ABSTRACT
The actor’s successful existence depends on the numbers and enthusiasm of his audience, wherever they may be. Just as the growth of the film industry was at first catastrophic for the legitimate theatre, so this latest and even more powerful rival is dealing both theatre and cinema a further crippling blow. A theatre training has always been deemed essential to the actor regardless of what other fields he may choose to specialize in later. Both stage and television actors must be able to memorize easily and accurately. Stage and television actors must be able to sustain long and demanding parts both mentally and emotionally. To sustain a long part in a television production is a very different matter from performing the same part in the theatre. Both film and television actors must be able to convey thought and emotion with a minimum of facial expression.
