--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first play I did was a funny one…" description: "\"The first play I did was a funny one called 'The School for Wives', by Moliere. We were wearing the ugliest wigs and the worst costumes you can ever im..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/ng-chin-han-26388_funny_the-first-play-i-did-was-a-funny-one-cal_1396872.jpg" --- # The first play I did was a funny one called 'The School… ![“The first play I did was a funny one called 'The School for Wives', by Moliere. We were wearing the ugliest wigs and the worst costumes you can ever imagine to try to recreate 17th-century France in Singapore. But I got my first real pay cheque from that. I was very happy taking that cheque to the…” quote by Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/ng-chin-han-26388_funny_the-first-play-i-did-was-a-funny-one-cal_1396872.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/ng-chin-han-26388_funny_the-first-play-i-did-was-a-funny-one-cal_1396872.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/ng-chin-han-26388_funny_the-first-play-i-did-was-a-funny-one-cal_1396872.jpg) > “The first play I did was a funny one called 'The School for Wives', by Moliere. We were wearing the ugliest wigs and the worst costumes you can ever imagine to try to recreate 17th-century France in Singapore. But I got my first real pay cheque from that. I was very happy taking that cheque to the bank.” [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes early theatrical work with low production values and the pride of earning a first paycheck. **In simple terms:** Early career challenges lead to personal fulfillment. Key Takeaway Value humble beginnings. Themes career humility growth Mood nostalgic proud Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - audition processes - budget productions - career retrospectives - financial planning Key Concepts theatre history cultural adaptation financial milestones Questions to Reflect On - What lessons did you learn from that experience? - How did that paycheck influence your career path? A Different Perspective Early low‑budget work may limit artistic development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I think I discovered I wanted to be an actor when I got the first pay cheque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/i-think-i-discovered-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-when-i-got-the-first-pay/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [I'm happy to sacrifice a big pay cheque for my happiness, if that's not too corny a thing to say. It's probably more naive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gleeson/i-m-happy-to-sacrifice-a-big-pay-cheque-for-my-happiness-if-that-s/) [Jack Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gleeson/) > [When hard-working Brits hand over a chunk of their pay cheque every month so they can look forward to a decent retirement, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/when-hard-working-brits-hand-over-a-chunk-of-their-pay-cheque-every/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [When you get your first pay cheque, it's the best feeling in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/when-you-get-your-first-pay-cheque-it-s-the-best-feeling-in-the-world/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [At the end of the day, my bread and butter comes from films, so I have to work in films that may not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paresh-rawal/at-the-end-of-the-day-my-bread-and-butter-comes-from-films-so-i-have/) [Paresh Rawal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paresh-rawal/) > [I want a regular pay cheque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minnie-driver/i-want-a-regular-pay-cheque/) [Minnie Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minnie-driver/) > [“A Person spends a whole day, five days a week or more, working hard to make money, but few ever think beyond this fact.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neala-okuromade/a-person-spends-a-whole-day-five-days-a-week-or-more-working-hard-to/) Neala Okuromade > [My first pay cheque was when I was a security guard in a Benetton showroom, which was Rs 900. I took all my security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-sadh/my-first-pay-cheque-was-when-i-was-a-security-guard-in-a-benetton/) [Amit Sadh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-sadh/) > [Egypt was tough without our parents. My brothers and sisters had to work day by day, and every time they collected a pay cheque,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/egypt-was-tough-without-our-parents-my-brothers-and-sisters-had-to/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [The highest pay cheque my mother ever received funded the building of a nursery school in Shepherd's Bush - the school cost well over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joely-richardson/the-highest-pay-cheque-my-mother-ever-received-funded-the-building-of/) [Joely Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joely-richardson/) > [I spent my entire first pay cheque from 'Cracker,' a TV show on ABC, on an Audi because my other car broke down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-spent-my-entire-first-pay-cheque-from-cracker-a-tv-show-on-abc-on/) [Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/) > [The big difference lies in the pay cheque and the billing in the credits. I have been voicing for a decade, and if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh-khattar/the-big-difference-lies-in-the-pay-cheque-and-the-billing-in-the/) [Rajesh Khattar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh-khattar/) > [It's exotic for me to be given a script that's already written, and be given a pay cheque, and asked to dress up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/it-s-exotic-for-me-to-be-given-a-script-that-s-already-written-and-be/) [Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/) > [“I will work out exactly how - with my no money, no money at all, until I actually receive my first, dawdling pay-cheque -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/i-will-work-out-exactly-how-with-my-no-money-no-money-at-all-until-i/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [The promise of Western capitalism of ever rising rates of pay has turned out to be the cheque that bounced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-promise-of-western-capitalism-of-ever-rising-rates-of-pay-has/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) ## More by Ng Chin Han > [It's always fun to see faces that are either familiar or resemble yours. I was fascinated by movies like 'Big Trouble in Little China'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/it-s-always-fun-to-see-faces-that-are-either-familiar-or-resemble/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [I grew up with comics. Whether it be from the East or the West, I devoured them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/i-grew-up-with-comics-whether-it-be-from-the-east-or-the-west-i/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > ['Dark Knight' shot in London and Chicago, and we were on that for so long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/dark-knight-shot-in-london-and-chicago-and-we-were-on-that-for-so-long/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [Shakespeare has been adapted by Akira Kurosawa. 'Dangerous Liaisons' has been adapted into a Chinese movie. 