--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Theatre audiences can't be made to think…" description: "\"Theatre audiences can't be made to think and cry: at best, they can be made to think and laugh, or to feel and cry.\" — Mignon McLaughlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/mignon-mclaughlin-742_audience_theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think_915890.png" --- # Theatre audiences can't be made to think and cry: at best… ![“Theatre audiences can't be made to think and cry: at best, they can be made to think and laugh, or to feel and cry.” quote by Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/mignon-mclaughlin-742_audience_theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think_915890.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/mignon-mclaughlin-742_audience_theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think_915890.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/mignon-mclaughlin-742_audience_theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think_915890.png) > “Theatre audiences can't be made to think and cry: at best, they can be made to think and laugh, or to feel and cry.” [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Theatre can provoke thought and laughter, or emotion and tears, but not both simultaneously. **In simple terms:** Stage evokes thought or feeling, not both. Key Takeaway Balance tone in productions. Themes art emotion audience response Mood analytical contemplative Type theatrical observational When to use this quote - playwriting - directing - acting workshops Key Concepts theatre theory performance dynamics psychology Questions to Reflect On - How to blend humor and pathos? - When should a play prioritize thought over feeling? A Different Perspective Audience expectations vary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audiences/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [People on television have trouble with fame because audiences think they're their mates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/people-on-television-have-trouble-with-fame-because-audiences-think/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [If you try to do a genuine rock musical, rock people will think you're flaccid and Broadway audiences will think you're too loud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-deyoung/if-you-try-to-do-a-genuine-rock-musical-rock-people-will-think-you-re/) [Dennis DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-deyoung/) > [The idea of audiences becoming part of the show is, I think, where theatre is going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tiffany/the-idea-of-audiences-becoming-part-of-the-show-is-i-think-where/) [John Tiffany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tiffany/) > [Live action movies are someone else's story. With animation, audiences can't think that. Their guards are down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-unkrich/live-action-movies-are-someone-else-s-story-with-animation-audiences/) [Lee Unkrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-unkrich/) > [Part of my style was getting into a muddle. Audiences think that's part of the act. Sometimes it might be - but you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-corbett/part-of-my-style-was-getting-into-a-muddle-audiences-think-that-s/) [Ronnie Corbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-corbett/) > [Christian audiences, I think, have grown very tired of movies that try to pander to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hancock/christian-audiences-i-think-have-grown-very-tired-of-movies-that-try/) [John Lee Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hancock/) > [We make films that we ourselves would want to see and then hope that other people would want to see it. If you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-bird/we-make-films-that-we-ourselves-would-want-to-see-and-then-hope-that/) [Brad Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-bird/) > [I think comedy tells a lot; you can tell what people think by what they laugh at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riaad-moosa/i-think-comedy-tells-a-lot-you-can-tell-what-people-think-by-what/) [Riaad Moosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riaad-moosa/) > [People who are mean or unkind or rigid - think about it - cannot laugh at themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/people-who-are-mean-or-unkind-or-rigid-think-about-it-cannot-laugh-at-2/) [Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/) > [People who are mean or unkind or rigid - think about it - cannot laugh at themselves. If we can't laugh at ourselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/people-who-are-mean-or-unkind-or-rigid-think-about-it-cannot-laugh-at/) [Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/) > [People in Third World countries think and laugh and smile, just like us. We have got to understand that we are them they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-corrie/people-in-third-world-countries-think-and-laugh-and-smile-just-like/) [Rachel Corrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-corrie/) > [I mean, I'm from the Joan Rivers, Don Rickles kind of old-school comedy in that nothing is off the table, certainly not in politics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-rainbow/i-mean-i-m-from-the-joan-rivers-don-rickles-kind-of-old-school-comedy/) [Randy Rainbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-rainbow/) > ['Naked Gun 33 1/3' I think made me laugh more than anything ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-sanz/naked-gun-33-1-3-i-think-made-me-laugh-more-than-anything-ever-made/) [Horatio Sanz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-sanz/) > [I think if they put a laugh track on 'Intervention,' it would be funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/i-think-if-they-put-a-laugh-track-on-intervention-it-would-be-funny/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [My main goal is to really make people think, and laugh while they do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-dash/my-main-goal-is-to-really-make-people-think-and-laugh-while-they-do-so/) [Stacey Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-dash/) ## More by Mignon McLaughlin > [As we are human, we can't do what we can't do; as we're neurotic, we can't do what we can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/as-we-are-human-we-can-t-do-what-we-can-t-do-as-we-re-neurotic-we-can/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Naturally, the neurotic wants you to love him twice as much, for he's going to cut it in half anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/naturally-the-neurotic-wants-you-to-love-him-twice-as-much-for-he-s/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [We have a terror of seeming to exert ourselves, lest it be noticed that we exerted ourselves and did not succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/we-have-a-terror-of-seeming-to-exert-ourselves-lest-it-be-noticed/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The three horrors of modern life - talk without meaning, desire without love, work without satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-three-horrors-of-modern-life-talk-without-meaning-desire-without/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [We are never more self-righteous than when giving up what we should have shunned all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/we-are-never-more-self-righteous-than-when-giving-up-what-we-should/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The time to begin most things is ten years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-time-to-begin-most-things-is-ten-years-ago/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [One of life's few really reliable pleasures: to have a family you love, and to leave them for a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/one-of-life-s-few-really-reliable-pleasures-to-have-a-family-you-love/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [So long as God reveals Himself, or doesn't, He is behaving like God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/so-long-as-god-reveals-himself-or-doesn-t-he-is-behaving-like-god/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The total history of almost anyone would shock almost everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-total-history-of-almost-anyone-would-shock-almost-everyone/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [There are children born to be children, and others who must mark time till they can take their natural places as adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/there-are-children-born-to-be-children-and-others-who-must-mark-time/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [In life, as in restaurants, we swallow a lot of indigestible stuff just because it comes with the dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/in-life-as-in-restaurants-we-swallow-a-lot-of-indigestible-stuff-just/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Neurotics always feel as though they were going way up or way down, which is odd in people going sideways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/neurotics-always-feel-as-though-they-were-going-way-up-or-way-down/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Even in the same family, one child will always instinctively know when to ask for things, and another won't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/even-in-the-same-family-one-child-will-always-instinctively-know-when/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [People find it hard to be both comic and serious, though life manages it easily enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/people-find-it-hard-to-be-both-comic-and-serious-though-life-manages/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [No good neurotic finds it difficult to be both opinionated and indecisive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/no-good-neurotic-finds-it-difficult-to-be-both-opinionated-and/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) [Explore all 383 Mignon McLaughlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Theatre audiences can't be made to think and cry: at best, they can be made to think and laugh, or to feel and cry.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mignon McLaughlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think-and-cry-at-best-they-can-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think-and-cry-at-best-they-can-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/mignon-mclaughlin-742_audience_theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think_915890.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/mignon-mclaughlin-742_audience_theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think_915890.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/mignon-mclaughlin-742_audience_theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think_915890.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Theatre audiences can't be made to think and cry: at best, they can be made to think and laugh, or to feel…” — Mignon McLaughlin", "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": "Mignon McLaughlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Theatre audiences can't be made to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think-and-cry-at-best-they-can-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/theatre-audiences-can-t-be-made-to-think-and-cry-at-best-they-can-be/#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 } } ] } ```