1. Acting Basics Vocabulary

2. Directions Please set up your paper for Cornell Notes
Left column = slide headings
Right column = bullet points on slide
Leave summary space at the end of your notes

4. What are the basic skills that every actor needs?
Essential Question
What are the basic skills that every actor needs?

5. Posture

6. Posture Definition -- how you hold your body
Changes with each character
Includes standing, sitting, walking, etc.

7. Posture Basic elements of posture for acting include:
Stand/sit up straight
Stand still unless moving on purpose!
Face the audience
“Opening up”
Nothing covering your face

8. Projection

9. Projection
Definition – the strength of speaking where the voice is used loudly and clearly
NOT yelling!

10. Projection How to project your voice:
Posture is critical as projection involves organs in your torso
Lungs
Ribs
Diaphragm
Stomach

12. Projection How to project your voice:
Use a combination of breathing and muscle work to push air over vocal cords
Do not strain throat/neck muscles!
Like other muscles, they can be trained

13. Journals 1-4 due tomorrow
Each journal should be half of a page
20 points
Journal 1 – Sense Memory and Emotional Memory definitions
Journal 2 – Emotional Memory: Happiness
Journal 3 – Sense Memory: At the Movies
We will start tomorrow with Journal 4

14. Articulation

15. Articulation Definition -- Speaking each word clearly
The enemy to articulation is mumbling

16. Articulation How to articulate Use your articulators!
Organs in the mouth/head that produce speech sounds

18. Articulation How to articulate
Strengthen articulators with tongue twisters
Slow down and speak up!
Going too fast or speaking too quietly makes your words difficult to understand

19. Pronunciation

20. Pronunciation Definition -- Saying each word correctly
How to pronounce
Make sure you KNOW each word, and if not, ask for help or look it up
Incorrect pronunciation can affect meaning!

22. Pacing

23. Pacing Definition –The speed of your speech
In theatre, the speed of speaking is slower than everyday conversation

24. Pacing Pacing includes: Projection
Focusing on breathing and projecting your voice will slow you down
Articulation
Speaking too fast can lead to not being able to understand the speaker

25. Pacing How to achieve good pacing:
Write in pauses on your script
Add gestures/movement to break up speech
Work on managing anxiety
Remember, you are a storyteller!

26. Pacing Pacing also refers to the speed of the scene
Each scene should have a clear beginning, middle, and end
Good pacing means no part is dragging on, and no part is going too fast

27. Inflection

28. Inflection Definition – the tone of your words/voice Inflection shows:
Info about your character (how old they are, where they’re from, etc.)
Emotions!

29. Inflection Inflection includes: Pronunciation and Articulation Pacing
Words must be said clearly and correctly first
Pacing
You need to take time and pauses to let the emotion come through in the words

30. Inflection How to have vocal inflection
First, identify important information about the character
Age, personality, where they are from, what situation they are in

31. Inflection How to have vocal inflection
Then, identify the emotions your character is feeling and when those emotions change
Use your voice to SHOW your character!

33. Character

34. Character
Definition – the part or role an actor takes on in a performance
Stock character – stereotypical character types, such as the Hero, the Damsel in Distress, the Old Wise Man, etc.

35. Character Relies on ALL skills but especially inflection
Inflection reveals the character’s personality and emotions
How to play a character
LOTS of research!
Character profile, time period/location, studying all of the play

36. Character How to play a character
Identify similarities and differences
Pull from your own experience
Don’t hold back!
Some of the best performances of all time happened when an actor truly became their character

37. Improvisation

38. Improvisation Definition -- Creating your own words or scenes
Improv refers to both a style of acting AND the act of making up words without a script

39. Improvisation Requires: How to improv Focus Imagination Risk-taking
Teamwork
How to improv
Practice!!

40. Recap

41. Acting Basics Vocab You should have 8 headings
Posture Projection
Articulation Pronunciation
Pacing Inflection
Character Improvisation
Each section of notes should include a definition and how to do that skill

42. Acting Basics Vocab
Each heading and set of notes will be 5 points each
8 headings x 5 points = 40 points
Your reflection (coming up!) will be worth 5 points as well
Acting Basics vocabulary points total =
45 points

43. Reflection

44. Summary -- Reflection Answer in complete sentences:
Which Acting Basics skill(s) do you think you are best at right now?
Which Acting Basics skill(s) do you think you need the most work on right now?
What concerns or questions do you have going into the monologues?