Acting is the work of an actor or actress is a person in
theatre, television, 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, emotional expressiveness, 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.
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