Moving from General to Specific / Voice Work

 

 

I

 Unit: Voice

Theme: Scoring the Voice and Movement 

 

Introduction

 In theatre, the voice is imperative for both speaking and singing. Performers use their voices to communicate the dramatic truths of the characters through the dialogue of a play or the songs of a musical or opera. Breathing, phonation, resonance, and articulation are the fundamentals of vocal production and technique.

 

II

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the difference between blocking, structuring and scoring
  •  Explain the integration between text, structure, voice & movement score through areito inspired dance
  • Gain an awareness of your voice potential to express feelings and ideas via Varley's voice method.
  • Experience the integration of movement and voice as it is arranged using score-making for your ensemble and solo.

 

 

III

Main Lesson


1

The Score  vs. The Blocking 

 

 The term "dance score," or movement score, refers to notations showing sequences of movements performers are supposed to use that is, they are documents showing choreography. One can also use score to document one's own voice proposition.

Blocking is the precise staging of actors in order to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, film or opera. ... During the blocking rehearsal, the assistant director, stage manager or director takes notes about where the actors are positioned and their movement on stage.

 

Question 1

 

In which way is blocking different from the movement structuring you have done in class? Why is this distinction important for your work?

---------------------

 

2

 

 VOICE

 

Voice Warm Up

Voice Exploration

Voice Harmonies

Solo Improv

 

IV

A Note to Remember

 

Our voice is our first musical instrument.



V

Case Studies

 

 1

 Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: Training

 

2

Based on a 17th century play by Spanish playwright Calderon de la Barca, The Constant Prince is one of Grotowski's hallmark productions—and one of the last he directed, before turning his attention to paratheatrical research. The prince, played by Ryszard Cieslak, seemed to recreate Christ's enduring torturers. Para literally means ‘beyond’. In theatre practice, paratheatre therefore lies outside and beyond the spatial, temporal and structural forms of performance, denoting related practices instead.

 

Constant Prince, Jerzy Grotowsky


3

 Julia Varley's Voice Demonstration

https://fb.watch/o5Zbs3p3aB/

 

VI

Activity 1

Ensemble

1. Areito/Circle dance with the whole group and exploring of a steady step and beat.

 2. Exploring voice propositions with each member of the group.

3. Creating a harmony with vocal sounds

4. Adding vocal harmony to group steady dance step.

5. Solo improvisations on the vocal background created by the group

 

Activity 2

Solo

1. Students will create a sequence of voice propositions (using extreme of consciousness) which they will be able to remember. 

2. Their voice phrase added to the text and the structure phrase will be the result of the three aspects of the extra-daily techniques listed bellow.

3. Thus, infuse your character with your own personality, your own history and movement abilities and peculiarities by using your voice in function of the most important words from your text (circle the words).

4. Using Varley's work as an example, explore the possible sounds you can generate with each word. 

5. Set your voice score for every word and integrate the words with the structured phrase.

 

 Those making up, please, create this sequence on your own and reflect on your experience by writing your reflection on Discussion Board.


-------------------

 

IV

 

A Dictionary of Theater Anthropology 

Link:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Dictionary_of_Theatre_Anthropology/BUAAZMWm1WQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=extra-daily

 

Extra-Daily Techniques (pg. 5)

The performers work is the result of the fusion of three aspects:

 

1. The performer's personalities, sensibilities, artistic intelligence, social personae,  uniqueness.

2. Traditions and social historical contexts.

3. Use of physiology according to extra daily techniques


Question 2


What are the use of extra-daily techniques important for performers to take into account when embodying movement within the context of their own story?

------------------


 VII

Sources

A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology. https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Dictionary_of_Theatre_Anthropology/BUAAZMWm1WQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=extra-daily

Paratheatre. https://www.routledgeperformancearchive.com/browse/subjects/form-genre/paratheatre


Training During Quarantine. Odin Teatret Actress Julia Varley. https://fb.watch/o5Zbs3p3aB/

 

VIII

Journaling

 

 

IX

Students' Work

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