--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People rewrite the play so much to make…" description: "\"People rewrite the play so much to make it palatable to the audience, to make something clear, that they just deaden it. Like it was left it in the ove..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/john-guare-10082_audience_people-rewrite-the-play-so-much-to-make_1281242.jpg" --- # People rewrite the play so much to make it palatable to… ![“People rewrite the play so much to make it palatable to the audience, to make something clear, that they just deaden it. Like it was left it in the oven too long.” quote by John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/john-guare-10082_audience_people-rewrite-the-play-so-much-to-make_1281242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/john-guare-10082_audience_people-rewrite-the-play-so-much-to-make_1281242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/john-guare-10082_audience_people-rewrite-the-play-so-much-to-make_1281242.jpg) > “People rewrite the play so much to make it palatable to the audience, to make something clear, that they just deaden it. Like it was left it in the oven too long.” [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Over‑editing for audience comfort can strip a work of its original power, leaving it bland and overcooked. **In simple terms:** Too much polishing kills authenticity. Key Takeaway Preserve rawness to keep impact. Themes artistic integrity audience expectations creative compromise authenticity Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - theater productions - film adaptations - book publishing - media editing Key Concepts literary theory adaptation censorship Questions to Reflect On - What is lost when art is made too safe? - How can creators balance clarity with depth? A Different Perspective Simplifying can dilute meaning and reduce emotional resonance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [I have been able to get a small audience. It's not the huge audience, but it's enough to make it possible to play. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-konitz/i-have-been-able-to-get-a-small-audience-it-s-not-the-huge-audience/) [Lee Konitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-konitz/) > [I think you just have to be yourself instead of catering your sound to a specific audience, make the music you want to make,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-capaldi/i-think-you-just-have-to-be-yourself-instead-of-catering-your-sound/) [Lewis Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-capaldi/) > [If you want the best audience, make your way up North to be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mortimer/if-you-want-the-best-audience-make-your-way-up-north-to-be-honest/) [Bob Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mortimer/) > [The audience will make you feel like a demigod. But when you leave the stage, get back to being human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-coverdale/the-audience-will-make-you-feel-like-a-demigod-but-when-you-leave-the/) [David Coverdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-coverdale/) > [What social media has done - Facebook, Twitter - is show the audience. I don't have an audience. When I make my work, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-pettibon/what-social-media-has-done-facebook-twitter-is-show-the-audience-i/) [Raymond Pettibon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-pettibon/) > [You have to get the attention of the audience. You have to make sure they know you are starting. You have to achieve a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-bream/you-have-to-get-the-attention-of-the-audience-you-have-to-make-sure/) [Julian Bream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-bream/) > [Don't be too clever for an audience. Make it obvious. Make the subtleties obvious also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/don-t-be-too-clever-for-an-audience-make-it-obvious-make-the/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [It's always a good idea to let the audience make up their own minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-gillen/it-s-always-a-good-idea-to-let-the-audience-make-up-their-own-minds/) [Aidan Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-gillen/) > [I'm interested in putting something on stage that will have a very wide appeal without being condescending; that will reach an audience and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/i-m-interested-in-putting-something-on-stage-that-will-have-a-very/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [When something is not liked by people, you cannot make it run, however big actor or producer you may be. The audience has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varun-dhawan/when-something-is-not-liked-by-people-you-cannot-make-it-run-however/) [Varun Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varun-dhawan/) > [I do this acting thing mostly for myself. I like to make a connection and communicate with the audience to make myself feel less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carice-van-houten/i-do-this-acting-thing-mostly-for-myself-i-like-to-make-a-connection/) [Carice van Houten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carice-van-houten/) > [I think it's insulting to an audience to make them sit and watch a film and then give them a message in one sentence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asghar-farhadi/i-think-it-s-insulting-to-an-audience-to-make-them-sit-and-watch-a/) [Asghar Farhadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asghar-farhadi/) > [The best way to make friends with an audience is to make them laugh. You don't get people to laugh unless they surrender -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-capra/the-best-way-to-make-friends-with-an-audience-is-to-make-them-laugh/) [Frank Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-capra/) > [I love the deadpan. It's such a strong go-to. It lets the audience make their own decisions about what you're thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-robinson/i-love-the-deadpan-it-s-such-a-strong-go-to-it-lets-the-audience-make/) [Craig Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-robinson/) > [Of course, you have to think of the audience. You cannot make an obtuse film that only appeals to a small niche section of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikramaditya-motwane/of-course-you-have-to-think-of-the-audience-you-cannot-make-an-obtuse/) [Vikramaditya Motwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikramaditya-motwane/) ## More by John Guare > [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The Atlantic Ocean was something then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-atlantic-ocean-was-something-then/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The New York City Ballet is always about the realm of possibilities, the realm of what the human body can do, what the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-new-york-city-ballet-is-always-about-the-realm-of-possibilities/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The imagination says listen to me. I am your darkest voice. I am your 4 a.m. voice. I am the voice that wakes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-imagination-says-listen-to-me-i-am-your-darkest-voice-i-am-your-4/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [How much of your life can you account for? My life is a collage of unaccounted for brush strokes; I am all random”.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/how-much-of-your-life-can-you-account-for-my-life-is-a-collage-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [To stay around any place you love, you have to have a job. In college at Georgetown in the fifties, I got my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/to-stay-around-any-place-you-love-you-have-to-have-a-job-in-college/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [You can read ten books and finally come across one detail, and it's like, "now everything else makes sense. Now I know where I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-read-ten-books-and-finally-come-across-one-detail-and-it-s/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The only riots were the people trying to get tickets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-only-riots-were-the-people-trying-to-get-tickets/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [I think of the New York City Ballet as the Yankees without George Steinbrenner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/i-think-of-the-new-york-city-ballet-as-the-yankees-without-george/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [There's no such thing as a perfect play. Sometimes you have to protect the life of the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-perfect-play-sometimes-you-have-to-protect/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [Feydeau's one rule of playwriting: Character A: My life is perfect as long as I don't see Character B. Knock Knock. Enter Character B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/feydeau-s-one-rule-of-playwriting-character-a-my-life-is-perfect-as/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [I wanted to be a Bride of Christ but I guess now I'm a young divorcee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/i-wanted-to-be-a-bride-of-christ-but-i-guess-now-i-m-a-young-divorcee/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [I like to ground plays in reality so they can jump higher. So we can account for the trampoline, so we can account for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/i-like-to-ground-plays-in-reality-so-they-can-jump-higher-so-we-can/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [People go to see beautiful paintings to see how much they cost. Wow. The practical value is that it shows you what the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/people-go-to-see-beautiful-paintings-to-see-how-much-they-cost-wow/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [And it is always Easter Sunday at the New York City Ballet. It is always coming back to life. Not even coming back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/and-it-is-always-easter-sunday-at-the-new-york-city-ballet-it-is/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) [Explore all 68 John Guare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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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! 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