The fact that the performers themselves shoulder the director's role differentiates quyi from most stage performances. For instance, for a cross talk piece, the performer must act according to the structure of the story, and the arrangement of the acts, scenery, and setting in order to portray the feeling, tone, and other nuances of the roles.

The artist has to know how to act according to the needs of the narrative and the emotional expressions, and to judge what is the most effective way of communicating with the audience. Artists taking on all the overall planning and direction can produce some enchanting pieces.

Fourth, as quyi arts take speech and singing as the major mediums, the artists have to stimulate the audiences' aural senses with their words and songs, to inspire them to conjure up images.

Their artistic creations are completed by the participation of the audiences' imaginations. Shows can be performed on any piece of open ground, so the imaginations of the audience are not restricted by a narrow stage, while the contents of the stories and songs enjoy a wider freedom of time and space.

To expand the imaginations of the audience to the artistic scope created by their recitations and songs, the quyi artists need a clearer and more meticulous understanding of the audience's reactions. Thus they enjoy a more intimate relationship with the audience compared with other types of stage performance.

Finally, to give a beautiful artistic impression and create a sense of intimacy with the audience, the artists must have strong skills in speaking, acting, and singing, as well as outstanding powers of imitation.

Storytellers must be able to relate lifelike and lively portrayals of peoples' anger, sorrow, and joy. These solid skills are acquired from their observation and experience of real life, as well as their analysis, research, and knowledge of history. This last point is particularly important for a quyi artist.

The artistic characteristics of the several hundred types of quyi are quite similar in some respects, but in addition to their common features, each of them has its own special feature and exists independently. Also, individually, the artists have enough special skills to create their own school. Even if they belong to the same school, each of them will have their specific style, which constantly injects vigor into the art of quyi.