Acting

Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art.

Every person who is really an artist desires to create inside of himself another, deeper, more interesting life than the one that actually surrounds him.

When an actor is completely absorbed by some profoundly moving objective so that he throws his whole being passionately into its execution, he reaches a state we call inspiration.

It is through you, actors, that the forces which are understood by millions and that tell of everything that is beautiful on earth, find expression. The forces which reveal to people the happiness of living in a widened consciousness and in the joy of creative work for the whole world. You, the actors of a theatre, which is one of the centres of human culture, will never be understood by the people if you are unable to reflect the spiritual needs of your time, the now in which you are living.

A true priest is aware of the presence of the altar during every moment that he is conducting a service. It is exactly the same way that a true artist should react to the stage all the time he is in the theater. An actor who is incapable of this feeling will never be a true artist.

The main difference between the art of the actor and all other arts is that every other [non-performing] artist may create whenever he is in the mood of inspiration. But the artist of the stage must be the master of his own inspiration, and must know how to call it forth at the hour announced on the posters of the theatre. This is the chief secret of our art.

Never lose yourself on the stage. Always act in your own person, as an artist. The moment you lose yourself on the stage marks the departure from truly living your part and the beginning of exaggerated false acting. Therefore, no matter how much you act, how many parts you take, you should never allow yourself any exception to the rule of using your own feelings. To break that rule is the equivalent of killing the person you are portraying, because you deprive him of a palpitating, living, human soul, which is the real source of life for a part.

Our demands are simple, normal, and therefore they are difficult to satisfy. All we ask is that an actor on the stage live in accordance with natural laws.

Play well, or play badly, but play truly.

Never allow yourself externally to portray anything that you have not inwardly experienced and which is not even interesting to you.

All action in theatre must have inner justification, be logical, coherent, and real.

The life of a character should be an unbroken line of events and emotions, but a play only gives us a few moments on that line ‒ we must create the rest to portray a convincing life.

The actor must use his imagination to be able to answer all questions (Who am I? What will I be? Why am I here? Where am I going?). Make the make-believer existence more definite.

Remember: there are no small roles, only small actors.

Create your own method. Don't depend slavishly on mine. Make up something that will work for you! But keep breaking traditions, I beg you.

You must visualize what you say.

In the language of an actor, to know is synonymous with to feel.

The language of the body is the key that can unlock the soul.

The main factor in any form of creativeness is the life of a human spirit, that of the actor and his part, their joint feelings and subconscious creation.

Theatre

The theatre infects the audience with its noble ecstasy.

Unless the theatre can ennoble you, make you a better person, you should flee from it.

Remember this practical piece of advice: Never come into the theatre with mud on your feet. Leave your dust and dirt outside. Check your little worries, squabbles, petty difficulties with your outside clothing ‒ all the things that ruin your life and draw your attention away from your art ‒ at the door.

Life, Talent, Wisdom, Truth

The person you are is a thousand times more interesting than the best actor you could ever hope to be.

Talent is nothing but a prolonged period of attention and a shortened period of mental assimilation.

Fear your admirers! Learn in time to hear, understand, and love the cruel truth about yourselves!

A thought prior to become a thought was a feeling.

The greatest wisdom is to realize one's lack of it.

What is important to me is not the truth outside myself, but the truth within myself.