--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Theater is something that as a…" description: "\"Theater is something that as a performance artist you have to hate.\" — Marina Abramovic" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/marina-abramovic-1502_art_theater-is-something-that-as-a-performan_887523.jpg" --- # Theater is something that as a performance artist you have… ![“Theater is something that as a performance artist you have to hate.” quote by Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/marina-abramovic-1502_art_theater-is-something-that-as-a-performan_887523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/marina-abramovic-1502_art_theater-is-something-that-as-a-performan_887523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/marina-abramovic-1502_art_theater-is-something-that-as-a-performan_887523.jpg) > “Theater is something that as a performance artist you have to hate.” [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Performance art can be a source of frustration for artists who feel constrained by audience expectations. **In simple terms:** Artists may resent the demands of performance. Key Takeaway Recognize and address personal discomfort in creative work. Themes art performance frustration Mood critical introspective Type analytical motivational When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - live installations - stage productions - creative workshops Key Concepts creative autonomy audience dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of performance cause resentment? - How can artists balance personal vision with audience expectations? A Different Perspective Not all artists dislike performance; some thrive on audience interaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-hate-1114447/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Performance Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance-artist-409419/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theater Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater-performance-1114448/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I think of myself as a performance artist. I hate being called a pop star. I hate that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-think-of-myself-as-a-performance-artist-i-hate-being-called-a-pop/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [To be a performance artist, you have to hate theatre. Theatre is fake... The knife is not real, the blood is not real, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/to-be-a-performance-artist-you-have-to-hate-theatre-theatre-is-fake/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [You see, what is my purpose of performance artist is to stage certain difficulties and stage the fear the primordial fear of pain, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/you-see-what-is-my-purpose-of-performance-artist-is-to-stage-certain/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [The best thing about the term 'performance artist' is that it includes just about everything you might want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/the-best-thing-about-the-term-performance-artist-is-that-it-includes/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Comedy is more an art of body language and gestures - it is more a performance of an artist than the lines given to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/comedy-is-more-an-art-of-body-language-and-gestures-it-is-more-a/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [I never considered myself a performance artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-denes/i-never-considered-myself-a-performance-artist/) [Agnes Denes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-denes/) > [There's something about a live theater performance: You can't fake it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-creel/there-s-something-about-a-live-theater-performance-you-can-t-fake-it/) [Gavin Creel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-creel/) > [“And all the while there was the theater of my hands. It was theater, in that it was the performance of something that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/and-all-the-while-there-was-the-theater-of-my-hands-it-was-theater-in/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [You can't really watch a theater performance by yourself. You can watch a movie by yourself, though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/you-can-t-really-watch-a-theater-performance-by-yourself-you-can/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [All good performance pieces have some philosophical validity. That's the difference between mere theater and performance art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-bowman/all-good-performance-pieces-have-some-philosophical-validity-that-s/) [Jack Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-bowman/) > [Politics with me isn't theater. It's performance art. Sometimes, for its own sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-stone/politics-with-me-isn-t-theater-it-s-performance-art-sometimes-for-its/) [Roger Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-stone/) > [“Life is like an ongoing theater performance, absolutely everyone has a role; thus, how good are you performing your role?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodolfo-peon/life-is-like-an-ongoing-theater-performance-absolutely-everyone-has-a/) [Rodolfo Peon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodolfo-peon/) > [“That wasn't political," she said. "He's a performance artist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/that-wasn-t-political-she-said-he-s-a-performance-artist/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [Imagine spending seven years at MIT and research laboratories, only to find out that you're a performance artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golan-levin/imagine-spending-seven-years-at-mit-and-research-laboratories-only-to/) [Golan Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golan-levin/) > [Drawing is giving a performance; an artist is an actor who is not limited by the body, only by his ability and, perhaps, experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-davis/drawing-is-giving-a-performance-an-artist-is-an-actor-who-is-not/) [Marc Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-davis/) ## More by Marina Abramovic > [I really think there's no difference between an art piece made by a man and one made by a woman. Is it a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-really-think-there-s-no-difference-between-an-art-piece-made-by-a/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [I hate studios. A studio is a black hole. I never use a studio to work. It's very artificial to go to a studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-hate-studios-a-studio-is-a-black-hole-i-never-use-a-studio-to-work/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [In my work I have complete control, but about my life, I don't want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/in-my-work-i-have-complete-control-but-about-my-life-i-don-t-want-to/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [Performance is there, and if you are not there in that moment it happened, it just stays in the memory. It's so immaterial and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/performance-is-there-and-if-you-are-not-there-in-that-moment-it/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [I can explain my work to the cleaner or the president; it's all the same to me. I am very communist in this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-can-explain-my-work-to-the-cleaner-or-the-president-it-s-all-the/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [My memoirs are full of humor, I had to change jokes because it was a little too dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/my-memoirs-are-full-of-humor-i-had-to-change-jokes-because-it-was-a/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [To be in a magazine when you're 20 is okay, but when you do it when you're 65, it's much more fun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/to-be-in-a-magazine-when-you-re-20-is-okay-but-when-you-do-it-when/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [Most of the time, the artists are not supposed to wear the fashion. It is always seen as a vanity. But I think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/most-of-the-time-the-artists-are-not-supposed-to-wear-the-fashion-it/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [You know, art is very emotional business. But mostly it becomes not emotional, the fabric of commodity. It becomes business. It becomes so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/you-know-art-is-very-emotional-business-but-mostly-it-becomes-not/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [I didn't give any instruction to the video, because it was a new medium. I didn't know what to tell him; it was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-didn-t-give-any-instruction-to-the-video-because-it-was-a-new/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [If I'm not nervous, I'm nervous. You never know how people are going to receive the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/if-i-m-not-nervous-i-m-nervous-you-never-know-how-people-are-going-to/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [Today, our attention is less than the television advertisement. We're looking at six or seven problems constantly. We're living in the disturbed societies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/today-our-attention-is-less-than-the-television-advertisement-we-re/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [Art comes from life, not from the studio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/art-comes-from-life-not-from-the-studio/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [All the aggressive actions I do to myself I would never dream of doing in my own life - I am not this kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/all-the-aggressive-actions-i-do-to-myself-i-would-never-dream-of/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [It's so easy to do things you like. But then, the thing is, when you're afraid of something, face it; go for it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/it-s-so-easy-to-do-things-you-like-but-then-the-thing-is-when-you-re/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) [Explore all 234 Marina Abramovic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Theater is something that as a performance artist you have to hate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marina Abramovic" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/theater-is-something-that-as-a-performance-artist-you-have-to-hate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/theater-is-something-that-as-a-performance-artist-you-have-to-hate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/marina-abramovic-1502_art_theater-is-something-that-as-a-performan_887523.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/marina-abramovic-1502_art_theater-is-something-that-as-a-performan_887523.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/marina-abramovic-1502_art_theater-is-something-that-as-a-performan_887523.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Theater is something that as a performance artist you have to hate.” — Marina Abramovic", "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": "Marina Abramovic", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Theater is something that as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/theater-is-something-that-as-a-performance-artist-you-have-to-hate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/theater-is-something-that-as-a-performance-artist-you-have-to-hate/#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 } } ] } ```