Table Top Acting

The performer stands behind a podium. Its a small podium, and three others stand alongside. Where do the role playing gamers differ from actors at this point?
Actors have scripts. But we must first regard the actor and then subtract from the actor something more essential, but nonetheless connected to acting: improvisation.
Improvisation is a tool to induce stronger choices, under scrutiny.
It is accomplished by way of a arena wherein, one can do no wrong. In fact, the wrong answer may well be pursued.
Inhibition...is the anathema of first establishing good stage performances. It is the necessary first step to learn this expectation.
Many younger students suffer due to the proximity and environment of their age imposing too much ambiguity and therefore doubt.
Improvisation proves to provide a stronger platform from which people can express themselves in manners most honest.
This does not solve any question of the human condition, even though a unique slip of the tongue, or any other humor, is sought.
It does cause a change in perspective towards a greater understanding, which is the a feature of education...specifically, edification.
Many actors do not use improvisation to improve a performance. There are actors who are bad at improv, but excellent in performance anyway. An actor need learn lines first and foremost.
Actors who are writers too, make better improvisers.
On the other hand, those who would stand before the game show podium and improvise, the table top role playing gamers, by and large, are oblivious to these basis's of acting.
Role playing gamers do not learn lines. Role playing gamers are playing "characters", but the actual suspension of disbelief is that the "characters" they are playing are really characters, and not just a differential of numbers modifying functions. They are playing in sets, and they do have dialogue, and there is morality and moments of moral reflection before acting...yet most of what table top role playing gamers do is apply numbers to odds based on expresses of intentions, and not actually having the language of doing...due to the risk of "character death".
This avoidance of the so called characters death is a source of slapstick, shadenfraude and jokes.

TTRPG gamers go out of character at will. Dialogue is much for difficult unscripted and so that pressure, of specifically acting under enormous pressure to invent the script in situ, dominates the playing of the character.
An experienced improvisor also has this pressure, but they have adjusted.
In this regard, role playing gamers act sometimes, but more often not, because it becomes an expenditure of energy equivalent to not just work, but performance, they go back into self narration of intentions, which is not particularly interesting.
If a player was to stay in character, in voice, and participate to a high degree...one can expect a burnout in energy even among the very virile and energetic, within 20 minutes.

Improvisation is impulsive. Being that impulsive and yet focused and inventive...while playing a game where you can be eliminated from play, is stressful. Or, just the expenditure of voltage being greater, the energy lost sooner.

But this is ameloriated in performance by fellow improvisors AND, most important, a consistency in setting and play that is NOT available in improvisational performances.
It is a happy median.

But why then subject yourself to role playing in a world other than this one, if you are not acting?

Gaming brings back the risk to the world. In acting, the risk is making a mistake, which requires rehearsals.
Game playing is partly rehearsal as well. Most of the discussion is termed in questions about the world, what "we the team" should do, what would happen if I do this, and pedestrian role playing game talk.
This baseline, which is not totally worthless, can be worked against by a GM restricting passive voice, and a ongoing score creating a carrot towards performance of the streamlining via public peformance.

Most of the game is an exercise in rhetorical activity of utter inconsequence.
Yet, as explained in greater detail previously, the evil character can be played in greater evil, deciding even to kill the other players while not being seen as their murderers. This is actually harmless game show, so this is possible.

But beyond the more fascinating opportunity to explore evil content-wsie, the best way to make such a game interesting to the outside is to add some Game Show brevity, and formalize the process of the game.
Furthermore, while the game attracts millions of fans who devoutly play it, these are not hidden actors who have been inhibited...they are more interested in such things as design, illustration, action and game play, and other creative pursuits...not to mention just hanging out and killing time in a socially interactive way...like a talk show or a reality show.

In this sense it is a Reality Show. Our personal lives leak in, where, most likely, there is little real interest in them.

Showcasing role playing games as acting, or bringing the actors of both arenas, the Table Top Publishers to Game Show audiences...this is the process really. It requires exploratory work.

There are not that many TTRPGr's who also double as Actors, but playing the game well, and often playing a well rehearsed or talented Character, in voice or not, this are entertaining to outsiders wherein, a great deal of these other personal aspects that have nothing to do with Theater are excised in the Game Show formatting.