UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
DEPARTMENT OF THEATER ARTS AND DANCE
UMN/GUTHRIE THEATER B.F.A. ACTOR TRAINING PROGRAM
SOPHOMORE VOICE AND SPEECH
THEATRE 2396, SPRING 2009
Elisa Carlson, Instructor
(612) 625-6867 (office)
(678) 358-8772 (cell)
Email: elisac@guthrietheater.org
Class Blog: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/hurtl002/myblog/
January 19 through April 29
Rarig Center Room 10
Tuesdays: 4 -6:30 pm, Thursday: 3:30-6:00 pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course furthers training in voice and speech work for the actor. Students will practice exercises for centering the breath and body, locating and releasing tension, exploring pitch, tone and range, working towards a free and well-placed voice. Students will review the International Phonetic Alphabet and practice the sounds of good American speech for classic plays with a particular emphasis on the full embodiment of Greek texts and exploration of classic plays in translation. In the second half of the semester students will study Stage Dialects and Accents, finishing with a modern or contemporary dialect scene of the student's choice. Good Speech for modern and contemporary plays will be explored with dialect work.
Recommended texts for this class are Patsy Rodenburg's The Need for Words, Edith Skinner's Speak With Distinction and Jerry Blunt's Stage Dialects but only the Skinner book is required.
ATTENDANCE
This course is governed by Attendance and Promptness policy described in the document: BFA Standards for Evaluation. In it you can find the effect attendance and lateness have on the grade for this course. If you do not have a copy of this document, please ask the BFA Office.
Instructor will see students outside of class by appointment only.
EVALUATION / GRADING CRITERIA
Evaluation and grading is based on the following:
-- Progress and promise shown in exercises and informal class presentations.
-- Participation and attitude.
-- Presentation of scenes and performance projects, written quizzes,
transcriptions of text.
In addition, all policies and guidelines for the BFA Core govern this course.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1
1/19: Greetings, Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work, review of points of good speech for classic plays; Intro to Suzuki work, assign Sit In Solemn Silence and O Splendor for memorization or review. Modern or Contemporary Dialect/Accent scene discussed and assigned with choice deadline
1/21: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; work with Spanish and German classic texts, Suzuki, assign Trojan Women scene for memorization.
Week 2
1/26: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; work with classic texts in translation; Suzuki.
1/28: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; work with points of good speech for Greek plays, Suzuki work with Trojan Women scene.
Week 3
2/2: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; work with Greek text/points, Suzuki work with Trojan Women scene. Assign Greek monologues for memorization and transcription: Men, text from Prometheus Bound. Women, text from Electra.
2/4: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; work with Greek text/points, Suzuki work with TrojanWomen scene.
Week 4
2/9: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; Greek text/points work with monologues. Suzuki.
2/11: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; Greek text/points work with monologues. Suzuki.
Week 5
2/16: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; Greek text/points work with monologues. Suzuki.
2/18: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work; Greek text/points work with monologues. Suzuki.
Week 6:
2/23: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work, Greek text/points work with monologues. Suzuki.
2/25: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work, Greek text/points work with monologues. Suzuki.
Week 7:
3/2: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work, Greek text/points work with monologues. Suzuki.
3/4: Breath/Voice exercises, IPA/speech work, Suzuki. Greek monologues presented for grading, transcriptions due.
.
Week 8:
3/9: Breath/Voice exercises, RP dialect and transcription review. Modern or Contemporary Dialect/Accent scene of student's choice declared for presentation on final class. Please review and practice RP dialect over break.
3/11 Elisa will be out of town. Steve or other faculty to teach during this time.
SPRING BREAK
Week 9
3/23: Good speech for modern and contemporary plays introduced. Work with Shaw scenes in RP. Intro: Modern British dialects.
3/25: Good speech for modern and contemporary plays explored: Beckett and Pinter. Intro to Irish dialect. Irish dialect practice at home assigned.
Week 10:
3/30: Good speech for modern and contemporary plays explored: Irish playwrights. Intro to South African dialect. SA dialect practice at home assigned.
4/1: Good speech for modern and contemporary plays explored: Athol Fugard.
Intro to American Southern dialect. AS dialect practice at home assigned.
Week 11:
4/6: Good speech for modern and contemporary plays explored: Tennessee Williams and August Wilson. Intro to Chicago dialects. Practice assigned.
4/8: Good speech for modern and contemporary plays explored: David Mamet.
Intro to Accents: German transcription assigned.
Week 12:
4/13: Good speech for modern and contemporary plays: Arthur Miller
Intro to accents: Spanish transcription assigned.
4/15: Good speech for contemporary/dialects plays: Edward Albee.
Intro to accents: Trini transcription assigned.
Week 13:
4/20: Work student-chosen dialect/accent scenes and transcriptions.
4/22: Work student-chosen dialect/accent scenes and transcriptions.
Week 14:
4/27: Work student-chosen dialect/accent scenes and transcriptions.
4/29: Present contemporary dialect/accent scenes (invited audience) and turn in transcriptions and commentary. Course and year in review.
This schedule is subject to change at any time, with students receiving advance notice
of any changes whenever possible and important.
ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:
Students will complete Points of Good Speech for Classic Plays transcription for their
roles/s in the Shakespeare Project, and work from this transcription in rehearsal. Legible
transcription of role/s to be turned into Elisa after the projects close, by 4/29.
Students will receive a grade for the use of the Points of Good Speech in their
Shakespeare Project performances seen by Elisa.
Grading:
Greek Monologue Performance/Transcription: 1/4
Dialect Scene Performance/Transcription: 1/4
Shakespeare Project Performance/Transcription: 1/4
Singing Grade from Andrew: 1/4
