TWO PERSON CHARACTER SCENE

You and a partner will create a presentation of scene from the performances included in the document below. You will work on using the tools that you have studied over the past while to help in creating the character for the scene. You will also look at production elements such as:

Set or Scenery
Costumes
Props used by the actors
Lighting effects and uses
Sound and its ability to help create emotion

In addition to using skills you learned about controlling how and where the audience looks through body position, placement and creating visual interest. You will also learn how to use your voice and body to create character.

Costume Design

How important are costumes in creating characters?

Music as Emotion

How can music affect the performance in film/stage otherwise

Lighting on stage

How does lighting affect the action on stage

Short Plays For Small Cast.pdf

Two person Scripts

More Two Character Scenes for Teens.pdf

Two Person short scenes

Voice & Warm up skills - Google Docs.mp4

Voice Skills Video: Explanation

I am Groot

USING YOUR VOICE TO BUILD A CHARACTER

When choosing a voice for a role, you need to study the script and the playwright’s description of the character. There are several things to consider.

Age

Is the character young, old or middle-aged?
Would their voice be deep and mature or young and light?

Personality

What kind of person is the character, are they shy and quiet or loud and domineering?

Accent

Is the character from a specific place? Wherever they're from, you'll need to master the correct accent.
You can also use Received Pronunciation (RP), which is the standard ‘neutral’ English accent, if the character’s accent isn’t specified.

Mannerisms

Should the character have specific vocal mannerisms, eg a nervous cough or giggle, a booming laugh or a squeaky tone?

Register

Does the character speak with a low or high register? Usually, low registers are used to show softness and kindness and are used by mature characters.

Type of performance

Is the play a comedy or a tragedy? Your vocal choices must blend in with the overall feel of the play.
Is your performance a vocal one only? Remember, if the audience can't see you, you can’t rely on facial expressions or body movement to enhance the dialogue.
Are you providing a voice-over or narration? If so, you’ll need to ‘overdo’ your vocal work slightly, making sure that it conveys as much as possible to the listener.

Think about a character of your choice from the world of theatre or film. How did the actor make the role their own? Think about how Michael Gambon’s vocal performance as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films differs from that of Richard Harris, his predecessor in the role. Your voice is unique so the voice you give your character should be unique too.

Character Analysis:

In thinking about the role and character, sometimes considering these types of questions can help you get inside the mind of the character and be able to perform better. If the play goes badly, you will know your character enough to be able to improv your way out of it.

Once your Character motivation is clear... we will be working on your script and how to score it to show your use of voice as a tool. You will need to update and document your script following the symbols located on this image here.

Script Scoring

Using this chart, you will update your script and then add that to the F#? assignment in Gclass.

Pay no attention to the Pledge of Allegiance Worksheet. You will be doing this on your script as listed.

Now we will go into the ways in which you can alter the voice and emotional traits of your character. You want to think of your scene process as having an arc and difference and variety in the way in which your character communicates. We will want to look at the ways in which a character is created. We will look at the CHARACTER IDENTITY. You need to know WHO this character is in order to really understand how to portray them. Motivation, intention and full character sketch helps us build up who we are as a character. And create characterization. I will also be looking for how well you have created this character through facial expressions/ voice tone/ accents etc. I will also be looking to see how well you have acted out this scene (either in person or on screen) to portray a convincing performance for the audience.

I will be looking for evidence in your presentation of the following vocal techniques:

1) Volume 2) Pitch 3) Compression & Stretching. 4) Tempo

YOU NEED TO FEEL LIKE YOU ARE LIVING THOSE LINES IN THE PLAY.

DO YOU BELIEVE IT?

IF NOT... THEN THE AUDIENCE WONT EITHER.

Diction refers to the pronunciation of words and their combinations in speech. You must choose your words carefully and utter them distinctly. Recording and analyzing your speech and the speech of others in a variety of situations is very helpful. Create variety in your voice and you will create interest. Avoid monotone and reading lines.

Vowel sounds:

All vowel sounds pass through the mouth but are affected and changed by the shape of the lips/tongue/jaw/soft palate. There are 5 vowel sounds in the English language... A> E> I> O> U.

There are 5 guiding principles to working with VOWELS as an ACTOR.

Vowels are the sounds that can work with in interpretation by lengthening, shortening and adding inflection.
Verbs are the strongest words in the language and should be stressed.
Colour words... are those that vividly describe something. Look for those words and use the sounds they create to create more emphasis. Crash, stab, grunt, splash...
Rarely stress negatives, pronouns and articles
When a word or phrase is repeated, stress each repetition more than the preceding repetition and add variety.

The Actor's task is to present believable emotion, story and character.

If the audience doesn't get that from your performance then you have failed in your job.

Now that you have completed the feedback sessions and have to prepare for your final video.... I want you to go back and watch your first video again and compare it to your third video

Take a look at the following things and comment on them in your digital journal:

What are some areas of change that you noticed... for the good or the bad?
What are some things that have stayed consistent... and should they?
What are some areas that you have seen massive improvement in?
What are some areas that you would like to still see some massive improvement in?
Why do you think there is value in watching yourself perform? Have you learned from it?
Are you actively engaging in warm up activities prior to your performance? Why or why not?

NOW.... take this time in class to do the following:

Consider what you need to work on to improve your performance.
Have you considered set pieces and props to help tell your audience where you are?
Have you considered using costume and makeup/hair to help tell the story to your audience?
Have you considered using sounds or lighting to help portray your scene to the audience?

Why or Why not?

Remember that you are communicating a story to the audience and your performance must be believable or the audience will not accept it.

Costumes, props, makeup, hair, lights, sound, and sets all help the audience believe.

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