The latvian academy of culture

Literature:

1. Ferda Ē. Topoša aktiera ķermeņa kultūra. - Rīga, 1968.

2.Голубовский Б. Т. Пластика в искусстве актера. - Москва, 1986.

3.Кох Э. Основы сценического движения. - Ленинград, 1970.

4.Конорова Е. Ритмика в театральной школе. - Ленинград, 1947.

5.Немеровский А. Пластическая выразительность актера. - Москва, 1988.

6.Сиппиус Т. Гимнастика чувств. Тренинг творческой психотечники. - Ленинград, 1967.

7.Сценическре движение. Программа для актерских факультетов театральных институтов. - Москва: Министерство культуры СССР. Методический кабинет по учебным заведениям искусств, 1967.

The Name of the Course: Stage Speech and Methodology

The Scope of the Course: 448 theoretical and practical classes (+12 hours of individual classes x 7 = 84 hours). The modification of the course (128 hours) is read to the students of TV Directors.

Type of Assessment: tests and examinations. 14 credit points.

IV.The Author of the Course: Ass. Prof. A.Matīsa, lecturer R.Vītiņa

Preconditions for the Acquisition of the Course: The suitability for the profession of an actor: physical abilities, voice material, an ear for music and a sense of rhythm.
The Content of the Course: The objective of the course is the acquisition of stage speech, the research of the possibilities of speech and the acquisition of its maximum application and the mastering of one’s skills of influential and expressive public communication. An introduction into the preconditions of the creation of a logically grounded, artistically expressive and emotionally effective performance of speech and the acquisition of the methodology of the implementation of a performance. The development of an understanding of the art of speech and oratory as an independent creative process of understanding the basic principles. The development of the technique of speech. The elimination of individual defects. The research of the interconnection of the verbal and kinetic expression of psychic processes and its purposeful application in the communication practice. The unification of speech with the expression of one’s body movements.
Thematic Planning:

