Page 1, projection- Projection is the use of your diaphragm (see unit 4, research) to project your voice louder, and farther. This is an actors most basic and useful skill as it is needed for them to project all the way to the back of the theatre.
Page 2, diction- Diction is the clarity that you speak the words in, use of diction makes it very clear to the audience what you are saying and what your trying to get across to them.
Page 3, articulation- Articulation is the equivalent of diction, however it’s how clearly you speak overall. For example when your shy your more likely to mumble while speaking, and therefor your not using any articulation, as it is hard to understand what you are saying.
Page 4, magic if- Magic if is a technique that relies on imagination. It was invented by Stanislavsky. This technique is what you would use if you do not have enough information on the setting or your character so you use your imagination to think what if this character was… and think of a question and a answer and explain your reasoning. If the question was, if this character was a plant what tree would they be? They would be a oak tree because they are strong, wise, reliable and beautiful.
Page 5, low & high comedy- low comedy is comedy more suited for children, it is a variation of funny, dumb childish jokes, and physical childish pranks like a whoopee cushions, stuff like that, it can also be simply over exaggerating everything making the play more comedic and funny. High comedy is comedy suited more for adults. High comedy would be dirty jokes and dark humour, there would not be many if not none physical jokes like a whoopee cushion, it’s more simple and straight to the punchline.
Page 6, private moment- The private moment technique is a technique used for relaxing and calming your nerves. It is you being yourself doing what you usually do, it’s not something to entertain or watch, it simply puts you in a calm place where you can be alone with your thoughts.
Page 7, Given circumstances- given circumstances is what you tend to find after you’ve analysed your script very deeply, it’s is the given facts that your 100% certain are true.
Page 8, Theatre of the grotesque- use of this technique allows you to over exaggerate one part of your body to give your character more flavour. For example, If my character was deformed, I’d lead with my head and over exaggerate my head, and the fact that I am deformed.
Page 9, Meisner technique repetition exercise- You perform this exercise by getting a partner and sitting opposite them and really connecting with them and sharing that moment with them. So you say something that they are doing, for example blinking you can say “you’re blinking” and they have to repeat “I’m blinking” and keep repeating and changing this process.
Page 10, semi supine- Semi supine is a breathing exercise that helps you warm up for the day. to do semi supine, you must; lie down on your back with your knees up, palms facing upwards and then breath in for 4 seconds, and out for 16, and eventually breath out for longer and longer until you reach 60 seconds.
Page 11, foetal position- This position is what you go onto after semi supine, its where you curl up sideways wit your chin on your chest and hands behind your head this is to relax right after all the breathing you did with semi suipine.
Page 12, resonators- resonators are vibrations that change your voice in parts of your body. A chest resonator for example will have vibrations in your chest that will change your voice a it passes through it, it will give you a very manly voice. With the nasal resonator there will be a vibration in your nose and when your voice passes through it, it will change your voice to a sly, evil, almost blocked nose sound. And the head resonator is vibrations in your head that give you a really angelic, light, childish sounding voice. The head resonator creates a higher pitch, the chest resonator creates a low pitch and the nasal creates a above average pitch.
Page 13, actioning- Actioning, is applying emotion to the text/script.
Page 14, objectives- objectives are mini tasks that the characters must achieve to accomplish their final goal (super objective).
Page 15, super objectives-super objectives is the final goal the character/s have.
Page 16, naturalism- naturalism is what you would do without it being acting. It is as if your not acting.
Page 17, realism- Realism is what you’d expect to find in the real world. so having a dragon fly by is not realism, this may seem boring to most because its acting about how everyone lives their normal lives.
Page 18, acting without words- After you read the first line, you think of the next line in your head, but you don’t say it and after you think about it you say the actual line.
Page 19, anticipation- Anticipation is when you know what’s coming so you need to act as if you didn’t know what was going to happen. this is a really useful technique since it makes your performance and acting more realistic, this will benefit me as an actor because “Acting is the pursuit of truth”.
Page 20, keywords- Keywords is when you put the emphasis on one word, depending on how you use this it can completely change the meaning of a sentence. For example, he WAS dead this turns it into a question, or he was DEAD this turns it into a shout.
Page 21, epic theatre- Epic theatre is a Brecht technique, it is used mainly to break the fourth wall, and its mainly used in pantomime theatre, and instead of it being one big technique, its a multitude of many techniques. Epic theatre involves use of a narrator, and the narrator needs to talk in montage style, use of music, Use of technology, like mobile phones, sound effects, music etc, use of handheld signs and lastly freeze frames. Not all of these need to be used if your making pantomime, however to make epic theatre all of these are required.
Page 22, shortlisting- Shortlisting is a simplified list, this list helps the actorst improvise and create their characters.
Page 23, one to one- One to one is the action of the director/actors/mike leigh going around to each actor in the set to help them develop their character.
Page 24, build the character-Build the character is a list that the actors make to learn more about their characters, and build them up.
Page 25, physical theatre- Physical theatre is when the actors themselves make the scenario and background for the scene/performance. It’s the use of your own body to make certain shapes or structures on the set, a good example would be a tree, you use your body to become a tree and that’s what you are, that’s the character your playing at that time. It can be and get more complicated but that’s the gist of it.
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