--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you rehearse a play, you spend four…" description: "\"When you rehearse a play, you spend four weeks with one goal in mind - to wean the actor away from you. You want the actor to become completely indepen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e78/sydney-pollack-2385_actor_when-you-rehearse-a-play-you-spend-four_2985345.jpg" --- # When you rehearse a play, you spend four weeks with one… ![“When you rehearse a play, you spend four weeks with one goal in mind - to wean the actor away from you. You want the actor to become completely independent and to understand all the emotional and psychological moves within the character.” quote by Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e78/sydney-pollack-2385_actor_when-you-rehearse-a-play-you-spend-four_2985345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e78/sydney-pollack-2385_actor_when-you-rehearse-a-play-you-spend-four_2985345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e78/sydney-pollack-2385_actor_when-you-rehearse-a-play-you-spend-four_2985345.jpg) > “When you rehearse a play, you spend four weeks with one goal in mind - to wean the actor away from you. You want the actor to become completely independent and to understand all the emotional and psychological moves within the character.” [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes a method where a director trains actors to internalize a role so they can perform independently without relying on the director's guidance. **In simple terms:** Actors should learn to own the character fully. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑reliance in performance. Themes acting directing independence craft psychology Mood focused instructive Type educational professional When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - film casting - actor workshops - creative mentorship Key Concepts method acting emotional intelligence character immersion Questions to Reflect On - How can an actor maintain independence while staying open to collaboration? - What practices help internalize a character’s psychology? A Different Perspective Actors may still need external feedback to refine nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Anyone can rehearse and play constantly any song in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith/anyone-can-rehearse-and-play-constantly-any-song-in-the-world/) [Robert Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith/) > [Sometimes perception is almost more important than the skill level of an actor. And if you give too much away, you have nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/sometimes-perception-is-almost-more-important-than-the-skill-level-of/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [When the curtain falls, the best thing an actor can do is to go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-macmillan/when-the-curtain-falls-the-best-thing-an-actor-can-do-is-to-go-away/) [Harold MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-macmillan/) > [The only bad part of being an actor is being away from the people you care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/the-only-bad-part-of-being-an-actor-is-being-away-from-the-people-you/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [It's very difficult being an actor and being away for a lot of time, but my sons haven't complained too much too often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-von-sydow/it-s-very-difficult-being-an-actor-and-being-away-for-a-lot-of-time/) [Max von Sydow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-von-sydow/) > [I will not ever say that it's good to start with too little preparation, because that's patently not true. But I don't rehearse the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-will-not-ever-say-that-it-s-good-to-start-with-too-little/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't really rehearse, because I don't really step into action until I'm forced to. The only way I prepare is just by memorizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-zimmer/i-don-t-really-rehearse-because-i-don-t-really-step-into-action-until/) [Constance Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-zimmer/) > [You have to learn how to dress yourself and how to walk into a room and talk to people. Once you're in rehearsal, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barrett-wilbert-weed/you-have-to-learn-how-to-dress-yourself-and-how-to-walk-into-a-room/) [Barrett Wilbert Weed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barrett-wilbert-weed/) > [I personally don't like to rehearse so much. I really trust my instincts. I like to talk and talk and talk until we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carice-van-houten/i-personally-don-t-like-to-rehearse-so-much-i-really-trust-my/) [Carice van Houten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carice-van-houten/) > [When we get together to rehearse, we could write music together all day long - GOOD music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/when-we-get-together-to-rehearse-we-could-write-music-together-all/) [Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/) > [Other actors like to rehearse on film-they like 30 or 40 takes. When you get an actor like that, it becomes difficult for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-widmark/other-actors-like-to-rehearse-on-film-they-like-30-or-40-takes-when/) [Richard Widmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-widmark/) > [I don't rehearse a lot. I try to keep it organic. Even in movies, the less I rehearse, the better I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-don-t-rehearse-a-lot-i-try-to-keep-it-organic-even-in-movies-the/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [That's what it is that you rehearse - the making of music, not the playing of notes as abstractions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-caldwell/that-s-what-it-is-that-you-rehearse-the-making-of-music-not-the/) [Sarah Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-caldwell/) > [You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do. It's simple, fantasize, rehearse, then go out into the world and DO IT!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/you-can-t-build-a-reputation-on-what-you-re-going-to-do-it-s-simple/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [There were days on that show where I had to go in and record a song, then I had to rehearse the dance for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-jenner/there-were-days-on-that-show-where-i-had-to-go-in-and-record-a-song/) [Blake Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-jenner/) ## More by Sydney Pollack > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [It's my job to motivate the audience to believe. I have to get them to suspend their judgment in favor of involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/it-s-my-job-to-motivate-the-audience-to-believe-i-have-to-get-them-to/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [The marketing of anything is full of exploitation and lies and hype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/the-marketing-of-anything-is-full-of-exploitation-and-lies-and-hype/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Burt Lancaster was largely responsible for me becoming a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/burt-lancaster-was-largely-responsible-for-me-becoming-a-director/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [People sense when you're pretending, when you're worried about your own ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/people-sense-when-you-re-pretending-when-you-re-worried-about-your/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I personally have never made a movie in Hollywood, because I don't want to get up in my own bed and then go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-personally-have-never-made-a-movie-in-hollywood-because-i-don-t/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Every film I've made has a kind of frustrated love story in the center of it. They were people who saw life from opposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/every-film-i-ve-made-has-a-kind-of-frustrated-love-story-in-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You mustn't regret decisions that you make. Because the decisions are made out of your gut in a way and you have to stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-mustn-t-regret-decisions-that-you-make-because-the-decisions-are/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [When you're shooting a feature that costs $200,000 a day with a crew of 250, you don't want accidents; you want to know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/when-you-re-shooting-a-feature-that-costs-200-000-a-day-with-a-crew/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [What makes architecture extraordinary is that you're looking at the building, but your peripheral vision is also seeing how it fits within a space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/what-makes-architecture-extraordinary-is-that-you-re-looking-at-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't get nervous talking about my films, but if I'm the subject, it's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-get-nervous-talking-about-my-films-but-if-i-m-the-subject-it/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You are not an active creator of the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-are-not-an-active-creator-of-the-film/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [All films are political, whether they mean to be or not. Star Wars is political. As soon as you have conflict, which is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/all-films-are-political-whether-they-mean-to-be-or-not-star-wars-is/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [There will be people who are sensitive about seeing the American point of view presented as less than sympathetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/there-will-be-people-who-are-sensitive-about-seeing-the-american/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't consider myself a teacher of moral and political positions. I don't want to be that. I can't help but have a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-teacher-of-moral-and-political-positions-i/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) [Explore all 169 Sydney Pollack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) ## 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": "When you rehearse a play, you spend four weeks with one goal in mind - to wean the actor away from you. 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