1. Day 1 Unit performance on day 4 UNIT TEST ON DAY 5
The Actor’s Voice
Day 1
Unit performance on day 4
UNIT TEST ON DAY 5

2. Journal
Think of an actor you know a lot about or have seen a lot of their work.
Try to describe their voice to the best of your ability.
Avoid using words like “good” and “normal” and see what kinds of adjectives you can come up with.

3. Unit 3 – Pantomime Vocab Review
Complete the Unit 3 Vocabulary Review Sheet.
You may use your notes.
You have 15 minutes to complete the Review Sheet, then we will go over it together.

4. Unit 3 – Pantomime Vocab Review
Gesture – Body movements that people use to create emphasis or meaning.
Facial Expressions – To show specific emotions on your face.
Body Language – The process of communicating nonverbally through conscious or unconscious facial expressions, gestures and movements.

5. Unit 3 – Pantomime Vocab Review
Mime (noun) – A person who performs the art of mime.
Mime (verb) – To interact with imaginary objects or forces.
Pantomime – Acting/telling a story without words by using facial expressions and gestures.

6. Unit 3 – Pantomime Vocab Review
3 types of movement pantomime is used for:
Any movement that tells the audience something significant or meaningful about a character.
Movement that tells a story through silent action alone.
Movement that portrays an activity without using the actual objects involved in the activity.

7. Unit 3/Unit 4 Test Wednesday Sept. 27th
FULL unit 3 & unit 4 review on MONDAY SEPT. 25TH

8. The Actor’s Voice Notes
The Vocal system

9. Voice What makes a “good voice”? Not just because you like it!
In theatre, a “good voice” means being loud and easy to understand.
Actors achieve good theatre voices by using projection and articulation.

10. Projection & Articulation
Projection - to make your voice fill the performing space.
Articulation - the clear and precise pronunciation of words.
Both of these are important so that the audience can hear and understand you on stage.

11. Voice
How do you think speech is created?

12. The Speech Process
The diaphragm contracts down to allow the lungs to fill with air.
The air travels up through the trachea and over the vocal folds.
The vocal folds vibrate to create sound.
The raw sound “bounces around” in the resonators to create a richer, fuller sound.
The sound goes through the articulators to be turned into clear speech.

13. Diaphragm - The muscle separating the chest and abdominal cavities.

14. Diaphragm

15. Diaphragmatic Breathing

16. Vocal Elements for the Stage
Pitch – How high or low your voice is.
Rate – How fast or slow you speak.
Volume – How loud or soft your voice is.
Tone – Placing emphasis on certain words in a way that implies another meaning or subtext.
How can these vocal elements enhance an actor’s performance?

17. Vocal Elements for the Stage
More Air = More Volume
Volume is directly related to the amount of air you can push through your vocal folds.
Get more volume by:
Increasing lung capacity
Using the diaphragm to push air out when speaking

18. Voice Activites

19. Posture Explain and demonstrate performance posture
Feet shoulder-width apart
Knees slightly bent
Hips tucked under the spine
Spine is long
Shoulders relaxed, down, and back
Chin is parallel to the floor
Use the metaphor of a string attached to the top of the head and pull upward to help create the feeling of elongation. Ask the students to tense their shoulders up to their ears and then release their shoulders - the relaxation in their shoulders when they release is how it should feel in a performance posture.
Have the students “roll down” chin to chest, rolling down the spine and bending at the waist. Remind them to release all tension in the body. Once they’ve rolled down as far as they can with bending at the waist, have them crouch down like a frog.
Have them start to roll back up and work on getting back into performance posture: Hands are on the ground. Lift your hips up first and roll up the spine. Imagine that you’re stacking the vertebrae in your spine, one on top of the other, like they’re building blocks. Keep your spine long. Lift you head last and go slowly so that you don’t get a head rush.
Once they finish rolling up, remind them that they should end up in performance posture when they finish the exercise.

