3.00 Credits
Voice and Movement is designed to introduce students to major vocal and movement techniques and practices used by professionals such as actors to maximize their effectiveness as public speakers and to create vibrant, multi-faceted characters for stage and film. This course teaches the inner workings of the human voice and the processes of articulation used to speak and pronounce sounds, and will emphasize the effective use of such techniques as proper breathing, stress, inflection, vocal quality, focus, rate of speech and pace, and others. Students will also learn various movement techniques such as gesture, mime, Alexander technique, Viewpoints, and the Suzuki method. The class will investigate the body/voice connection, and how these techniques work together in public speaking and in the creation of a stage or film character. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: Describe the physical actions and anatomical parts of the body used to produce sound and speech; Demonstrate in performance a knowledge of the different styles and methods of physical movement used in the art of speaking and acting; Apply tools and concepts learned to create an effective public speaking voice; Analyze a script or speech to identify rhetorical devices and rhythms of speech; Create a physical and vocal description of a theatrical character based on analysis of a script; Apply methods and techniques learned to manipulate the voice and physicality of the body in the creation and performance of a theatrical character; Work within a group and demonstrate an awareness of ensemble dynamics and cooperation.
Prerequisite:
(ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099* or REA 075 or Appropriate Placement Test Scores (*Course(s) May Be Taken Concurrently)