actor.js

var _ = require('underscore')._,
events = require('events');

var Actor = function Actor(object) {
    var postman = new events.EventEmitter(),
    mailbox = [],
    that = this,
    monitor = function monitor() {
        var data = mailbox.shift();
        if (data) {
            _.defer(function () {
                that.act(data);
            });
        }

        _.defer(monitor);
    };

    this.send = function send() {
        var args = _.toArray(arguments),
        data_obj = {
            message: args.shift(),
            context: {
                args: args
            }
        };

        if (_.last(args) instanceof Actor) {
            data_obj.context.sender = args.pop()
        } else if (send.caller.actor && send.caller.actor instanceof Actor) {
            data_obj.context.sender = send.caller.actor;
        }

        postman.emit('message', data_obj);
    };
    this.act = function act(data) {
        this[data.message].apply(this, [data.context]);
    };

    this.spawn = function spawn() {
        return _.clone(this);
    };

    _.extend(this, object);

    _(this).map( function (val, key) {
        if (_.isFunction(val)) {
            val.actor = that;
        }
    });

    postman.on('message', function (data) {
        mailbox.push(data);
    });

    _.defer(monitor);

    return this;
};

var pinger = new Actor({

    ping: function ping(context) {
        console.log('Got ping!');
        context.sender.send('pong', context.args);
    }
});


var plop = {

    pong: function pong(context) {
        console.log('Got %s', context.args.toString());
        context.sender.send('ping', context.args);
    }
};

_.range(0,100).map( function (i) {
    var actor = new Actor(plop);
    _.delay(function () {
        actor.send('pong', i, pinger);
    }, (i * 5));
    return actor;
});