Article’s

Acting is a cornerstone of dramatic art in theatre, film, and other performance media, yet the ways in which actors approach their craft vary significantly across cultural and regional traditions. This paper explores how different regions of the world deploy distinct acting types and techniques, shaped by historical, cultural, and aesthetic traditions; societally embedded performance conventions; media (theater vs film vs television); and the evolving global interchange of ideas. In particular, the paper investigates classical and contemporary traditions in Western, South Asian (especially Indian) and African/West African contexts showing how each region has developed unique forms of actor training, performance style, audience expectation, and narrative structure. Drawing from key theoretical frameworks (for instance, the Naṭya Sastra of ancient India), the research outlines how acting is conceived not merely as imitation or representation but as a creative process involving mind, body, and cultural signifiers. The study identifies major forms of acting (e.g., realist, stylized, presentational) and traces how they manifest regionally: for example, in Indian classical theatre the modes of Angika (gesture), Vachika (voice), Aharya (costume), and Sattvika (inner emotion) are formalized; in Western modern film acting the legacy of the Konstantin Stanislavski “system” / method acting emphasizes psychological realism; and in African film and theatre particular linguistic, gestural, and communal performance traditions persist while adapting to modern media. The paper argues that understanding region-specific acting types enhances our appreciation of the actor’s craft and deepens cross-cultural insights into performance. Furthermore, in the globalized era there is a blending of techniques Indian film actors adopting American-style method acting, for example but the regional roots remain influential. The paper concludes with reflections on how acting training and performance will continue to diversify in the 21st century as digital media, global audiences, and hybrid performance forms further transform what it means to act.