Michael Kirby

On Acting and Non Acting

'Acting means to feign, to simulate, to represent, to impersonate. As happenings demonstrated, not all performing is acting.' (Kirby, 1972. p3)

This opening quote from Kirbys' On Acting and Non Acting best sums up the meaning of performance. Although the question of 'What is Performance' isn't answered the statement its self is very true. Not all performing is acting, which means that there may just be a clear definition of what performance is. Kirby was interested in the theory of performance as well as performing himself. Kirby almost found a way to depict what was performance and what was art.

Many would argue that art is performance and some disagree. The individual interpretation of what performance is will differ between ages, culture, personal preference, and social background. However Kirby placed a basis on how to tell what was acting and not acting. 'Where the performer does nothing to feign, simulate, impersonate' (Kirby, 1972. p3) So not acting means the performer was themselves and had no means or intention to be someone/something different or in a different place. Hence this is not acting if we were to follow the basic difference that Kirby pointed out.

As described in a previous blog Kirby had 5 main stages of acting that he wrote about in his written works.
These are commonly known as:
- Non-Matrixed Performing
- Non-Matrixed Representation
- Received Acting
- Simple Acting
- Complex Acting

These stages meant that one could follow the basic steps and find out what a performance was and where it fell on the Acting/Not acting continuum. This allowed people to discover for themselves what individual 'Performances' were.