Chewing up scenery is a phrase that refers to an actor's over-exaggerated and theatrical performance that overshadows everything else. Some synonymous terms for this phrase are hamming it up, scene-stealing, overacting, or scenery-chewing. These phrases describe the same behaviour in different ways, but the essence is the same - an actor who dominates the stage, either intentionally or unintentionally. When an actor chews up scenery, it can detract from the other actors' performances and compromise the overall production quality. Therefore, it is important for actors to avoid this habit and maintain balance with their co-stars and the overall performance.