So Acting?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Kromm

I chose it because it's one of the three official go-to skills for developing a persona: Acting, Disguise, and Mimicry (Speech). Performance is great when you're reading for a part, but most roleplayers I know don't script their dialog . . . they come up with it on the spur of the moment, and they usually do so by imagining what their persona would say.

I thought I understood that Performance included all acting for non-deceptive purposes and Acting was long-form deception. Is scripted versus improvisational acting at all relevant to this disctinction (as recently stated by Kromm)?

Which skill applies to:
Scripted theater?
Improvisational theater?
Improv in-the-round?
Planned improv?
Improvisational deception (such as when interacting day-to-day in a cover identity)?
Scripted deception (perhaps a political body-double making a public appearance)?
Planned improvisational deception (many long cons with standard patter)?

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I thought I understood that Performance included all acting for non-deceptive purposes and Acting was long-form deception. Is scripted versus improvisational acting at all relevant to this disctinction (as recently stated by Kromm)?

Which skill applies to:

Scripted theater?

Performance, hands down.

Improvisational theater?

I would state this is still Performance. Our one drama club coach had us do an improv to better get into character for our roles back in HS.

Improv in-the-round?

If this is akin to "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?", I'd probably say Performance for this. If not, not sure. Expand on what you mean by this, please?

Planned improv?

Expand on what you mean by this? Because I'm not sure what you mean by the term, and many folks may take it in a way you don't.

Improvisational deception (such as when interacting day-to-day in a cover identity)?

This is pretty much the meat of the Acting skill, IMO.

Scripted deception (perhaps a political body-double making a public appearance)?

Hard to say. I'd probably go with Acting with a dose of either Performance or Public Speaking as complementary skills.

Planned improvisational deception (many long cons with standard patter)?

Acting, hands down.

The overlap would be the body double or whatever it is you mean by "planned improv".

[Culture20]

Given that the only times “Acting” is applicable are when deception is involved, it really should be named “Deception”, “Lying”, “Con”, or “Bluff”.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

If this is akin to "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?", I'd probably say Performance for this. If not, not sure. Expand on what you mean by this, please?

Performances with no stage and no audience/performer seperation: flash improvisation, interactive character performance, Renaissance Faire actors and theme characters, even theme characters at Disneyland.

Expand on what you mean by this? Because I'm not sure what you mean by the term, and many folks may take it in a way you don't.

My usage, as I learned it, is typically improvisation with beats. Like if I need to get a character from point A to point B but otherwise don't have a script. Three act improvisation is a common form.

EDIT: Note that none of these directly involve "reading for a part" for all or part of the performance (much like playing a character in an RPG).

[Mr_Sandman]

The way I understand it, it depends on the intent. If the purpose is to entertain an audience, then use performance. If the purpose is to make someone actually believe that you are someone you aren't or are feeling emotions that you really aren't, then use acting.

The only time I can think of when this might not be clear is some kind of performance art where deceiving the audience is part of the act -- making them think something is actually happening that is really just part of the performance.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Culture20

Given that the only times “Acting” is applicable are when deception is involved, it really should be named “Deception”, “Lying”, “Con”, or “Bluff”.

That is what I previously thought, but playing a character in a game isn't, I think, meaningfully "deceptive". Hence my current confusion.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Mr_Sandman

The way I understand it, it depends on the intent. If the purpose is to entertain an audience, then use performance. If the purpose is to make someone actually believe that you are someone you aren't or are feeling emotions that you really aren't, then use acting.

The only time I can think of when this might not be clear is some kind of performance art where deceiving the audience is part of the act -- making them think something is actually happening that is really just part of the performance.

I don't see how this makes sense in context. Nobody believes you are a 12th level Dwarven Wizard named Glorthar The Perceptive and I doubt most people want to make people believe that either.

[Mr_Sandman]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I don't see how this makes sense in context. Nobody believes you are a 12th level Dwarven Wizard named Glorthar The Perceptive and I doubt most people want to make people believe that either.

My choice would have been to go with performance over acting for roleplaying. It seems much closer to improv. When you speak in character in an RPG, you are much more trying to be entertaining to the audience (the other's in your group) than you are trying to convince them your persona is real.

[Flyndaran]

Performance at minus X that can be bought up as a Technique, I'd suggest.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Mr_Sandman

My choice would have been to go with performance over acting for roleplaying. It seems much closer to improv. When you speak in character in an RPG, you are much more trying to be entertaining to the audience (the other's in your group) than you are trying to convince them your persona is real.

Yes, that would have been my assumption up until now. Hence my confusion.