20. Breathing
Quick everyone, take a really deep breath! (students will naturally raise their shoulders as they take a deep breath) When you took a breath, you actually squeezed your lungs and didn’t allow them to get as much air as they could. Weird right? That type of breathing (lifting the shoulders) is known as shallow breathing or, as I like to call it, “shoulder breathing.” The best way to get a lot of air is to give the lungs room to expand. Take your hands and place them below your rib cage and push in a little bit. Now when you breathe, think about everything “getting out of the way” of your lungs so that they can expand. This means that your diaphragm (which sits below your rib cage) needs to move down. If you’re doing it correctly, it should feel as if you stomach is filling with air. It isn’t of course, but your hands will move with your stomach. Keep your shoulders down - don’t let them lift. Let’s try it the exercise together:
You should be standing in performance posture. together
Hands are on your stomach/over your diaphragm/below your rib cage.
When I say “inhale,” take a deep breath slowly as I count to 3.
Keep your shoulders down and relaxed. Imagine that the air is actually going into your stomach.
When I say “exhale,” release the air on an ‘s’ sound - it should sound like a tire or balloon losing air.
Ready inhale! 1, 2, 3.
Encourage the students to sustain the release of air and the “s” sound.
Repeat it at least 2 more times.
If students are still lifting their shoulders, have them turn to the side and and place one hand lightly on the shoulder of the person in front them and the other hand under that person’s rib cage. Repeat the breathing with the “s” sound and tell them to apply gentle pressure to the shoulder of the person in front of them if it feels like it’s raising.
Repeat this exercise but have the students lie on the floor, if possible. They can lie on the floor on their backs with their hands over their stomach/diaphragm so they can feel the movement when they breathe correctly. Lying on the floor will also keep them from moving their shoulders. Have them practice breathing in, then releasing air on an “s” sound.

21. “Huh” Have students stand in a circle and put their hands together.
Students will pass the “huh” around the circle.
When a student starts to pass the “huh” they will raise their clasped hands above their head and push the diaphragm for a “huh” sound.
Students will then lower their hands and point towards another student in the circle, while they push the diaphragm again for another “huh” sound, to pass the “huh” to that student.
The student will then accept the “huh” by repeating the process of raising their clasped hands above their head, providing a “huh” sound, and then passing the “huh” to another student in the circle.
When a student accepts the “huh” the students on the immediate right and left of the student accepting the “huh” should turn their clasped hands into the side of the student accepting the “huh” and release a “huh” sound as well.
Students who miss a passed “huh” or who miss a side “huh” are out.

22. Emotional Orchestra
Divide your class into small groups. Each group is a section of an orchestra and represents a certain emotion. Each section will come up with a series of sounds to show the emotion. Everyone comes together and the orchestra is conducted. Focus on making the sounds clear and distinct so that it doesn’t become a wall of noise. Add a physical element to this exercise by having groups come up with gestures to match their sounds.

23. Row Your Boat
Using “Row Row Row Your Boat” as your text, change the speed (fast/slow), pitch (high/low), and volume (loud/soft) with each line. Reflect on the different combinations with your students. Which is easiest? Hardest?

24. Activity Reflection
How did the posture and breathing exercises feel? Did they feel different? Weird?
Do you think it’s something you could practice that would become more natural?
Do you understand how proper posture and breathing can help with projection?

25. Activity Reflection
The sound you make when you drop and the diaphragm gets pushed is the true potential of your relaxed voice.
Removing as much tension as possible and using the diaphragm helps to create clear, powerful sound. Tension will get in the way of projection.
How can this help us when we act?

26. Exit Slip What is projection? What was it like to project?
How can the different vocal elements enhance an actor’s performance?
What do you think will be your biggest challenge with posture and breathing?

27. The Actor’s Voice
Day 2

28. Journal
Have you ever listened to your own echo? Does it sound different than your normal voice? Why do you think that is?
Are there any places around school where you can hear your echo or make your voice sound different?
Are there any songs you’ve listened to with lyrics that you couldn’t understand? Why?
Do you think it’s the style of the singing? Do you think it could have been anything else?

29. The Actor’s Voice Notes
Resonance & Articulation

30. Resonance
Just like your echo bounces off architecture, the open cavities in your body allow the sound to bounce around and grow.
Resonance - the deep, full quality of sound.

31. Resonance
In resonance, it’s important to not have any tension so that the sound can flow freely throughout the resonators to produce the best tone.
Can you guess the resonators?
Hold your nose and say “hello”. Demonstrates how sound changes when throat is blocked.

