In Western theatre it is generally accepted that actors should be sincere and believable in their delivery of the text. These qualities transform the writer's words into effective instruments of drama by bringing power to their meanings and consequence to their intentions.
But sincerity and believability are not quite enough. Words don't just appeal to our moral and intellectual natures. They also appeal to our senses. Words are not just the dull, hard working, civil servants of meanings and intentions. They also have an independent life, born of their own musicality. There is a pleasure to be found in the spoken word that has little to do with meaning. It is hard-wired into our biology and begins with the baby's babbling. It extends to the visceral pleasures of rhyme and rap.
The task for the actor is to convey both meaning and musicality to the audience in such a way that each amplifies the other. To achieve this an actor
must learn to combine sincerity and believability with a broad and playful range of vocal expression.
