---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Onstage, even though you're here together…"
description: "\"Onstage, even though you're here together with the other actor, face-to-face, playing out the scene, you also have that other ear pointed out toward th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/uzo-aduba-13698_actor_onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together_1898386.jpg"
---

#  Onstage, even though you're here together with the other…

![“Onstage, even though you're here together with the other actor, face-to-face, playing out the scene, you also have that other ear pointed out toward the audience and how they're listening. That informs a lot.” quote by Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/uzo-aduba-13698_actor_onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together_1898386.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/uzo-aduba-13698_actor_onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together_1898386.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/uzo-aduba-13698_actor_onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together_1898386.jpg)

> “Onstage, even though you're here together with the other actor, face-to-face, playing out the scene, you also have that other ear pointed out toward the audience and how they're listening. That informs a lot.”

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

An actor must stay aware of both fellow performers and audience perception, which shapes performance choices.

**In simple terms:** Actors balance co‑actors and audience.

Key Takeaway

Stay attentive to audience cues.

Themes

performance awareness collaboration

Mood

focused reflective

Type

practical insightful

When to use this quote

- theatre rehearsals
- live shows
- improvisation
- directed scenes

Key Concepts

stagecraft feedback loops

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you adjust when audience energy shifts?
- What cues signal audience engagement?

A Different Perspective

Audience reaction can be unpredictable, altering timing.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Face to face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-to-face/) [Informs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informs/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/)

## Related quotes

> [I try to forget about the expectation that's out there and the audience listening for the next thing so that I'm not trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-try-to-forget-about-the-expectation-that-s-out-there-and-the/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [You want to reach people, but you also want to reach them in the most authentic way. You now have a mass market and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-naan/you-want-to-reach-people-but-you-also-want-to-reach-them-in-the-most/)

[K'naan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-naan/)

> [The size of your audience doesn't matter. What's important is that your audience is listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/the-size-of-your-audience-doesn-t-matter-what-s-important-is-that/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

> [The audience plays a huge part in how a piece will actually form. They really allow the performers to walk a tightrope in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-glennie/the-audience-plays-a-huge-part-in-how-a-piece-will-actually-form-they/)

[Evelyn Glennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-glennie/)

> [“A good ad leads to a two-way conversation where your audience is listening to you because you are listening to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-agnihotri/a-good-ad-leads-to-a-two-way-conversation-where-your-audience-is/)

[Pooja Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-agnihotri/)

> [Grandfather informs me that is not possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/grandfather-informs-me-that-is-not-possible/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I take it for what it is, and sometimes the criticism is actually useful and constructive and actually informs what I do, but most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/i-take-it-for-what-it-is-and-sometimes-the-criticism-is-actually/)

[Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/)

> [History informs where we are and how we got here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/history-informs-where-we-are-and-how-we-got-here/)

[Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/)

> [Your life informs your writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quintin-jardine/your-life-informs-your-writing/)

Quintin Jardine

> [Motherhood informs my work 100 per cent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-marais/motherhood-informs-my-work-100-per-cent/)

[Jessica Marais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-marais/)

> [You have to have an awareness of where you're going, what the event is, what you're promoting, and who the audience is. That always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/you-have-to-have-an-awareness-of-where-you-re-going-what-the-event-is/)

[Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/)

> [Scientifically, information is a choice - a yes-or-no choice. In a broader sense, information is everything that informs our world - writing, painting, music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/scientifically-information-is-a-choice-a-yes-or-no-choice-in-a/)

[James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/)

> [I would wish eventually to be able to make television that informs and educates as well as entertains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drummond-money-coutts/i-would-wish-eventually-to-be-able-to-make-television-that-informs/)

[Drummond Money-Coutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drummond-money-coutts/)

> [I believe in originality, primarily. However, it's important to know what there has been before to aim in that direction. Art history informs us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/i-believe-in-originality-primarily-however-it-s-important-to-know/)

[Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/)

> [Your whole life informs your eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/your-whole-life-informs-your-eye/)

[Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/)

## More by Uzo Aduba

> [I loved Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi. Its about a first-generation African family living in America that has to return home to Nigeria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-loved-ghana-must-go-by-taiye-selasi-its-about-a-first-generation/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [The first information I consume in the morning is probably 'The New York Times' and then my Twitter feed. I think Twitter is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/the-first-information-i-consume-in-the-morning-is-probably-the-new/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/if-they-can-learn-to-say-tchaikovsky-and-michelangelo-and-dostoyevsky/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [I was pursuing the arts with theater in school, and I was doing after-school activities, but not in any real movement towards a professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-was-pursuing-the-arts-with-theater-in-school-and-i-was-doing-after/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [I am the daughter of Nigerian immigrants. My mother is a survivor of both polio and of the Igbo genocide during her country's civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-am-the-daughter-of-nigerian-immigrants-my-mother-is-a-survivor-of/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [On some days in prison you might just need to get out of there, but on some days - not all days, but some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/on-some-days-in-prison-you-might-just-need-to-get-out-of-there-but-on/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [My only want and wish, really, was to tell a good story. I wanted to do good work, tell a good story, and give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/my-only-want-and-wish-really-was-to-tell-a-good-story-i-wanted-to-do/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [People were stopping me on the street to say, 'Oh my God, it's Crazy Eyes!' Which is kind of a funny thing to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/people-were-stopping-me-on-the-street-to-say-oh-my-god-it-s-crazy/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [My family is more a sports family, and I figure skated for a very long time, so movement and how I relate to movement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/my-family-is-more-a-sports-family-and-i-figure-skated-for-a-very-long/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [I grew up in a very small town in Massachusetts, and it goes without saying that there weren't many Nigerian families in that town,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-grew-up-in-a-very-small-town-in-massachusetts-and-it-goes-without/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [The magic of landing my first role on Broadway went 'poof' in a matter of a few weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/the-magic-of-landing-my-first-role-on-broadway-went-poof-in-a-matter/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [When I was little, I didn't smile much. Don't get me wrong. I was a happy kid, but I couldn't stand the space, dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/when-i-was-little-i-didn-t-smile-much-don-t-get-me-wrong-i-was-a/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [I like to build a character, trying to stretch my imagination as far to the walls of my brain as I can to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-like-to-build-a-character-trying-to-stretch-my-imagination-as-far/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [I left my home in Massachusetts after college to move to New York City to pursue my dreams of acting. I took roles for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-left-my-home-in-massachusetts-after-college-to-move-to-new-york/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [I love physicality. I love movement very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-love-physicality-i-love-movement-very-much/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

[Explore all 49 Uzo Aduba quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

## 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": "Onstage, even though you're here together with the other actor, face-to-face, playing out the scene, you also have that other ear pointed out toward the audience and how they're listening. That informs a lot.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Uzo Aduba"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together-with-the-other-actor-face-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together-with-the-other-actor-face-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/uzo-aduba-13698_actor_onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together_1898386.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/uzo-aduba-13698_actor_onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together_1898386.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/uzo-aduba-13698_actor_onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together_1898386.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Onstage, even though you're here together with the other actor, face-to-face, playing out the scene, you…” — Uzo Aduba",
                "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": "Uzo Aduba",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Onstage, even though you're here together...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together-with-the-other-actor-face-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/onstage-even-though-you-re-here-together-with-the-other-actor-face-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
