Actors and Acting

Have you ever pretended to be a superhero. Whoosh. You can fly super fast. Have you ever pretended to be a little kitten. Meow. You can curl up in a warm, sunny spot. That wonderful feeling of make-believe is me. I am the fun you have when you play dress-up and become someone new. I am your imagination coming to life. I am the magic of storytelling, and I help you pretend to be anything you want. I am a big, wonderful game that everyone can play. I love to help you tell stories with your body and your voice. It is so much fun to be someone else for a little while.

I have been around for a long, long time. So long ago, in a sunny place called Greece, people loved to sing stories together. They would dance and sing in big, happy groups. Then one day, a man named Thespis had a brilliant idea. Around the 6th century BCE, he decided to step out from the group and pretend to be a character all by himself. He talked like someone else and moved like someone else. He was the very first actor. Everyone loved it so much. They built big, round places called theaters so everyone could watch. The actors wore special masks with big happy smiles or big sad frowns to show everyone how they were feeling. It was a beautiful new way to share stories.

Guess what. I am still here today. I am everywhere you look. I am in the fun cartoons you watch on a screen. I am in the happy shows you might see at school. Most of all, I am with you every single time you play make-believe with your toys and your friends. I help people share big feelings, like being happy or brave. I help them tell exciting stories about dragons and faraway places. My name is Acting, and I am here to help you explore amazing new worlds. So go ahead, pretend to be a brave astronaut or a silly clown. I will be right there with you, playing along. Let's play together.