32. Resonators Parts of the body that make vowel sounds
Nasal Cavity (Sinuses)
Oral Cavity (Mouth)
Throat
Vocal Folds
The openness and
flexibility of your
resonators affect your
voice’s resonance.

33. Resonance Exercises
Yawn
Sighing
Chewing hum

34. Articulation
Sometimes, it isn’t volume that keeps us from understanding someone, it’s articulation.
Articulation – The clear precise pronunciation of words.

35. Articulators Parts of the body that make consonant sounds Lips Tongue
Teeth
Jaw

36. Articulation Exercises
Mouth & Lip stretching
Tongue Twisters
Rhyme & Rhythm

37. Review Using Your Voice Onstage
Pitch – How high or low your voice is.
Rate – How fast or slow you speak.
Volume – How loud or soft your voice is.
Tone – Placing emphasis on certain words in a way that implies another meaning or subtext.
Projection - To make your voice fill the performing space.
Articulation - The clear and precise pronunciation of words.

38. Resonance Activities

39. Resonance Hum
Have the students do the same roll down and roll up exercise that they did before and review the breathing exercise of releasing the air on an “s.”
Have the students take in another deep breathe over the count of 3 seconds. This time when they release it, they’re going to create a wide-mouth hum. This means they’ll start with an “oh” and close their lips to turn it into a hum. By doing this, they’ll keep the mouth wider and allow it to serve as more of a resonator.
As they’re releasing the air on a hum, tell them: Feel the vibrations in your various resonators. Put your hand on your chest, then feel it in your throat. Put your hands on your cheeks to feel the vibrations in your mouth. Feel it in your nasal passages. Finally, feel the vibrations in your head by placing your hands on the top of your head.

40. Sound Find
Have the students stand in a circle and ask them to count off 1 through 6
Assign each number a sound. For example: 1s – Long A (as in hay); 2s - Eeee; 3s – Long I (as in eye); 4s - Ohh; 5s - U; 6s – Ahh
Tell them that they need to find everyone in their group but they can’t open their eyes. They have to find each other by clearly saying their sound and listening for others saying the same sound.
The game ends when everyone is in the correct group.

41. Articulation Exercises

42. Hairy Bear Student stand in a circle.
You can use any objects you want. I tend to use small stuffed animals (preferably bears that can be held in one hand).
Have the students practice passing the item to the right and saying “Hairy Bear.”
Once they have that down, have them pass the item to the left while saying “Barely Hair.”
Let them know that they are merely going to pass the object in either direction and say the correct phrase. (If they pass it to the right, say “Hairy Bear.” If they pass it to the left, they say “Barely Hair.”)
Once the object is moving, introduce another object with the same instructions. Now there are 2 objects moving in the circle.
The object of the game is to keep both items out of your hand. If you end up with both items in your hand at the same time, you’re “out.”

43. Tongue Twisters
Have them say and really over exaggerate/over-articulate the following phrase: The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue.
Model it for them and have them repeat it multiple times.
Try different tongue twisters to show your students how to warm up their articulators and to emphasize how important it is to use them. Here are the ones that I like to use:
The big black bug bit the big black bear, and the big black bear bled blue blood.
He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer.
Trix, trent, tweed, gig whip, gig whip, gig whip.
She slits the sheets, the sheets she slits, and on the slitted sheets she sits.
Have students line up on one side of the stage and one-by-one come on stage and project and articulate their tongue twister to the teacher who is sitting in the middle to back area of the house. If the teacher cannot hear the student, they will raise their hand and the student must repeat the tongue twister.
Have students repeat the process but this time students must add 2 vocal elements to their tongue twisters.

44. Lollipop
Tell them to put the lollipop in their mouth and bite down on the stick. Have them go through the various tongue twisters. Let them hear what the tongue twisters sound like without being able to completely move the jaw.
Then have them rest the lollipop on their tongue and try to do the tongue twisters again.
Finally, have do the tongue twisters without using the lollipop.
Basically, this exercise allows them to see what it’s like when they limit any of their articulators. They realize that to get the clearest speech, they have to use all of the articulators: lips, teeth, tongue, jaw, hard and soft palate.
If you can’t use lollipops for the exercise, you could use straws or spoons.

