ABSTRACT
Acting is defined as anything an actor does on stage in this book. The three primary means of presentation on a Ming stage, namely singing, dancing and role-playing, receive special attention. In modern practice, acting is considered to be an art largely separated from singing and dancing. This perception, however, would have been inconceivable to a Ming audience. Acting without singing and dancing, especially in its realistic mode, would have been deemed clowning that failed to generate laughter.
