Enduring Understanding:
When we speak, we communicate more than just sounds, we communicate ideas. How we present our voice can change the perception of the listener completely. When we are performing, we must learn to control HOW we say something as much as WHAT we say. In this unit, you will learn how your voice functions and some ways in which to use the structure of your physiology to differ the effect of a line. We will discuss projection, annunciation, diction, tone, and dialect. With these basic tools, you will begin to devise how a character can and does form out of how the lines are said as much as what the lines are saying. We will also cover a brief history of Musical theatre and why that is so important to American theatre.
Essential questions: How does your voice make people perceive you? Why? In your opinion, how does someone's volume, tone of voice, or dialect affect your impression of them? How important is the voice in regard to understanding and communication?
Assessments:
1. Participation in exercises in class
2. Participation in critique of others in class and in self reflection
3. Effective use of voice in a scene (dialog and monologue).
4. Understanding of theatre history and its impact on contemporary theatre practice.
Activities:
Activity 1: Watch the videos attached to this unit that review how the instrument of your voice functions both physically and psychologically.
Activity 2: Learn and participate in Vocal warm ups as we attempt to understand how our voices work beyond primary function. Theatre games will be played as well as formal warmups that are the keys to an actor's ability to effectively utilize their instrument.
Activity 3: Understanding projection, annunciation, diction, tone and dialect are essential tools. You will experiment with the first three of these with a group of three improving your skills as you go through basic exercises leading to the performance of a scene.
Activity 4: Utilizing the knowledge from Activity 3, you will memorize a monologue and present it as you think it is written properly, then again so that its message has completely changed using the first three vocal tools.
Activity 5: Learn about the history of American Musical theatre and analyze excerpts from shows to determine which tools the actors are using in their singing to evoke a message.
Activities for Most Student Artists:
Student Artists will participate in all of the activities listed above attentively and with good discipline.
Student Artists practice both in class and at home to prepare their work for critique.
Activities for Some Student Artists:
Student Artists will show appropriate leadership in the classroom concerning exercises and critiques above and beyond expectations.
Student Artists will be well prepared, take criticism and apply it, grow in understanding of the uses of the voice in theatre through extra research.
Content Standards:
TH:Cr1.1.HSI
c. Use script analysis to generate ideas about a character that is believable and authentic in a drama/theatre work.
TH:Cr2.1.HSIII
b. Collaborate as a creative team to discover artistic solutions and make interpretive choices in a devised or scripted drama/theatre work.
TH:Cr3.1.HSI
a. Practice and revise a devised or scripted drama/theatre work using theatrical staging conventions.
b. Explore physical, vocal and physiological choices to develop a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant to a drama/theatre work.
TH:Pr4.1.HSII
a. Discover how unique choices shape believable and sustainable drama/ theatre work.
TH:Pr5.1.HSI
a. Practice various acting techniques to expand skills in a rehearsal or drama/theatre performance.
TH:Re8.1.HSI
a. Analyze and compare artistic choices developed from personal experiences in multiple drama/theatre works.
b. Identify and compare cultural perspectives and contexts that may influence the evaluation of a drama/theatre work.
TH:Re9.1.HSI
a. Examine a drama/ theatre work using supporting evidence and criteria, while considering art forms, history, culture, and other disciplines.
Musical Theatre History
The world within your Voice
Some extra thoughts on the voice in context....
| vocal-exercises.pdf |
