PROJECT – ARTICULATE – BREATHE

The voice is a vital tool for speaking actors. To succeed, actors must be heard and understood, so focusing on vocal projection and articulation is critical. It may take time to master these techniques, but it is possible with regular practice.

To keep your voice healthy, be sure to warm up before doing any strenuous vocal work. If something you are doing while vocalizing hurts, then stop because it is probably doing damage. Take a break, check your body, breathe, warm up again if needed and see if it feels better.

Hydration is also essential to maintaining a healthy voice. Drink plenty of water, but avoid milk and alcohol when you are about to rehearse, perform or use your voice for long periods.

•  Vocal projection means speaking to be heard, while articulation and enunciation refer to speaking clearly.
• An audience is more likely to connect with an audible and comprehensible performance.
• Warming up the body and the breath is essential for preparing the voice.
• Tension in the body can affect the quality of the voice.
• To find your resonance, use vocal warm-ups and practice projection by sending your voice across rooms of varying sizes.
• Articulation refers to physically producing words, while diction and enunciation refer to how you speak them.
• The body and breath are your foundation for healthy vocal projection, articulation and diction.

  TONGUE TWISTERS TO HELP

When one sly snake slid down the slide, the other sly snake slid up.

When one pink porpoise popped up the pole, the other pink porpoise popped down.

When one black bug bled blue-black blood, the other black bug bled blue.

——

Theophilus Thiffle, the successful thistle sifter

In sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles

Thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb

If Theophilus Thiffle, the successful thistle sifter

In sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles

Thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb

Try thou not, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles

To thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of thy thumb

——

Betty Botta bought some butter;

“But,” said she, “this butter’s bitter!

If I put it in my batter

It will make my batter bitter.

But a bit o’ better butter

Will but make my batter better.”

Then she bought a bit o’ butter

Better than the bitter butter,

Made her bitter batter better.

So ’twas better Betty Botta

Bought a bit o’ better butter.

 

        LINE Memorization

Everyone struggles at times with memorizing your lines.  Getting together with cast members outside of rehearsal is fun – meet for coffee somewhere and converse!

Another Option is to download an app for your phone.  Apple has RUN LINES WITH ME.

Android users can get SCRIPT REHEARSER  & LineLearn SelfTape/Teleprompt – Both on the Google Play store.

I have not personally used either app, but I read many positive reviews online – these are good options without having to pay a subscription fee.

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Creating a Character

Read the script multiple times – this is the foundation to of your character 

• What the stage directions say about your character
• Your character’s lines – what they say about you
• Pay close attention to your character’s relationships with other characters
• Look for clues that reveal your character’s traits, background, and motivations
• Does your character go through a transformational arc – their emotional/psychological development. Find the moments in the script where these happen so you can consistently portray those changes near the same time every performance 

Do your research – these details will help shape your character’s behavior

• What year and where is the play set – If a period piece, what is dominating the news 
• What is the economical status of your character and why/how would that effect the way they interact with the other characters

Using your imagination to fill in the gaps that are not mentioned in the script…

• What age is your character, sexual orientation, religious beliefs
• Does your character have a job
• Do they have physical or emotional impediments 
• What drives them
• What were their parents like, family life
• What animal/object traits are similar to your character 

Physicality and voice qualities – The way a character speaks and uses their body reveals their personality this helps the audience understand them without relying on dialogue

• Experiment with posture, movement, and gestures 
• Do they have any distinctive physical traits/handicaps? 
• Develop a unique voice for your character – regional accents or a speech impediment
• Experiment with the pitch, tone, or pace of your speech

The importance of rehearsals

• Have a discussion with your director – let him/her know you will be experimenting and would appreciate their feedback.
• Work on physicality and voices at home as you learn your lines – then try the most successful at rehearsals
• Collaboration with your fellow actors – as they develop their characters, does that change what you have been working on
• Use your make-up design, costumes and props to congeal your choices

Preparing for a performance 

• Think of one or a few words, or animal that encapsulates your character
• Just before you go on, find a space where your alone. Breathe deeply and think about those words (or animal, etc.) 
• Use sense memories when you have an especially emotional scene

Final thoughts

• Creating a compelling character is an art that requires careful crafting, learning and attention to detail.
• Be willing to take risks – the more you invest in your craft, the richer your characters will become
• Authenticity is key. Stay true to the character you have developed, while also allowing room for growth and spontaneity during each performance. Trust your instincts and let your character evolve organically on stage.

Character development different when cast in a comedy or drama?

Emotional memory is when the actor finds a real past experience where they felt a similar emotion to that demanded by the role they are playing. They then ‘borrow’ those feelings to bring the role to life.

“Emotional recall” is the basis for method acting. 

“Sense memory” is used to refer to the recall of physical sensations surrounding emotional events (instead of the emotions themselves) through a structured process based on a series of exercises.

Sensory memory is a mental representation of how environmental events look, sound, feel, smell and taste.