--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started with Chicago theater." description: "\"I started with Chicago theater.\" — Sophie Thatcher" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/sophie-thatcher-5947_chicago_i-started-with-chicago-theater-1667630_1667630.jpg" --- # I started with Chicago theater. ![“I started with Chicago theater.” quote by Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/sophie-thatcher-5947_chicago_i-started-with-chicago-theater-1667630_1667630.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/sophie-thatcher-5947_chicago_i-started-with-chicago-theater-1667630_1667630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/sophie-thatcher-5947_chicago_i-started-with-chicago-theater-1667630_1667630.jpg) > “I started with Chicago theater.” [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beginning a career in Chicago theater marks the start of a broader artistic journey, emphasizing the importance of local roots. **In simple terms:** Starting in Chicago theater launches a larger artistic path. Key Takeaway Value local beginnings for growth. Themes career theatre artistic development roots Mood motivational pragmatic Type career inspirational When to use this quote - auditions - regional productions - skill development - mentorship Key Concepts creative arts career building networking Questions to Reflect On - How can local theatre experience translate to larger stages? - What steps help expand beyond regional work? A Different Perspective Local scenes may limit exposure to wider opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) [Chicago Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago-theater-374184/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-chicago-824825/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I was a Chicago theater actress until my early 30s, so I got to do a lot of meaty stuff in theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/i-was-a-chicago-theater-actress-until-my-early-30s-so-i-got-to-do-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [I feel there's a really raw quality in the Chicago theater community that's really special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/i-feel-there-s-a-really-raw-quality-in-the-chicago-theater-community/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [My character started off on 'Chicago P.D.' as the brother to Detective Jake Halstead, and then I also played on 'Chicago Fire.' So, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gehlfuss/my-character-started-off-on-chicago-p-d-as-the-brother-to-detective/) [Nick Gehlfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gehlfuss/) > [Chicago actors and Chicago theater is some of the most authentic stuff that you will ever encounter, and I'm so proud to have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-dandridge/chicago-actors-and-chicago-theater-is-some-of-the-most-authentic/) [Merle Dandridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-dandridge/) > [I've never seen a theater community to rival that of Chicago. Neither New York nor L.A. has the raw talent or integrity that Chicago…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-ve-never-seen-a-theater-community-to-rival-that-of-chicago-neither/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [After that, I started going downtown and doing a lot of theater shows in Chicago. When you go downtown there, it's like you're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kel-mitchell/after-that-i-started-going-downtown-and-doing-a-lot-of-theater-shows/) [Kel Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kel-mitchell/) > [In Chicago, there weren't a lot of Mormons in the town growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/in-chicago-there-weren-t-a-lot-of-mormons-in-the-town-growing-up/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I did a lot of commercial and theater work when I got out of school and was living in Dallas, and I moved to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-tolman/i-did-a-lot-of-commercial-and-theater-work-when-i-got-out-of-school/) [Allison Tolman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-tolman/) > [I'm just a Chicago actor who's a playwright. Even with the success of 'August,' the people in town who come to our theater know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/i-m-just-a-chicago-actor-who-s-a-playwright-even-with-the-success-of/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [My family moved a lot as a kid. We started in Colorado, where I lived for five years. We moved to Chicago for two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/my-family-moved-a-lot-as-a-kid-we-started-in-colorado-where-i-lived/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I have a band that I started with a buddy of mine, a Vietnam veteran pal named Kimo Williams from Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-have-a-band-that-i-started-with-a-buddy-of-mine-a-vietnam-veteran/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [Because I was a dancer, I started going to auditions for musical theater, which forced me to sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/because-i-was-a-dancer-i-started-going-to-auditions-for-musical/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I came out to Hollywood when I was just 18, and my dad, he was really into Hollywood and theater and art, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-paxton/i-came-out-to-hollywood-when-i-was-just-18-and-my-dad-he-was-really/) [Bill Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-paxton/) > [I went to university in the north of England at University of Birmingham to do an English literature degree, and I knew I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-riley/i-went-to-university-in-the-north-of-england-at-university-of/) [Tom Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-riley/) ## More by Sophie Thatcher > [When I'm creating art or music, when something is resonating or a scene is going well, that almost feels religious to me... there's this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/when-i-m-creating-art-or-music-when-something-is-resonating-or-a/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I feel like in so much of my life I lack control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-feel-like-in-so-much-of-my-life-i-lack-control/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [When something takes itself too seriously, you're not going to take it seriously. There's a disconnect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/when-something-takes-itself-too-seriously-you-re-not-going-to-take-it/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I'm just always craving intensity. Just craving that emotional release.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-m-just-always-craving-intensity-just-craving-that-emotional-release/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [When I'm making music, like my album 'Pivot & Scrape,' I go into this daze-like state where I don't always know what I'm channeling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/when-i-m-making-music-like-my-album-pivot-scrape-i-go-into-this-daze/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [Some people think the art and music I reference are too dark, but I'm trying not to worry about how others perceive me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/some-people-think-the-art-and-music-i-reference-are-too-dark-but-i-m/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I grew up expecting everyone to be Mormon and nobody was. It isolated me and my twin even more so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-grew-up-expecting-everyone-to-be-mormon-and-nobody-was-it-isolated/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I want to tell stories that make people feel less alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-want-to-tell-stories-that-make-people-feel-less-alone/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [There's a sense of hopelessness that I'm really trying to combat. And if a movie that I do gives somebody confidence, or even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/there-s-a-sense-of-hopelessness-that-i-m-really-trying-to-combat-and/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [Movies helped me so much through my childhood, and I want to do the same for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/movies-helped-me-so-much-through-my-childhood-and-i-want-to-do-the/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I remember when I was still in the church, I wanted so badly to be normal, and that was the only thing I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-remember-when-i-was-still-in-the-church-i-wanted-so-badly-to-be/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I had to scream on a self-tape, and I had this fear of screaming. I think it's because I grew up singing and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-had-to-scream-on-a-self-tape-and-i-had-this-fear-of-screaming-i/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I just want to do my own thing, and I've always been that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-just-want-to-do-my-own-thing-and-i-ve-always-been-that-way/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [I want to get rid of the feeling that I have to share everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-want-to-get-rid-of-the-feeling-that-i-have-to-share-everything/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [So many of my movies talk about lack of control and not having control over your own body, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/so-many-of-my-movies-talk-about-lack-of-control-and-not-having/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) [Explore all 100 Sophie Thatcher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started with Chicago theater.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sophie Thatcher" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-started-with-chicago-theater/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-started-with-chicago-theater/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/sophie-thatcher-5947_chicago_i-started-with-chicago-theater-1667630_1667630.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/sophie-thatcher-5947_chicago_i-started-with-chicago-theater-1667630_1667630.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/sophie-thatcher-5947_chicago_i-started-with-chicago-theater-1667630_1667630.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I started with Chicago theater.” — Sophie Thatcher", "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": "Sophie Thatcher", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I started with Chicago theater.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-started-with-chicago-theater/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-started-with-chicago-theater/#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 } } ] } ```