Presentational and representational acting

Acting can be of two types: presentational and representational.

Presentational acting is like playing a character on a stage where the actors perform in front of an audience. This type of acting is focused on conveying the emotions and intentions of the character in a way that reaches the audience. It involves exaggerated gestures, facial expressions, and voice modulation to make the performance more engaging.

Representational acting is like acting for movies or television, where actors perform in front of a camera, and their acting is recorded for viewers to see later. In this type of acting, the focus is on portraying the character in a more naturalistic and realistic manner. The actors need to be subtle and realistic in their portrayal of emotions and intentions because the camera is up close and can catch even the smallest expressions.

In summary, presentational acting requires actors to exaggerate their expressions and emotions while performing on stage, while representational acting is more subtle and realistic for films and television.