THEA 226
Voice and Speech for the Performer
THEA 226. Voice and Speech for the Performer
Credit Hours (3).
Prerequisites: Theatre majors: THEA 225, Acting II; or permission of instructor.
This course raises the student performer’s awareness of the intricacies of vocal production and elements of speech in preparation for speaking text.
This course will focus on the physiological as well as mental processes of vocal production as well as the basic elements of articulating voice into speech through kinesthetic work and study of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
a. Content:
Linklater approach: breathing, relaxation and alignment/ Anatomy/ IPA/ Berry approach to text/ Classical text
The majority of class time is devoted to the kinesthetic awareness work interspersed with lectures on anatomy and physiology. Some viewing video recordings of the vocal mechanism. Other lecture is devoted to scansion of verse text and techniques of analyzing classical text for performance. IPA drills.
1. For students to gain understanding of how the voice actually works.
2. To use this understanding to explore the expressive range of their own vocal instrument.
3. To gain a knowledge of IPA for application to dialects, accent reduction and unfamiliar words.
4. To acquire the rudiments of approaching elevated text.
5. To develop a vocal warm-up for use in rehearsal and performance preparation.
The kinesthetic work will be supervised by instructor trained in the Linklater approach. Students will be tested on elements of speech, IPA, and classical text. The students will also keep a journal record of their experience and progress.
Students will put skills into practice by rehearsing and performing sonnets and classical monologues.
Date Action Approved by
September 2005