In real life people take time to process feelings and information, but on stage these reaction times are speeded up. In comedies, and especially farce, the exaggeration of character is so extreme as to be a source of humor itself. Characters as Roles A word needs to be said about the relationship of actors to roles in general. Terms like ingenue or leading man may be applied either to the role as written, or to an actor who appears to naturally fit such a part. Actors are said to have a type or range .
Type is a category of person as defined by such factors as sex, age, occupation, and personality.
Range is the degree of character variation that an actor is capable of playing believably. For instance, a seventeen year-old actress with a mature face may be able to play an age range of from 18 to 30, whereas her shorter babyfaced colleague of the same age may be stuck playing adolescents from 13 to 15. Range can also apply to type. Some actors can play both heroes and villains, red-necks and sophisticates with ease. As a general rule, the stage allows for greater range since the actor is seen from a greater distance, whereas the close-up media of film and television require actors to be closer in age and type to the roles they play.