--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With theatre, you have to be ready for…" description: "\"With theatre, you have to be ready for anything.\" — Willem Dafoe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/willem-dafoe-4486_anything_with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-an_1830040.jpg" --- # With theatre, you have to be ready for anything. ![“With theatre, you have to be ready for anything.” quote by Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/willem-dafoe-4486_anything_with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-an_1830040.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/willem-dafoe-4486_anything_with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-an_1830040.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/willem-dafoe-4486_anything_with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-an_1830040.jpg) > “With theatre, you have to be ready for anything.” [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being prepared for any unexpected event is essential in performance and life. **In simple terms:** Stay ready for surprises. Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility. Themes adaptability performance uncertainty creativity Mood alert resourceful Type motivational practical When to use this quote - theatre auditions - live concerts - public speaking - emergency response Key Concepts improvisation risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you cultivate readiness? - What unexpected challenge have you faced recently? A Different Perspective Preparation cannot eliminate all risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ready/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Theatre Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre-ready-1483792/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I'm ready for theatre. I'm ready for dramas, period stuff, films. I want to achieve everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-socha/i-m-ready-for-theatre-i-m-ready-for-dramas-period-stuff-films-i-want/) [Lauren Socha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-socha/) > [I don't know how it is now but the assistant stage manager had to understudy several parts. You had to be ready to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ford/i-don-t-know-how-it-is-now-but-the-assistant-stage-manager-had-to/) [Glenn Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ford/) > [If you ask an actor what he'd prefer to act on, he'd probably say a tangible, real set, or even better, a real location…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/if-you-ask-an-actor-what-he-d-prefer-to-act-on-he-d-probably-say-a/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I can't imagine anything more debilitating, anything more challenging, anything more thrilling than to get on a stage and do any kind of play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-monaghan/i-can-t-imagine-anything-more-debilitating-anything-more-challenging/) [Michelle Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-monaghan/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [If you have the opportunity as an actor to control your career in any way, then you've won the jackpot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romola-garai/if-you-have-the-opportunity-as-an-actor-to-control-your-career-in-any/) [Romola Garai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romola-garai/) > [When you're still, and some actors are really brilliant at that, you bring a kind of energy to you as opposed to sending the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-byrne/when-you-re-still-and-some-actors-are-really-brilliant-at-that-you/) [Gabriel Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-byrne/) > [As an actor, you always want to find a piece of who you are in every role you take on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larenz-tate/as-an-actor-you-always-want-to-find-a-piece-of-who-you-are-in-every/) [Larenz Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larenz-tate/) > [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/) > [There are many different ways the public can respond to actors - they can see you on TV and feel they know you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/there-are-many-different-ways-the-public-can-respond-to-actors-they/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [No matter how brilliant an actor is, there's always a point where they let you down, but that's all part of their journey. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hale/no-matter-how-brilliant-an-actor-is-there-s-always-a-point-where-they/) [Amanda Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hale/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [I was doing community theater, and I was always interested in acting, but I was also interested in sports. I was interested in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/i-was-doing-community-theater-and-i-was-always-interested-in-acting/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [I'm ready to conquer anything thrown at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-pritchard/i-m-ready-to-conquer-anything-thrown-at-me/) [A. J. Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-pritchard/) ## More by Willem Dafoe > [I was doing community theater, and I was always interested in acting, but I was also interested in sports. I was interested in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/i-was-doing-community-theater-and-i-was-always-interested-in-acting/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [I knew very little about 'Spider-Man'. I grew up more in the 'Superman' generation. 'Spider-Man' - I didn't know so much. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/i-knew-very-little-about-spider-man-i-grew-up-more-in-the-superman/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [When you have something to work with, then you fly with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/when-you-have-something-to-work-with-then-you-fly-with-it/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [When I was a kid I was very interested in the idea of the will, finding out what you're capable of. I liked those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/when-i-was-a-kid-i-was-very-interested-in-the-idea-of-the-will/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [Film is an editor's medium. You can create very good raw material and they can make it horrible, or you can do not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/film-is-an-editor-s-medium-you-can-create-very-good-raw-material-and/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [I'm more interested in talking about what I do. And I don't think people are interested in my personal life. I've never had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/i-m-more-interested-in-talking-about-what-i-do-and-i-don-t-think/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [ Mounting those red stairs \[in Cannes\] is something I've done with a very different intention many times. So it's interesting any time you witness… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/mounting-those-red-stairs-in-cannes-is-something-i-ve-done-with-a/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [In films you do a scene, you play around with it and unless you're doing a lot of reshooting, which no one has the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/in-films-you-do-a-scene-you-play-around-with-it-and-unless-you-re/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [For every role, you have to always find a different way to approach it, one that's specific and suits what the key is. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/for-every-role-you-have-to-always-find-a-different-way-to-approach-it/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [Celebrity is okay as long as you know it's not about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/celebrity-is-okay-as-long-as-you-know-it-s-not-about-you/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [All the time, as an actor, you want to be asking what's next and where things are going. If you're not asking those questions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/all-the-time-as-an-actor-you-want-to-be-asking-what-s-next-and-where/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [I'm learning in my old age that the only thing you can do to keep your sanity is to stay in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/i-m-learning-in-my-old-age-that-the-only-thing-you-can-do-to-keep/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [I was watching 'Wild at Heart,' and I can honestly say I did nothing for that apart from show up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/i-was-watching-wild-at-heart-and-i-can-honestly-say-i-did-nothing-for/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [Truth is, generally I like film festivals; somewhere at some level there's an exchange of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/truth-is-generally-i-like-film-festivals-somewhere-at-some-level/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [I don't think people are interested in my personal life. I've never had a Hollywood life. I've always been a worker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/i-don-t-think-people-are-interested-in-my-personal-life-i-ve-never/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) [Explore all 110 Willem Dafoe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) ## 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": "With theatre, you have to be ready for anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Willem Dafoe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-anything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-anything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/willem-dafoe-4486_anything_with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-an_1830040.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/willem-dafoe-4486_anything_with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-an_1830040.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/willem-dafoe-4486_anything_with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-an_1830040.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With theatre, you have to be ready for anything.” — Willem Dafoe", "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": "Willem Dafoe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "With theatre, you have to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-anything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/with-theatre-you-have-to-be-ready-for-anything/#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 } } ] } ```