Viola Spolin: Play

Viola Spolin was American academic and acting theorist. Explore interesting quotes on play.

Viola Spolin: 18 quotes 0 likes

“Everyone can act. Everyone can improvise. Anyone who wishes to can play in the theater and learn to become 'stage-worthy.”

Viola Spolin

Improvisation for the Theater (1963), page 3
Context: Everyone can act. Everyone can improvise. Anyone who wishes to can play in the theater and learn to become 'stage-worthy.' We learn through experience and experiencing, and no one teaches anyone anything. This is as true for the infant moving from kicking and crawling to walking as it is for the scientist with his equations. If the environment permits it, anyone can learn whatever he chooses to learn; and if the individual permits it, the environment will teach him everything it has to teach. 'Talent' or 'lack of talent' have little to do with it.

Learning

“Games develop personal techniques and skills necessary for the game itself, through playing. Skills are developed at the very moment a person is having all the fun and excitement playing a game has to offer--this is the exact time one is truly open to receive them.”

Viola Spolin

Improvisation for the Theater 1963), page 4

Game , Time , Personality

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly that playing can pull many a director and cast out of a tight spot, freeing all of them from the fear-producing trap of memorizing, characterizing and interpreting. This playing draws upon a very important, almost forgotten, little understood or utilized, and greatly maligned life-giving force --- passion!”

Viola Spolin

Theater Games for Rehearsal - A Director's Handbook(1988), Northwestern University Press, Preface

Life , Fear , Passion , Drawing

“Play touches and stimulates vitality, awakening the whole person - mind, body, intelligence and creativity, spontaneity and intuition.”

Viola Spolin

Theater Games for the Classroom: A Teacher's Handbook (1986) Northwestern University Press, page 3

Intelligence , Personality