Acting is the impulse underneath the words, which makes them urgently need be spoken aloud (or sung). The text is a map to the “buried treasure” of a character’s actions and behavior. As the late, great acting teacher Ed Kovens always said, “If acting were about the words, it would be called Wording!” Acting starts with relaxation and concentration and involves a progression: you have to understand the scene (analysis), find the meaning or message (interpretation) and then honestly express it (communication) from your character’s point of view. Acting truthfully requires that you access the part of yourself that corresponds to the character’s situation, so it is NOT “pretending” – but it’s not literal reality, either! Acting technique and scene study incorporate all of this, and much more.