Voice: Expression Besides speaking loudly and clearly on stage, one must speak with expression.

Factors in Speaking w/Expression Pitch Volume Quality Phrasing Tempo

Pitch How high or low your voice is Basic emotional responses are normally associated with certain pitch levels Low pitch=generally associated with deep emotional states (awe, sorrow, sincerity) High pitch= heightened emotional state (fear, terror, anger, rage, excitement, hysteria)

Pitch Use inflection in pitch to change meaning Really = question Really = boredom, statement of understanding Exercise: A: Tom fell down and injured his leg B: Oh

Volume How loud or soft your voice is How could volume be a factor in expression?

Quality Whether your voice is shrill, nasal, raspy, breathy, booming, etc.

Phrasing How to divide your speeches into smaller parts, adding pauses to create emphasis and a rhythmic pattern of sounds and silences

Tempo How fast of slowly you speak Remember that stage speech requires a much slower rate than that used in everyday conversation

Tempo (cont.) Things to consider The role: rate of speech often suggests certain character traits or temperament (young, excitable = faster tempo) Type of play: comedy or farce usually a faster tempo than a melodrama or tragedy Purpose of the dialogue – content will suggest rate: trivial material faster rate; important content decrease rate

Tempo Exercise: Using the monologue from Death of a Salesman, decide where to change the tempo and why. Mark this on your copy.

Inflection Means to use variety in speech Inflections creates/changes meaning or emotional content Exercise: read w/emotional overtones given to you “I want to go to the party with Jim Saturday night.”