Acting: An Introduction to the Art and Craft of Playing discusses both the theory and practice of acting while placing the actor center stage as the crucial artist in the theatre. This book examines the underlying issues of acting and describes potential approaches to meet these challenges. Practical, experiential examples of applying the vocabulary are provided, but the book is not overloaded with exercises. The book identifies and clearly states the four fundamental actions and four basic tasks that form the basis for acting, focusing the student's energy for playing physically, vocally, imaginatively, and emotionally. Topically organized chapters examine the underlying processes and theories of the acting process through an open and descriptive approach and provide clear and concrete exercises to facilitate student development and understanding.