Acting

The skill of the actors in bringing their characters to life and conveying their emotions and motivations to the audience.

What is acting?

- "Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character…"

What skills are required for acting?

- "Acting involves a broad range of skills, including a well-developed imagination, emotional facility, physical expressivity, vocal projection, clarity of speech, and the ability to interpret drama."

What techniques are involved in acting?

- "Acting also demands an ability to employ dialects, accents, improvisation, observation and emulation, mime, and stage combat."

Do actors receive training?

- "Many actors train at length in specialist programs or colleges to develop these skills."

What areas are covered in actor training?

- "Actors and actresses will often have many instructors and teachers for a full range of training involving singing, scene-work, audition techniques, and acting for a camera."

How do early sources in the West discuss acting?

- "Most early sources in the West that examine the art of acting discuss it as part of rhetoric."

How would you define hypokrisis?

- "Most early sources in the West that examine the art of acting discuss it as part of rhetoric." (Note: The term 'hypokrisis' refers to acting in Greek.)

What does theatrical acting involve?

- "Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode."

What role does imagination play in acting?

- "Acting involves a broad range of skills, including a well-developed imagination…"

Why is emotional facility important for actors?

- "Acting involves a broad range of skills, including… emotional facility…"

What is vocal projection?

- "Acting involves a broad range of skills, including… vocal projection…"

What is the significance of clarity of speech in acting?

- "Acting involves a broad range of skills, including… clarity of speech…"

How do actors interpret drama?

- "Acting involves a broad range of skills, including… the ability to interpret drama."

Can actors use different dialects and accents?

- "Acting also demands an ability to employ dialects, accents…"

What are some other performance techniques used by actors?

- "Acting also demands… improvisation, observation and emulation, mime, and stage combat."

How do most professional actors prepare for their careers?

- "The vast majority of professional actors have undergone extensive training."

What type of programs or colleges do actors attend?

- "Many actors train at length in specialist programs or colleges to develop these skills."

What training do actors receive besides acting?

- "Actors and actresses will often have many instructors and teachers for a full range of training involving… singing, scene-work, audition techniques, and acting for camera."

What does acting look like in different mediums?

- "Acting is an activity… in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode."

What does mimetic mode mean?

- "Acting is an activity… in any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode."