WIST Quotations

Brilliant, Ashleigh -- Pot-Shots, #1318

Dave — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 22:42:36 +0000

My life is a performance for which I was never given any chance to rehearse.

Ashleigh Brilliant (b. 1933) Anglo-American epigramist, aphorist, cartoonist
Pot-Shots, #1318

Brooks, Mel -- The Twelve Chairs, “Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst” (1970)

Dave — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 01:55:22 +0000

Hope for the best.
Expect the worst.
The world’s a stage.
We’re unrehearsed.

Mel Brooks (b. 1926) American comedic actor, writer, producer [b. Melvyn Kaminsky]
The Twelve Chairs, “Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst” (1970)
(Source)

(Source (Audio)). More information on composition of the song here and here.

See also Shakespeare and O'Casey.

Churchill, Winston -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:03:09 +0000

Rehearsing my impromptu witticisms.

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) British statesman and author
(Attributed)

When asked by Harold MacMillan what he was doing.

O'Casey, Sean -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

All the world’s a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed.

Sean O'Casey (1880-1964) Irish playwright [b. John Casey, a.k.a. Seán O'Cathaseaigh]
(Attributed)

Widely attributed to O'Casey, but I am unable to find a primary source or verifiable citation.