45. Activity Reflection
Could you feel vibrations in each of the resonators (chest, throat, mouth, nasal cavities, head)?
How is your speech affected when your articulators are blocked?
Why would someone’s voice sound different when they have a cold?
Do you think there are ways people alter their voices that they’re not even aware of?

46. Exit Slip
On a piece of paper or in your journal, write a 2 paragraph reflection on your experiences in this voice unit so far.
What is it like to examine the voice?
Have your ever considered the technical aspects of using the voice for acting?
Have you ever exercised your voice in this way before?
How do your resonators/articulators feel when you exercise them?

47. The Actor’s Voice
Day 3

48. Journal Complete the Unit 4 Vocabulary Review Sheet
Try to answer the definitions without your notes, but you may use them if necessary.
You have 20 minutes to complete the Review Sheet, then we will go over it together.

49. Unit 3/Unit 4 Review
Gesture – Body movements that people use to create emphasis or meaning.
Projection - To make your voice fill the performing space.
Mime (verb) – To interact with imaginary objects or forces.
Pitch – How high or low your voice is.

50. Unit 3/Unit 4 Review
Body Language – The process of communicating nonverbally through conscious or unconscious facial expressions, gestures and movements.
Diaphragm – The muscle separating the chest and abdominal cavities.
Resonance - The deep, full quality of sound.

51. Unit 3/Unit 4 Review
Pantomime – Acting/telling a story without words by using facial expressions and gestures.
Articulation - The clear and precise pronunciation of words.
Facial Expressions – To show specific emotions on your face.

52. Unit 3/Unit 4 Review Rate – How fast or slow you speak.
Tone – Placing emphasis on certain words in a way that implies another meaning or subtext.
Mime (noun) – A person who performs the art of mime.
Volume – How loud or soft your voice is.

53. Unit 3/Unit 4 Review List the 4 resonators List the 4 articulators
Nasal Cavity (Sinuses)
Oral Cavity (Mouth)
Throat
Vocal Folds
List the 4 articulators
Lips
Tongue
Teeth
Jaw

54. Unit 3/Unit 4 Review 3 types of movement pantomime is used for:
Any movement that tells the audience something significant or meaningful about a character.
Movement that tells a story through silent action alone.
Movement that portrays an activity without using the actual objects involved in the activity.

55. Introduction to Acting Project
Performance Project for unit 3 and unit 4.

56. Introduction to Acting Project
When you combine pantomime with vocal elements in a performance, you are demonstrating basic acting skills!
For this acting project, you and a partner will create 2 different scenes that show the audience 2 different conflicts and ONLY uses the lines “why”, “sorry”, and “oh”.
You and your partner will combine pantomime movement and vocal elements to act out each of your scenes.
The pantomime, vocal elements, and conflict MUST be different for each scene.

57. Agenda Complete the Scene Building Worksheet.
DUE AT THE END OF CLASS TODAY!
Use the answers you got on the Scene Building Worksheet to act out each of your scenes with your partner. Be sure to include pantomime and vocal elements in your performance.
Performances tomorrow!

58. The Actor’s Voice
Day 4

59. Journal
How do you know the audience will understand the conflict in your scenes?
How do you know the audience will understand the setting of your scenes?
How do you know the audience will understand the emotions in your scenes?

60. Agenda
Use the answers you got on the Scene Building Worksheet to act out each of your scenes with your partner.
Rehearse each scene until you have memorized your lines and your movement for both scenes.
Be sure to include your pantomime and vocal elements in your performance!
Complete the Performance Critique while others are performing.
Performances:
3rd Block: 12:50pm
4th Block: 3:00pm

61. The Actor’s Voice
Day 5

62. Journal
Why is it important to articulate and project when acting on stage?
How do vocal elements enhance an actor’s performance onstage?
By combining ______________ and _________ __________ in a performance, you are demonstrating basic acting skills.

63. UNIT 3/4 TEST
NO TALKING OR CELL PHONES. IF SEEN, YOUR TEST WILL BE TAKEN AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO.

64. Unit Reflection
Complete the Unit 3 and Unit 4 Reflection.
DUE AT THE END OF CLASS TODAY!
Reflecting on previous performances and class concepts can help you learn things you missed and improve your acting skills for future performances!