Repetition in vocal characterizations and deviant listening perceptions are two major weaknesses of American acting. That is, voices and diction usually sound the same in everything the actors do, but no one perceives it. One reason listening is so deficient is because of the uninformed or incorrect concepts of those who practice or teach acting. Another shortcoming of American acting is the lack of methodology available for directing or acting in foreign plays in English translation. These shortcomings pertain not only to the academic and professional worlds and those in-between, but to the critical realm as well, such as poorly qualified drama critics. The kind of acting performances that should occur result from good character study. One way performers can avoid repetition and straight acting is to read their lines into a cassette: once as they speak normally, the second time as the unique character of the script. Each playback should sound different. Another approach is for performers to receive training in portraying characters with dialects and/or foreign accents. When performers read a part calling for an accent or dialect and handle it deftly, it helps them not only to get inside the character, but also to seem different. Repetition and sameness should not be treated as being normal and proper, instead they should be viewed as aberrant and corrected. (HOD)