Uta Hagen
Uta Hagen
Uta Thyra Hagenwas a German American actress and drama teacher. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee. Because Hagen was on the Hollywood blacklist, in part because of her association with Paul Robeson, her film opportunities dwindled and she focused her career on New York theater. She twice won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionStage Actress
Date of Birth12 June 1919
CityGottingen, Germany
CountryGermany
Thoughts and feelings are suspended in a vacuum unless they instigate and feed the selected actions, and it is the characters actions which reveal the character in the play.
The actor must know that since he, himself, is the instrument, he must play on it to serve the character with the same effortless dexterity with which the violinist makes music on his. Just because he doesn't look like a violin is no reason to assume his techniques should be thought of as less difficult.
Theoretically, the actor ought to be more sound in mind and body than other people, since he learns to understand the psychological problems of human beings when putting his own passions, his loves, fears, and rages to work in the service of the characters he plays. He will learn to face himself, to hide nothing from himself- and to do so takes AN INSATIABLE CURIOSITY ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION
We must overcome the notion that we must be regular...it robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre.
Nobody ever learns how. The search for human behavior is infinite. You'll never understand it all. I think that's wonderful.
They still had the Lord Chamberlain, so we had this idiotic censorship. We were allowed three Jesus Christs instead of 10. Why three were OK, I don't know.
Once in awhile, there's stuff that makes me say, That's what theatre's about. It has to be a human event on the stage, and that doesn't happen very often.
The Country Girl was the only successful play I've done that I was glad when it closed. I had great success in it, but I never liked the last act.
I have disassociated myself from that book.
Usually, someone who's in a show gets me a ticket. I feel cornered. I can't walk out if I don't like it.
I think, by and large, the level of acting is mediocre. When I go to the theatre, I get so angry. I don't go.
Awards don't really mean much.
Marlon was so sensitive, you thought the poor guy just had a bad education.
I won't go to England because they won't let my dog in.