wouldn-t-see-me-if-i-hadn-t-trained-i-didn-t/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [I love theater. To have the people onstage right there, to be working in concert with other artists, this is a like a school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phylicia-rashad/i-love-theater-to-have-the-people-onstage-right-there-to-be-working/)

[Phylicia Rashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phylicia-rashad/)

> [Since they are theater people, they are all talking. All of them. Simultaneously. They do not need to be heard; they only need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/since-they-are-theater-people-they-are-all-talking-all-of-them/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [When people go to the theater, people say they want something different, but what they really want is something the same with slight permutations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/when-people-go-to-the-theater-people-say-they-want-something/)

[James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/)

> [I think there's a weird stigma in the TV-film world that theater people can't be funny and understand subtlety, and I think that could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-keenan-bolger/i-think-there-s-a-weird-stigma-in-the-tv-film-world-that-theater/)

[Andrew Keenan-Bolger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-keenan-bolger/)

> [“Since they are theater people, they do not need to be heard... they only need to be speaking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green-and-david-levithan/since-they-are-theater-people-they-do-not-need-to-be-heard-they-only/)

[John Green and David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green-and-david-levithan/)

> [I went to New York out of college, and in my day, we were told that was the way you became a good actor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/i-went-to-new-york-out-of-college-and-in-my-day-we-were-told-that-was/)

[Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/)

> [I hate it when theater people go on about professionalism - aren't they boring? I try to be as unprofessional as possible. And I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-humphries/i-hate-it-when-theater-people-go-on-about-professionalism-aren-t-they/)

[Barry Humphries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-humphries/)

> [Just as theater has to be where people live, actors have to go out in the marketplace - not be cut off by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waite/just-as-theater-has-to-be-where-people-live-actors-have-to-go-out-in/)

[Ralph Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waite/)

> [I work in musical theater because people keep writing quality stories in the genre, and I'm really all about investing in a piece that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-victor-dixon/i-work-in-musical-theater-because-people-keep-writing-quality-stories/)

[Brandon Victor Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-victor-dixon/)

## More by Jesse Eisenberg

> [I don't concern myself with thinking ahead to the finished product. I focus more specifically on what the character is experiencing. Once you relieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-don-t-concern-myself-with-thinking-ahead-to-the-finished-product-i/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [People think, 'You're an actor, you can afford clothes,' but I just try to take the clothes from the movie, which makes the selecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/people-think-you-re-an-actor-you-can-afford-clothes-but-i-just-try-to/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [Nothing is harder than working with an actor who doesn't take it seriously or show up in the same way that you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/nothing-is-harder-than-working-with-an-actor-who-doesn-t-take-it/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [When you take on a role you try to do as much as possible beforehand to get your mind into it. Just to prepare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/when-you-take-on-a-role-you-try-to-do-as-much-as-possible-beforehand/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [I was doing interviews for several months about the movie, and people would always ask me, Do you have a Facebook page? And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-was-doing-interviews-for-several-months-about-the-movie-and-people/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [I cried every day of first grade. In class. Which meant I ended up getting comfortable emoting in a place where it wasn't the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-cried-every-day-of-first-grade-in-class-which-meant-i-ended-up/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [As an actor, you try to bring as much of yourself to a part to try and create a feeling of authenticity and emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/as-an-actor-you-try-to-bring-as-much-of-yourself-to-a-part-to-try-and/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [I often think if you have time to sit around the house feeling bad for yourself, you have time to tutor a child. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-often-think-if-you-have-time-to-sit-around-the-house-feeling-bad/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [People ask me what my hobbies are in interviews, and I always say biking. But all I bike for is to get to rehearsal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/people-ask-me-what-my-hobbies-are-in-interviews-and-i-always-say/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [I think there's nothing more wonderful than using fiction to reflect real-world cultural ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-think-there-s-nothing-more-wonderful-than-using-fiction-to-reflect/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [I don't watch the movies I've been in. I try to stay as little aware of the final product as possible, because my job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-don-t-watch-the-movies-i-ve-been-in-i-try-to-stay-as-little-aware/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [Working in the arts, you see people who come from terrible circumstances and who, for whatever reason, have incredible talent. But of course, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/working-in-the-arts-you-see-people-who-come-from-terrible/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [Acting is a weird, kind of alienating job because you're in an isolated place. Even if you're working with a lot of other people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/acting-is-a-weird-kind-of-alienating-job-because-you-re-in-an/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [I made the mistake of writing something very, very short about Obama for this website that I write fiction for, and my father told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-made-the-mistake-of-writing-something-very-very-short-about-obama/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [I give credence to the worst things somebody writes about me, and if somebody writes something nice, I think they're wrong or false or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-give-credence-to-the-worst-things-somebody-writes-about-me-and-if/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

[Explore all 156 Jesse Eisenberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

## 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. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/)

[Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/)

[Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/)

> [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/)

> [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/)

[Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. 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": "There's something strange about theater. My characters consistently demonize elitism, but of course it's taking place in a theater where only so many people can see it. I've been in silly popcorn movies - the kind of thing that as an actor you might feel embarrassed about - but those movies reach many more people.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jesse Eisenberg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/there-s-something-strange-about-theater-my-characters-consistently/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/there-s-something-strange-about-theater-my-characters-consistently/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jesse-eisenberg-2642_actor_there-s-something-strange-about-theater_2142351.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jesse-eisenberg-2642_actor_there-s-something-strange-about-theater_2142351.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jesse-eisenberg-2642_actor_there-s-something-strange-about-theater_2142351.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's something strange about theater. My characters consistently demonize elitism, but of course it's…” — Jesse Eisenberg",
                "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": "Jesse Eisenberg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's something strange about theater. My...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/there-s-something-strange-about-theater-my-characters-consistently/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/there-s-something-strange-about-theater-my-characters-consistently/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
