Acting I
Topeka West High School
Mr. McCoy – Fall 2008

Remember that acting is a creative art that
can be improved through the practice of
three major skills.
 Vocal
 Physical
 Mental
1.
2.
3.
Physical Tools
Relaxation
Breathing
ARTICULATORS
Hard Palate
 Lips
 Teeth
 Tongue
 Soft Palate
 Jaw

RESONATORS
Sinuses
 Nose
 Mouth
 Throat

Voice is produced by the air from the lungs passing over the vocal folds in the larynx.
Articulators and resonators manipulate voice into the desired or undesired sound.
Physical relaxation is one factor that determines
the quality of an actor’s voice. Attention should
be paid by all actors to “loosen their voice”
before any performance.
 Tightness will lead to damage, hoarseness, and
poor projection.

 Activity
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
Stretching (Reach)
Jaw (Head rolls, jaw rub)
Throat (Yawn, breathe, “I can talk as if I were going to yawn.”)
Lips (oo  ah  oo, me-mo-me)
Tongue (fud-dud-dud-dud-dah, da-da-da-da-la-la-la-la)
Breath control determines the power and
loudness of speech. It also increases one’s voice
stamina.
 Normally, one inhales and exhales in periods of
equal length.
 Speakers/Actors inhale quickly and exhale over a
prolonged period of time. Therefore, inhale
through the mouth.

 Activity
▪ Diaphragmatic Breathing (sniff)
▪ Inhale-(hiss, count, hong-kong,)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Quality
Pitch
Volume
Tempo/Rate
Diction – Articulation/Pronunciation
Quality – individual sound of your particular voice
Resonance – tone produced when sound waves strike
the chambers of the throat, head, nose, and mouth.
(Vowels)
 Nasality – tone produced from the nasal cavity rather
than the other cavities. Only m, n, and ng sounds
should be nasal tones.
 Characterization – quality should be considered
during character choices. Old? Sweet? Angry? Weak?


 Activity
▪ Relaxed jaw, throat hum
▪ Pg. 71 – Book
▪ Pg. 73 – Handout
Pitch – how high or low one’s voice is
Inflection – gliding from one pitch to another in a
single syllable
 Monotone – one tone, continuous speaking on one
tone


 Monotone can usually be overcome with energy and
practice
 Activity
▪ 10 Count
▪ Oh –
▪ That hurts
▪ How lovely
▪ So what
Well, perhaps
Look out
Don’t be so rude

Volume – how loud or soft one is; relative
strenght, force, or intensity with which sound
is made
 Activity
▪ Ha  one, two
▪ “You don’t think I ate the cake, do you?”

Rate/Tempo/Pace – the speed at which words
are spoken. Rate is influenced by pause and
duration.
 Pause – break before or after a spoken word
 Duration – length a vowel sound is held, short or long
▪ Activity
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
They climbed slowly, wearily to the summit.
What an exquisite formal you are wearing.
This shrimp pizza is delicious.
Hurry up, we’re late
I’m so tired, I can hardly move.
Don’t tell me we’ve got to listen to that again.



Diction – selection and pronunciation of
words and their combinations in speech
Articulation – the utterance of words (said
well)
Pronunciation – production of speech sounds
into syllables, accent, and stress (correct
words)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Get - bet
For - ore
Again - pen
Just - must
Because - pause
Any - penny
Assume - fume
New - mew
Poor - sewer
Your - sewer
Sure - sewer
Roof - proof
Suite - sweet
What - dot
Worst - first