Role-play, as it is commonly implemented, rarely works well. Role-play is often done using unwilling non-actors and in a haphazard way "hoping that it works out," so the results can vary tremendously. EffectiveArts interactive drama scenes are based on PhD-level design rigor and are implemented by uniquely trained professional actors.

The scenes are carefully crafted to illustrate the learning objectives, and are tightly linked to the surrounding facilitated discussion. The actors are entirely and unshakably real and stay “in character” no matter what happens. Non-actor scene-participants commonly report that they forget that the scene isn’t real, even though they are being observed by two hundred of their peers while interacting with our actors.