The Q&A: Mark Rylance, Actor | The Economist

The Q&A: Mark Rylance, Actor | The Economist:

I met a wonderful jazz musician when we’re doing “Boeing-Boeing". He was clearly brilliant, and I said to him ‘Where can I get a recording of yours?’ And he said, ‘Nowhere.’ I said, ‘What do you mean? Are they not available anymore?’ And he said, ‘No, why would I want to make a recording?’ I said, “I don’t know, maybe you like people who aren’t able to be there to hear your music?’ ‘Why,’ he said, ‘I won’t be there when they’re listening to it. Why would I want anyone to listen to a recorded piece of music rather than play something so they can listen themselves.’ He literally never made any recordings; he only was interested in the live, present moment. And the more I thought about what he said, the more I thought, ‘yeah, I really agree—that’s what's most exciting to me: the live, present moment, with a group of actors and an audience and the curious communication that goes on.