Actor Quote by Peter Shaffer
“Rehearsing a play is making the word flesh. Publishing a play is reversing the process.”
About This Quote
Source Play: Equus, 1973
Rehearsing makes a play tangible; publishing reverses that, turning it back into text.
In simple terms: Rehearsal gives life; publishing removes it.
Key Takeaway
Value lived experience.
Themes
theatre
creation
translation
Mood
artistic
analytical
Type
theatrical
creative
When to use this quote
- acting workshops
- publishing decisions
- educational curricula
- null
Key Concepts
performance studies
literary theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does performance differ from reading?
- What is lost in translation?
A Different Perspective
Published work can feel detached.
![“On indies it's hard to do, but in rehearsals, you make mistakes in rehearsal. It's really hard rehearsing a play or what rehearsal you get on any movie. That's where you get to make your mistakes, and you make big ones. So when you shoot [the movie] or you finally get the play in shape and do it…” quote by Jeff Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6bf/jeff-daniels-12465_actors_on-indies-it-s-hard-to-do-but-in-rehears_814269.jpg)
