--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was about five my dad built a…" description: "\"When I was about five my dad built a stage for me in our basement. A full stage, with a curtain, a backdrop and a dressing room. There were three color..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/paul-reubens-11776_backdrop_when-i-was-about-five-my-dad-built-a-sta_261279.jpg" --- # When I was about five my dad built a stage for me in our… ![“When I was about five my dad built a stage for me in our basement. A full stage, with a curtain, a backdrop and a dressing room. There were three colored spotlights - a red one, a white one, and a blue one. Blue was for nighttime scenes, and red was for when we were in hell. If the neighborhood…” quote by Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/paul-reubens-11776_backdrop_when-i-was-about-five-my-dad-built-a-sta_261279.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/paul-reubens-11776_backdrop_when-i-was-about-five-my-dad-built-a-sta_261279.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/paul-reubens-11776_backdrop_when-i-was-about-five-my-dad-built-a-sta_261279.jpg) > “When I was about five my dad built a stage for me in our basement. A full stage, with a curtain, a backdrop and a dressing room. There were three colored spotlights - a red one, a white one, and a blue one. Blue was for nighttime scenes, and red was for when we were in hell. If the neighborhood kids wanted to use the stage, they had to incorporate me into the play.” [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A childhood memory of a homemade stage where colors symbolized different moods and narratives, showing early creativity and control over storytelling. **In simple terms:** A dad made a stage with colored lights representing scenes. Key Takeaway Embrace imagination and set your own scenes. Themes creativity play storytelling Mood nostalgic reflective Type personal anecdotal When to use this quote - childhood play - family bonding - creative projects - stagecraft Key Concepts symbolism imagination control Questions to Reflect On - How do you use symbols to shape narratives? - What role does play have in personal growth? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex emotions into colors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blue/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Dressing room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dressing-room/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhood/) [Nighttime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nighttime/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Spotlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spotlight/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I had a toy theater and a magic lantern, and when I was eight I built a stage for theatricals in the attic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-broughton/i-had-a-toy-theater-and-a-magic-lantern-and-when-i-was-eight-i-built/) [James Broughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-broughton/) > [Box-office poison? 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Eddie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/it-s-the-most-natural-progression-for-me-to-becoming-a-singing/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [Look at me, I'm getting defensive about something that happened so many years ago, somebody said. I'll have to find out who that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/look-at-me-i-m-getting-defensive-about-something-that-happened-so/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [The public may think I'm weird. They may think I'm crazy or anything that anyone wants to think about me. That's all fine. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/the-public-may-think-i-m-weird-they-may-think-i-m-crazy-or-anything/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [The original suit was designed by a guy named Mr. Jay from Hollywood. But nowadays I'm having the suit duplicated. At this point I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/the-original-suit-was-designed-by-a-guy-named-mr-jay-from-hollywood/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/there-s-a-lotta-things-about-me-you-don-t-know-anything-about-dottie/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [But I don't know. Pee-wee just kind of popped out one day, pretty much fully fleshed-out and fully formed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/but-i-don-t-know-pee-wee-just-kind-of-popped-out-one-day-pretty-much/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [I think there's a danger that some people look at the success of my first movie as a fluke. 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Anyone visiting the place has already seen so many pictures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-boltanski/in-the-eyes-of-its-visitors-venice-has-no-reality-of-its-own-anyone/) [Christian Boltanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-boltanski/) > [“\*brush, Pattern \*backdrop)     {      ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-feathers/brush-pattern-backdrop/) [Michael C. 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