--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's something about doing Shakespeare…" description: "\"There's something about doing Shakespeare with a single gender, whether it is all-male or all-female, that opens up certain possibilities. You are able..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/phyllida-lloyd-15047_behavior_there-s-something-about-doing-shakespear_2563705.jpg" --- # There's something about doing Shakespeare with a single… ![“There's something about doing Shakespeare with a single gender, whether it is all-male or all-female, that opens up certain possibilities. You are able to throw the behavior of the men into a particular relief and be playful within a slightly larger-than-life way with it.” quote by Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/phyllida-lloyd-15047_behavior_there-s-something-about-doing-shakespear_2563705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/phyllida-lloyd-15047_behavior_there-s-something-about-doing-shakespear_2563705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/phyllida-lloyd-15047_behavior_there-s-something-about-doing-shakespear_2563705.jpg) > “There's something about doing Shakespeare with a single gender, whether it is all-male or all-female, that opens up certain possibilities. You are able to throw the behavior of the men into a particular relief and be playful within a slightly larger-than-life way with it.” [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discusses how single‑gender casting reveals new dynamics and playful reinterpretations. **In simple terms:** Gender‑specific casts open fresh perspectives. Key Takeaway Experiment with gender‑focused casting. Themes theatre gender interpretation Mood analytical playful Type critical creative When to use this quote - school productions - professional revivals - experimental theatre Key Concepts Shakespearean drama performance theory Questions to Reflect On - What character dynamics change with gender swaps? - How does audience perception shift? A Different Perspective May reinforce gender stereotypes if not handled thoughtfully. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Possibilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibilities/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) ## Related quotes > [Male, A member of the unconsidered or negligible gender. The male of the human race is commonly known to the female as Mere Man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/male-a-member-of-the-unconsidered-or-negligible-gender-the-male-of/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [I've never isolated role models based on gender. I have more male role models due to the mere fact that I've done business with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-jo-martin/i-ve-never-isolated-role-models-based-on-gender-i-have-more-male-role/) [Amy Jo Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-jo-martin/) > [war is a man's game ... the killing machine has a gender and it is male.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/war-is-a-man-s-game-the-killing-machine-has-a-gender-and-it-is-male/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [I've been doing some Shakespeare acting classes - and I really enjoyed it. I never thought that would be something I would say, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-clifton/i-ve-been-doing-some-shakespeare-acting-classes-and-i-really-enjoyed/) [Kevin Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-clifton/) > [I did Shakespeare in college and the nerves I got doing Shakespeare are the same nerves I get doing 'Mad Men.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristoffer-polaha/i-did-shakespeare-in-college-and-the-nerves-i-got-doing-shakespeare/) [Kristoffer Polaha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristoffer-polaha/) > [Doing Shakespeare once is not fair to the play. I have been in Shakespeare plays when it's not until the last two or three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/doing-shakespeare-once-is-not-fair-to-the-play-i-have-been-in/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [I don't make any distinction between a popular TV series or blockbuster film and doing Shakespeare. They're different, but as long as the material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-don-t-make-any-distinction-between-a-popular-tv-series-or/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Doing Shakespeare certainly makes you a better actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-avery/doing-shakespeare-certainly-makes-you-a-better-actor/) [James Avery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-avery/) > [If you grow up in Britain, you just do Shakespeare. 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You know, in the morning you're doing a Chekhov play, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-majors/because-when-you-re-in-drama-school-you-re-playing-multiple/) [Jonathan Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-majors/) > [It was a wonderful experience to live the life for a year; to spend all day doing Shakespeare and then do a play in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-daniels/it-was-a-wonderful-experience-to-live-the-life-for-a-year-to-spend/) [Phil Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-daniels/) > [When I was doing Shakespeare and I had spent a lot of time and effort in trying to become a great Shakespearean actress. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/when-i-was-doing-shakespeare-and-i-had-spent-a-lot-of-time-and-effort/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) > [I've always longed for the theatre and acting to be popular. No actor wants to play to an empty house. We only do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-ve-always-longed-for-the-theatre-and-acting-to-be-popular-no-actor/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## More by Phyllida Lloyd > [In a way, the debate about Margaret Thatcher in Britain has just gotten fossilized in this notion that she is either this she-devil who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-a-way-the-debate-about-margaret-thatcher-in-britain-has-just/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [It's the job of the artist to take something that everybody thinks they know about, they've made a decision about, they will be immovable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/it-s-the-job-of-the-artist-to-take-something-that-everybody-thinks/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [In London, it's quite a rarefied activity to be on an analyst's couch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-london-it-s-quite-a-rarefied-activity-to-be-on-an-analyst-s-couch/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [Frankly, I find it very odd that, in a population that's more than 50 per cent of women, that Hollywood isn't producing more movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/frankly-i-find-it-very-odd-that-in-a-population-that-s-more-than-50/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [To be invited to the Park - the greatest free Shakespeare festival in the world - is a great honor, and I don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/to-be-invited-to-the-park-the-greatest-free-shakespeare-festival-in/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I started working in London, and I've been free-lance ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-started-working-in-london-and-i-ve-been-free-lance-ever-since/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [If you believe that how you do your work is as influential as the work you do, then a theatre rehearsal, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/if-you-believe-that-how-you-do-your-work-is-as-influential-as-the/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [To have Hollywood tell me or other women like me that we're not a market that interests them is silly. Good stories work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/to-have-hollywood-tell-me-or-other-women-like-me-that-we-re-not-a/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is a horrifying and horrifyingly possible vision of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-a-horrifying-and-horrifyingly-possible-vision/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [In Europe, it is not so unusual for directors to move between opera, theatre, and film, and I have at least three girlfriends I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-europe-it-is-not-so-unusual-for-directors-to-move-between-opera/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I was given a mask of myself by Frances Barber when we opened 'Julius Caesar.' I looked much younger and prettier. Wearing it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-was-given-a-mask-of-myself-by-frances-barber-when-we-opened-julius/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [In a way, 'Mamma Mia!' was such a left-field thing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-a-way-mamma-mia-was-such-a-left-field-thing-for-me/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [You can't wait for someone to discover you; you have to just get on and do it. Have confidence that directing is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/you-can-t-wait-for-someone-to-discover-you-you-have-to-just-get-on/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I was hellbent on going to drama school, but my mother, rightly, panicked and persuaded me to go to university on the grounds that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-was-hellbent-on-going-to-drama-school-but-my-mother-rightly/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I have been very lucky, and I think it all goes back to state subsidy for the arts. I gained my training and confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-have-been-very-lucky-and-i-think-it-all-goes-back-to-state-subsidy/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) [Explore all 44 Phyllida Lloyd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) ## More Behavior quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. 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