Noun 1. acting - the performance of a part or role in a dramaacting - the performance of a part or role in a drama
performing, playacting, playing
activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity"
personation, portrayal, characterization, enactment - acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture
personation, impersonation - imitating the mannerisms of another person
method acting, method - an acting technique introduced by Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed
dumb show, pantomime, mime - a performance using gestures and body movements without words
byplay, stage business, business - incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect; "his business with the cane was hilarious"
performance - the act of presenting a play or a piece of music or other entertainment; "we congratulated him on his performance at the rehearsal"; "an inspired performance of Mozart's C minor concerto"
skit - a short theatrical episode
hamming, overacting - poor acting by a ham actor
heroics - ostentatious or vainglorious or extravagant or melodramatic conduct; "heroics are for those epic films they make in Hollywood"
reenactment - performing a role in an event that occurred at an earlier time; "the reenactment of the battle of Princeton"
roleplaying - acting a particular role (as in psychotherapy)
performing arts - arts or skills that require public performance
Adj. 1. acting - serving temporarily especially as a substitute; "the acting president"
impermanent, temporary - not permanent; not lasting; "politics is an impermanent factor of life"- James Thurber; "impermanent palm cottages"; "a temperary arrangement"; "temporary housing