"It’s interesting how a New York Times review can...

"It’s interesting how a New York Times review can influence an audience’s reaction to a play. I’ve been in plays that I thought were great, but when a bad review came out, the audiences suddenly fell flat. On the other hand, I’ve been in plays that I thought were mediocre. But after a good New York Times review came out, the audiences were suddenly much more responsive."

“How do you measure an audience’s responsiveness?”

“There’s two ways that an actor can really ‘feel’ an audience from the stage. One is the volume of the laughter. The other is the depth of the silences. When a play really grabs an audience, there’s no fidgeting, and no checking of cell phones. You can feel the stillness.”