VOICE AND MOVEMENT Siobhan Bremer
TH 2201 Office 105D
T, Th em: bremers ph: 589-6245
10:00-11:40 Hours: M, T, W @ 2pm
HFA 125 or by appointment
This course explores the use of the voice and the body as means for expression in performance and everyday communication. Focus is on expansion and enhancement of vocal and physical skills through release of tension, posture, vocal exercises and muscle extension. The objectives are for you to examine various techniques for body/voice training, to acquire knowledge about your instrument, to engage in a variety of exercises to help you expand your physical and vocal capabilities, and to develop an appreciation for the interactive relationship between mind, body and will in performance.
TEXTS: Movement from Person to Actor to Character Mitchell
Note: You WILL incur material costs in this course (videotape, copies, presentation material, etc.)
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Class attendance, discussion, and participation.
2. Quizzes.
3. Projects.
4. Production attendance and activity.
5. Observation and growth paper.
6. Readings in texts, handouts, and library material
GRADING:
1. Class attendance, discussion, and participation. 50 pts
2. Quizzes (2 @ 20) 40 pts
3. Projects (2 @ 10) (1 @ 20) (2 @ 25) (1 @ 30) 120 pts
4. Production attendance and activity 15 pts
5. Observation Journal and Growth Paper 25 pts
GRADING SCALE:
250-225 =A
224-199 =B
198-173 =C
172-147 =D
146-0 =F
Students taking the course S/N must receive a C in order to pass.
Class Attendance/Participation: Attendance in class is mandatory. Participation is an essential part of this course. You are required to be prepared for and be an active participant in class. Much of the class relies on student involvement. If you are not volunteering, you will be volunteered. Students who are not in class cannot participate. Students who are late to class disrupt participation. Chancellor excuses will be accepted but the student remains responsible for the work missed, including notes, rescheduling of projects, make-up quizzes, etc. Health excuses will not accepted unless you have the official Doctor approved heath excuse. Once you have reached 6 absences total whether excused or not you will FAIL the class.
Quizzes: The quizzes are on the schedule. The quizzes can/will consist of matching answers, identifications, short answers, true/false, essays and/or multiple choice questions. If you are absent of the day of a quiz, you will receive a ‘0’ for that test. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP EXAMS OR QUIZZES GIVEN without proper Chancellor’s excuse. IF excused, you must make-up the quiz the next day class meets to receive full credit.
Projects: There are (6) major projects in this class; Explore your Voice (10 points), Haiku Abstraction (10 points), A warm-up plan (20 points), Walking/posture/gesture Observation (25 points), Choreography (30 points), Body/Voice Donor Study (25 points). Each project will include a short paper on preparation, the performance and a statement of strengths and areas for improvement. Minimal class time will be devoted to these projects. Additional information will be provided.
Production Attendance/Activity: You are required to attend the University Theatre Production The Laramie Project. Performance Dates are February 14-16 at 8 pm and February 16 at 2pm. Discount tickets are available for students. You will be asked to respond orally to the production in class and to determine a physical and/or vocal exercise that would work well to help the actors develop their characters for this specific production. Additional information will be provided.
Observation and Growth Paper: You are required to develop a 3-5 page paper that explores your physical and vocal growth during the 15 week course. You are to keep a notebook that chronicles exercises that work for you, observations you’ve made in and outside of class and your weekly (daily?) progress. That becomes the basis for you paper. This notebook serves two purposes: it is an invaluable resource for your use in the future AND it provides a venue for sharing your ideas, thoughts, and questions directly with me. I will collect the notebook several times during the semester – UNANNOUNCED. Your notebook must be neat, legible, well-organized and brought to class EVERYDAY. Additional information will be provided.
Assigned/Written Work: ALL ASSIGNED WORK MUST BE HANDED IN ON TIME OR IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. With the exception of the notebook, all written work MUST BE TYPED (12pt font, 1 inch margin, use header for titles) or IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. All papers should be free of spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. Your grade will suffer if it is not properly proofread. For your own protection, be sure to make copies of everything you turn in. NOTE: Your observation notebook does NOT need to be typed.
Academic Honesty: Any student found guilty of cheating on a quiz will forfeit the grade for that quiz. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, passing off someone else’s ideas, work, or words as your own, will receive an F in this course. All incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported and acted upon.
Extra Credit: No extra credit will be given to any student.
Incomplete: There will be no incompletes given in this course.
Policy: No smoking, eating, or gum chewing is allowed in class. A water bottle is strongly suggested. Comfortable, loose clothing should be worn for class.
Subject to Change
________________________________________________________________________
Jan 15 Introduction Read Part 1
17 Warm-up/ assignments/ reading
22 No Class-S. Bremer at ACTF conference
23 Read Part 2
29 Voice exercises-set up Project 1 (BRING script to class) Finish Part 2
31 Project 1 Explore Voice with script
Feb 5 Video mouth/view/observe
7 Music movement analysis
12 Project 2 Hiaku
14 Project 2 continued
19 Discuss Laramie/ Production Activity Due
21 Quiz 1 / work on warm-up plan
26 Project 3 Warm-up plan (5 people)
27 Cont. Project 3
Mar 5 Finish Project 3
7 Boal/Bogart Composition Work Activity
12-14 Spring BREAK
19 Work on walk imitation with partner/ Laban Movement analysis
21 Present Project 4 Walk imitation
26 Catch up day-prep for quiz Exercises?
28 Quiz 2/ Class time to work on choreography
Apr 2 Present 2 min. choreography project 5
4 Class work on teaching choreography S. Bremer at Boal conference
9 Teach class project 5 (4 people)
11 Teach class, project 5 cont.
16 Teach choreography 5 cont.
18 Work on Body/Voice project in class
23 Project 6 Body/Voice Donor Project
25 Continue Project 6
30 View and Evaluate Project 6 Observation/Growth Paper DUE
May 2 Wrap-up/Evaluation
Wed May 8 4-6 Final Grade!
Perfect communication for the actor implies a balanced quartet of intellect and emotion, body and voice. Kristin Linklater
Attitude is part of a person's inner-state and is influenced by environment, situation and circumstances. Effort is the drive toward movement. Rudolf Laban