Even without training as an actor, how can any theatregoer think about the impact of acting choices on the

meaning of the dramatic event? What are five questions that, although subjective, may help assess the
effectiveness of an actor’s performance?

What will be an ideal response?

ANSWER:Were
actors well cast? Were they believable in their roles?
Were actors listening and responding to each other, or were they acting in their own
world?
When did the audience disengage or lose interest in an actor's performance? What acting
choices accounted for this?
Were the actors audible? Were there lines that were missed because of insufficient
articulation or projection? How did vocal quality affect the experience?
Were the physical characterizations suited to the roles? Were there actors whose
movement or gestures noticeably enhanced or detracted from their performances? In
what ways?
Were some actors more effective than others in conveying their characters' psychological
motivations and needs? What accounted for the difference?
Were the relationships among the characters clear? Were some actors more effective
than others in creating clear and convincing relationships? If so, how and with what
effect?
Were any special skills required of any of the actors? If so, how effectively were they
and what influence did they have on the overall production?