'Blood Simple', the Coen brothers movie, was adapted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/shakespeare-has-been-adapted-by-akira-kurosawa-dangerous-liaisons-has/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [After I did television, I just felt I didn't have any more to give to the medium. And so I went back to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/after-i-did-television-i-just-felt-i-didn-t-have-any-more-to-give-to/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [During my university years, I was doing a lot of theatre acting. I would be skipping school for rehearsal. We were rehearsing at night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/during-my-university-years-i-was-doing-a-lot-of-theatre-acting-i/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [As a young actor, there's a lot of hubris. You come in with guns blazing, all kinds of ideas as to how you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/as-a-young-actor-there-s-a-lot-of-hubris-you-come-in-with-guns/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [Every culture is different in terms of what is taboo and what is acceptable. I grew up in Singapore, where people are very mindful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/every-culture-is-different-in-terms-of-what-is-taboo-and-what-is/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [You'll be able to find many unemployed actors, you know? I've been gifted a wonderful career, and to now be able to find myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/you-ll-be-able-to-find-many-unemployed-actors-you-know-i-ve-been/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [As an actor, when you want to capture the spirit of the character, and the character exists in all of the iterations slightly differently,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/as-an-actor-when-you-want-to-capture-the-spirit-of-the-character-and/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [Roland Emmerich is a very interesting individual. He is more erudite and well-read than most of the people I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/roland-emmerich-is-a-very-interesting-individual-he-is-more-erudite/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [There are so many surprises in my life; I don't take anything for granted. I enjoy every experience that comes; I don't think too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/there-are-so-many-surprises-in-my-life-i-don-t-take-anything-for/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [After you shoot a day's work, you gotta see rushes, and then you have more meetings with the budgets, with your producers, with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/after-you-shoot-a-day-s-work-you-gotta-see-rushes-and-then-you-have/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [When 'Ghost in the Shell' was first made, it was so prescient. It was sci-fi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/when-ghost-in-the-shell-was-first-made-it-was-so-prescient-it-was-sci/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [We live in a time where there's a great deal of navel-gazing with the devices that we have that occupy so much of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/we-live-in-a-time-where-there-s-a-great-deal-of-navel-gazing-with-the/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) [Explore all 21 Ng Chin Han quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) ## More Cheque quotes > [The promise of Western capitalism of ever rising rates of pay has turned out to be the cheque that bounced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-promise-of-western-capitalism-of-ever-rising-rates-of-pay-has/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [I've tried open-ended jobs and found myself incredibly unhappy. I don't like the monomania of showing up every day and doing the same thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-klausner/i-ve-tried-open-ended-jobs-and-found-myself-incredibly-unhappy-i-don/) [Julie Klausner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-klausner/) > [I wish I could Buy Time - just write a cheque, and a few days later a brown cardboard box would arrive at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-wish-i-could-buy-time-just-write-a-cheque-and-a-few-days-later-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Any general statement is like a cheque drawn on a bank. Its value depends on what is there to meet it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/any-general-statement-is-like-a-cheque-drawn-on-a-bank-its-value/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [Egypt was tough without our parents. My brothers and sisters had to work day by day, and every time they collected a pay cheque,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/egypt-was-tough-without-our-parents-my-brothers-and-sisters-had-to/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [Our parents busted their butts to make us feel like we weren't broke and in our neighbourhood we were probably more well off than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-vanvleet/our-parents-busted-their-butts-to-make-us-feel-like-we-weren-t-broke/) [Fred VanVleet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-vanvleet/) > [“A blank cheque kills creativity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-blank-cheque-kills-creativity/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [For a million-dollar cheque I would punch Jake Paul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/for-a-million-dollar-cheque-i-would-punch-jake-paul/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [The front of a cheque alone gives someone enough information to steal your identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/the-front-of-a-cheque-alone-gives-someone-enough-information-to-steal/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) > [I do wish I had brought my cheque book. I don't believe in credit cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/i-do-wish-i-had-brought-my-cheque-book-i-don-t-believe-in-credit-cards/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I'm thinking of when the Qatari representative was given five minutes with Bill Clinton for a million dollar cheque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/i-m-thinking-of-when-the-qatari-representative-was-given-five-minutes/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Once I opened up a fortune cookie and inside was the guy's cheque next to me I said hey buddy I got your cheque…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/once-i-opened-up-a-fortune-cookie-and-inside-was-the-guy-s-cheque/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [I like my films to have a certain amount of realism - something that's thought provoking and intelligently written. More than the amount on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-rampal/i-like-my-films-to-have-a-certain-amount-of-realism-something-that-s/) [Arjun Rampal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-rampal/) > [If you are not using your smile, Then you are a person with million dollars in the bank having no cheque book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakespeare/if-you-are-not-using-your-smile-then-you-are-a-person-with-million/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakespeare/) > [I told them I wouldn't sign a blank cheque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-told-them-i-wouldn-t-sign-a-blank-cheque/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) Browse all 54 Cheque quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first play I did was a funny one called 'The School for Wives', by Moliere. 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