According to the author, what is just as crucial as melody and tonality to the development of an actor's total instrument?
Explanation
This question highlights the importance the author places on the receptive aspect of the auditory sense. For an actor's 'instrument' to be fully developed, it's not enough to speak well; they must also be able to perceive the subtle, nuanced information in what they hear.
Other questions
What does the author identify as a great danger for most people regarding their five senses?
According to the text, what two qualities deaden and slaughter the senses, leading an actor to play alone and meaninglessly?
What is the primary lesson intended by the story of John and Lionel Barrymore, where John used musk oil on his brother's costume?
When an actor on stage drinks colored water instead of real liquor, what must they do to make the action believable?
According to the text, why would an actor likely use an apple or a potato instead of a real onion for a scene involving chopping?
What does the author suggest makes the difference between a fine actor and a hack in terms of their auditory sense?
What is described as a common technical error that actors make when trying to listen on stage?
To receive words correctly on stage, what must an actor listen for, according to the chapter?
The text states, 'We also “listen” with our eyes.' What does this concept mean in the context of acting?
What is the author's critique of an actor who fixes their partner endlessly with 'eye contact' during a scene?
What is the stated reason for not recommending the use of an 'outer reality,' such as the musk oil in the Barrymore story, as a primary technique?
Beyond being a mechanical social expression, what other sensory qualities of a simple handshake does the author encourage an actor to explore?
What does the text say an actor must do to achieve maximum visual and auditory receiving?
What does the author claim is the direct result of simulated looking and listening?
What is the ultimate goal the author advises for an actor regarding their five senses at the conclusion of the chapter?
In the author's view, where does true acting talent lie?
What is the consequence of an actor endowing an apple with the properties of an onion on stage?
What determines whether the words 'You’re full of baloney!' are received as infuriating or amusing?
In real-life conversation, why do we look intermittently at the person we are talking to?
What does the author state is the key difference between how we hear in real life versus how an actor should listen on stage?
What does the author suggest can happen if an actor truly sees a delicate white birch or a giant redwood tree?
The text states that listening and looking are not mechanical processes but are linked to what?
According to the author, what is the initial reaction in America to the inability of people to communicate and touch?
What must an actor be alert to in order to endow a potato with the elements of an onion?
How does full human contact, as described in the chapter, relate to an actor's potential?
What does the author suggest an actor must do to endow a slug of colored water with the properties of liquor?
Why does the author suggest that the smell of sizzling bacon can produce a feeling of well-being?
What does the author propose is the result of what she calls the 'real taking-in visually of a human being'?
The author states that in real life 'we don’t hear everything that is being said to us.' What does she say we do with the information we do hear?
What does the author suggest might happen if you force yourself to maintain eye contact while telling someone about a recent event?
What determines whether a person can be called an artist, according to the chapter's discussion of sensitivity?
The chapter mentions an 'amusing story' about John and Lionel Barrymore. What sense was central to this story?
Besides liquor, what other item does the author say is not only important but must be fully explored in terms of taste on stage?
What does the author suggest about the development of the five senses in most people?
In the text, what is the 'secondary focus' of an actor during a conversation?
What does the author suggest an actor should do because of the 'enormous importance of the five senses'?
What is the reason given for why full human contact employs all the senses?
How can the scent of cologne or soap affect a person, according to the examples in the text?
To endow a substitute object for a lemon on stage, what does the actor need to have?
What kind of awareness should an actor begin to develop regarding texture?
How does the author describe the power of visual contact with nature, such as a wave breaking on the shore?
What common mistake regarding listening does an actor make in the 'mistaken notion that concentration on each word alone will allow him to hear better'?
When an actor listens on stage, from where should the words derive their meaning?
How are looking and listening described in relation to an actor's needs?
What final two pieces of advice does the author give in the last paragraph of the chapter?
In the author's opening statement, what is the 'daily hue and cry' about?
What does the author believe happens when an actor's vanity 'slaughters' their senses?
How many senses does the author imply must be developed for an actor to reach their full potential?
What does the author claim is the result of awakening a dormant sense through daily concentrated attention?