:''For legal meaning of '''acting''', see [[Acting (law)]].''
:''For the military sense, see [[Acting (rank)]].''

'''Acting''' is the work of an '''[[actor]]''' or [[actress]], which is a person in [[theatre]], [[television]], [[film]], or any other [[storytelling]] medium who tells the [[story]] by portraying a [[Fictional character|character]] and, usually, [[Speech communication|speaking]] or [[singing]] the written text or [[play]].

==Definition and history==
The word acting is derived from the [[Latin]] word ''agĕre'' meaning "to do", this is precisely what acting is. In acting, an [[actor]] suppresses or augments aspects of their [[Wiktionary:personality|personality]] in order to reveal the actions and motivations of the [[fictional character|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 [[art]]istic satisfaction.
The first [[actor]] is believed to be [[Thespis]] of Icaria, a man of ancient Greece. "Plays" of this time, called choric dithyrambs, involved a chorus of 50 who sang the story to the audience. Thespis stepped out of the chorus and spoke to them as a separate character in the story. Before Thespis, the chorus in all plays would sing in a narrative way, "Dionysus did this, Dionysus said that." When Thespis stepped out from the chorus, he said "I am Dionysus. I did this." And acting was born. This may only be a legend, but in his honor a word was crafted: [[thespian]], meaning any sort of performer but chiefly an actor. The [[International Thespian Society]], a society comparable to a [[Fraternities and sororities|fraternity]] (yet possessing the troop system of the [[Girl Guide and Girl Scout|Girl Scouts]]) for students involved in the arts has also been named in his honor.

Actors are generally expected to possess a number of skills, including good [[vocal]] projection, clarity of [[Speech communication|speech]], physical expressiveness, a good sense of [[perspective (cognitive)|perspective]], emotional availability, a well developed [[imagination]], the ability to analyze and understand dramatic text, and the ability to emulate or generate [[emotion]]al and physical conditions. Well-rounded actors are often also skilled in [[singing]], [[dancing]], emotional expressiveness, imitating [[dialect]]s and [[Accent (language)|accent]]s, [[improvisational theatre|improvisation]], observation and emulation, [[Mime artist|mime]], [[stage combat]], and performing classical texts such as [[William Shakespeare|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.

For history and other details, see [[actor]], [[thespian]], or [[Thespis]].

==Theories==
: ''See also the [[:Category:Acting theorists|Acting theorists category]]''
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*[[Antonin Artaud]]
*[[Eugenio Barba]]
*[[Augusto Boal]]
*[[Anne Bogart]]
*[[Bertolt Brecht]]
*[[Peter Brook]]
*[[Joseph Chaikin]]
*[[Mani Madhava Chakyar]]
*[[Michael Chekhov]]
*[[Jacques Copeau]]
*[[Dario Fo]]
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*[[Jerzy Grotowski]]
*[[Keith Johnstone]]
*[[Joan Littlewood]]
*[[David Mamet]]
*[[Method acting]]: [[Stella Adler]], [[Lee Strasberg]], [[Sanford Meisner]]
*[[Vsevolod Meyerhold]]
*[[Bharata Muni]]
*[[Viola Spolin]]
*[[Włodzimierz Staniewski]]
*[[Constantin Stanislavski]]
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==Professional actors==

{{Main|Actor}}

Not all people working as actors in [[film]], [[television]] or [[theatre]] are [[professional]]ly trained. Chances of succeeding as an [[actor]] are greatly enhanced by studying drama at a university or college, or attending an acting conservatory. Conservatories offer two to three years training on all aspects of acting. Universities will offer three to four year programs, where a student can choose to focus on acting, while still learning about other aspects of theatre. Schools will vary in their approach, but in North America the most popular method taught is the 'inside out' technique, developed by Stanislavski in his early years and popularized in America by Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler. Others may include a more physical approach, following the teachings of Jerzy Grotowski and others. Regardless of a school's approach, students should expect intensive training in textual interpretation, voice and movement. Applications to drama programs and conservatories are through [[Audition (performing arts)|audition]]s in the United States. Anybody over the age of 18 can usually apply to [[drama school]].

''A list of drama schools in Britain, North America and Australia can be found on the [[drama school]] article.''

==Bibliography==
<div class="references-small">
* Brustein, Robert. 2005. ''Letters to a Young Actor'' New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0465008062.
* [[Uta Hagen|Hagen, Uta]]. 1973. ''Respect for Acting''. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 0025473905.
* Hodge, Alison, ed. 2000. ''Twentieth Century Actor Training''. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415194520.
* Marston, Merlin, ed. 1987. ''Sanford Meisner on Acting'' New York: Random House. ISBN 0394750594.
* [[Constantin Stanislavski|Stanislavski, Constantin]]. 1936. ''[[An Actor Prepares]]''. London: Methuen, 1988. ISBN 0413461904.
* Zarrilli, Phillip B., ed. 2002. ''Acting (Re)Considered: A Theoretical and Practical Guide''. Worlds of Performance Ser. 2nd edition. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 041526300X.
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[[Category:Acting| ]]
[[Category:Role-playing]]

[[ar:تمثيل]]
[[ast:Actuación]]
[[es:Actuación]]
[[hi:अभिनय]]
[[he:משחק (אמנות הבמה)]]
[[ja:芝居]]
[[fi:Näytteleminen]]