THEMES	Week	Type of classes and hours
TERM 1
The main conditions of verbal expression. The preparatory training of speech, physical exercises for body relaxation.	1	L2;L2;
The significance and the technique of correct breathing: the anatomy of the respiratory organs; the basic breath and the increase of one’s breath; the distribution of one’s breath; d) respiratory exercises.	2	P2;P2
The creation of a bodily sonorous tone.	3	P2;P2
The right technique of sound production: the anatomy the sound producing organs; exercises in the accuracy of articulation; tables of syllable exercises; d) fast speech exercises.	4	P2;P2
Exercises in rhythmic articulation.	5	P2;P2
Diseases of sound producing organs, their treatment and prevention.	6	L2; P2
The connection of speech exercises with movements of various complexity and difficulty. Exercises of coordination, attention and imagination.	7	L2
Skills of word-based activities: The specification of motives and objectives of speech, an introduction of the speaker’s viewpoint into the listener’s consciousness. The logical analysis of the content of the text, the acquisition of the key elements of word-based activities by using myths and fairy-tales (associative thinking, figurativeness). The identification of the notional centre of a sentence, logical stresses, mutually connected and subordinate concepts, rules of the literary pronunciation of groups of words or united concepts, the rhythmical arrangement of concepts in sense groups (the analysis of textual materials of various difficulty). The gesture, its meaning: a)the key gestures of communication, their origin, protection barriers; b)non-verbal signals and how they are evaluated by one’s partner; c) a gesture as an intermediary of thought, the falsification of gestures.	8-16	L2;L2;L2;L2;L2;L2;L2 P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2
TERM 2
Grammatical intonations of language (drawn, falling, broken). Rules of their application in the doubling of sound. Varieties of language and dialects, and the possibilities to correct them. The identification and correction of the sounds uncharacteristic to the Latvian language, rules of the correct application of the narrow and broad sound “e”. A public speech.	17, 18	L2;L2;L2;P2;P2
Basic conclusions of speech for the preparation of a speech. the technique of a performance; the methodology of the preparation of a speech; differences in the selection of means of expression in a report, an essay, a presentation and emotional speeches; preconditions and the methodology of initiating a polemic and a dispute; argumentation, substantiation, the methodology of defending oneself against the opponent’s argumentation.	19, 20	L2;L2;L2;L2; P2;P2;P2
A public speech, the common and diverse factors if compared with the daily (reflexive) communication skills. Visual and audible expressions of thought, will and emotional attitude and their interrelations: the period of the acquisition of influential skills and its significance in the development of one’s personality; the compulsory level of artlessness and artistic credibility of the vocal and kinetic signs of influence. Methodological preconditions for the creation of the performance of a public speech: emotionality; figurativeness; a subtext; the tempo and rhythm of speech, its change according to the contact principle.	21-26	L2;L2;L2;L2; P2; P2;P2;P2;P2
Stylistic features of a public speech (in an artistic reading, journalism, a stage dialogue, a monologue, the narration of prose, the performance of poetry).	27-29	P2;P2; P2;P2;P2
The most common types of speech: an informative report; a speech of welcome and a festive speech; an appeal, a propaganda speech; an introductory speech; a survey, a presentation; a project study; a critical report; an academic speech; a lecture.	30-32	P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2
TERM 3
Work at monologues, readings of excerpts from the ancient Greek epics (in the hexameter). The melody of speech as an expression of the purposeful development of the plot. Exercises: the compass of the human voice. Melodic digressions: falls – providers of a new, melodic increase in the implementation of the prospects of speech, the significance of a logical and a psychological pause, the application of the logical pause in prose, the application of a logical pause in poetry, censorship, poetry in prose, connections in the expression of legato and staccato, the rhythmical arrangement of concepts in the measures of speech, the concepts of the essence of a thought and their arrangements according to the melodic principle of counting. Exercises. The use of a mask on the stage in the antique drama and the contemporary theatre.	33-49	L2;L2;L2;L2;L2;L2;L2;L2;P2;P2;P2;2P;P2;P2;P2;P2;2P;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2
TERM 4
Gradual memorisation of the text of the performance by a continuous compilation stream of conceptions of various origins created in one’s consciousness. The use of imagination, personal experience and observations in the learning of a text: observations; reconstruction of the concepts of senses; concepts of associative imagination; inner speech; a subtext as a carrier of specification of the internal creative processes; the author’s rights, the limits of the possibilities of interpretation, rules of the application of standard speech.	50-66	L2;L2;L2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2
The performance of a prose excerpt, the transformation of literary works into the performance of stage speech, the purposeful application of the spiritual impulse to further the sonority of one’s voice and pronunciation, the necessity of communicability during the performance. The speech material is desirably to be chosen from the classics of the world’s and Latvian literature.
The essential differences between the dramatic action and the performance of a speech. The necessity of communicability during the speech.
The quotation of a repeated text or the dialogue of persons involved in the plot from the speaker’s viewpoint. Skills of the development of a text. Work at the staging of national and world classical literature: stories, long stories, novels, essays and others.
TERM 5
The specific features of poetry, its analysis and the choice of means of expression. Rules of the flow of speech in the performances of lyrics and lyrical epics. Metrics and metres of poetry: spondee; trochee; iambus; dactyl; amphibrach; anapaest; paean; the system of the metric, tonic and syllabic metre; hexameter and pentameter. Literary examples and exercises in the identification and expression of meters and their changes; the distinct characteristics of the performance of folk songs.	65, 66, 67	L2;P2
The analysis of different performances of poetry: love lyrics, ballads, humoristic poetry, fables, satire and patriotic poetry. The key principles of the creation of the composition of poetry.	68-80	L2;L2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2;P2
A radio speech (practical work - a recording in the studio). Preconditions for the choice of literary material, their acquisition and compliance. The analysis and evaluation of the theme, the main idea, events and facts. The speaker’s viewpoint and his/her interpretation. Inner monologue. Action throughout the whole speech. The perfection of speech technique. The acquisition of the change of tempo and rhythms and possibilities to increase the compass of the speaker’s voice. The implementation of monumental works in the expression of sound: an epic, a heroic poem, a hexameter and others. Rules of the flow of speech in the lyric-epical performances. The application of subjective imagination, experience and observations in the process of the personification of a text. The choice and mastering of the means of expression. The involvement of the students in concerts and speech performances of various genres. The performance of a prose excerpt, monologues. The reading of an informative newspaper text, observing the rules of speech. The speaker as an announcer. The examination of the flow of one’s voice and the word-based performance of a thought by speaking in darkness.
TERM 6
The preparation of the Bachelor’s Performance. A performance of prose or poetry (40 min), if necessary, using music, lights, some scenery or some properties.