Actors need to learn not only how to use their voice, but to use voice and language together. This book is about the expressive potential of language, and how actors can develop the verbal skills to release that potential.
Written by tutors at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and authors of the successful companion title, The Vocal Arts Workbook and DVD, this book includes each aspect of verbal expression:
Sound: How to develop a sensitivity to the qualities of speech sounds and use them more expressively.
Image: How to bring life and specificity to images when you speak.
Sense: How to focus your energy on those words and phrases that convey what is most significant in a speech or scene.
Rhythm: How rhythm is created and used in both verse and prose.
Argument: How to understand the structure or logic of language and speak with authentic energy.
This book puts it all together using one classical and one modern scene as examples.
Each of the chapters consists of several sections addressing the learner throughout—framework, exploration, exercises, follow-up, suggested texts, and further reading—and also provides teaching tips that give specific notes for teachers.
