Acting
For legal meaning of acting, see Acting (law).For the military sense, see Acting (rank).Acting is the work of an
actor, a person in
theatre,
film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or
play. From the
Latin word
agĕre meaning "to do", this is precisely what acting is. In acting, an actor suppresses or augments aspects of their personality in order to reveal the actions and motivations of the
character for particular moments in time. The
actor is said to be "assuming the
role" of another, usually for the benefit of an
audience, but also because it can bring one a sense of artistic satisfaction.
Actors are generally expected to possess a number of skills, including good vocal projection, clarity of speech, physical expressiveness, a good sense of perspective, emotional availability, a well developed imagination, the ability to analyze and understand dramatic text, and the ability to emulate or generate emotional and physical conditions. Well-rounded actors are often also skilled in
singing,
dancing, imitating
dialects and
accents,
improvisation, observation and emulation,
mime,
stage combat, and performing classical texts such as
Shakespeare. Many actors train at length in special programs or colleges to develop these skills, which have a wide range of different artistic philosophies and processes.
Modern pioneers in the area of acting have included
Mani Madhava Chakyar,
Konstantin Stanislavski,
Jerzy Grotowski,
Lee Strasberg,
Uta Hagen,
Stella Adler, Eric Morris,
Michael Chekhov,
Viola Spolin and
Sanford Meisner.
For history and other details, see
actor.
*
Method acting* A
list of theatre terms*
Letters to a Young Actor by Robert Brustein (Basic Books, 0465008062, 2005).
*
Sanford Meisner on Acting by Sanford Meisner, Dennis Longwell (Random House, 0394750594, 1987).
*
An Actor Prepares by Konstantin Stanislavski, Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood (Routledge, 0878309837, 1989).
*
The Actor's Menu by Bill Howey (Compass Publishing, 0975310224, 2005).
