Agenda
• Get your drama llamas and a pencil
Characteristics of a
GREAT Stage Presence
VOCALIZATION
1. Rate
•Speed at which you talk
•Fast, slow
•Almost 90% of
beginning speakers
are nervous and speak too
fast
2. Projection
• The actor’s ability to carry their voice
to the back of the audience to clearly
be heard
• Most beginning performers speak
too softly on stage, no matter how
noisy they are off-stage
• Nervousness, inexperience,
& poor breathing contribute
3. Clarity
•How your audience hears
and interprets what you
are saying
•sentence phrasing
•pronunciation
4. Pitch
•Use a full range of high
and low in speaking
CHARACTERIZATION
5. Expression
• The act of making your thoughts and
feelings known
• Don’t be subtle
• Be
big!
6. Stance
•How you stand, balance
•Evenly distributed weight
•Don’t shift or rock
7. Eye Contact
•Connect to your audience,
acknowledge them
8. Poise
•Build confidence!
•Be prepared!
•Know you have the ability!
CLASS
ACTIVITIES
Counting: 20 - 100
• Soft to loud
• Loud to soft
• Drill sergeant
• Child-like
• Happily
• Sadly
• Angry
• Bored
• Sulkily
• Opera singer
Tongue Twisters
• Selfish shellfish
• Rubber baby bugger bumpers
• Red leather, yellow leather
• Knapsack straps
• Specific Pacific
• Good blood, bad blood
• Toy boat
• Fruit float
Color Your Words
• Cold
• Sneaky
• Freezing
• Sweltering
• Windy
• Parched
• Angry
• Happy
• Sad
• Nervous
• Relaxed
• Crying
Humpty Dumpty
• At a suspenseful
crime scene
• As chipmunks
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,
All of the horses, and all of the men,
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
• As evil Disney
villains
• In the middle of
an earthquake
• Like an
advertisement
• Like a rock song
Number Greeting
• Old enemies
• Long, lost friends
• Snobs
• Business executives at a meeting
• Old people
• Young children
• Suspicious spies
• Robots
THE PROJECT
Poetry Slam
• Poetry Slam: With a partner, the two of you will collaborate to
•
•
•
•
•
•
1) memorize a poem
2) choreograph movements within your poem
3) add large expressions and gestures to convey your characters
4) explore various vocal sounds to add life to your characters
5) perform, as a duo, your memorized poem to an audience
6) listen to constructive critiques of your rehearsal time/final
performance
YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE THE EIGHT VOCABULARY
WORDS AND INTERGRATE THEM INTO YOUR
PERFORMANCE…
Poetry Slam Assignments
• Pairs are responsible for dividing the line delivery. You must have equal
lines. Lines can be spoken in unison and apart. Must be memorized.
• Highlight your lines.
• Pairs need to choreograph movements (work in specific movements
and actions that might align with your poem). You must write it down!
• Pairs will need to develop specific voices. Be over the top! Explore your
different ranges. Lose your own.
• Props and costume pieces are encouraged.
• Use your time wisely at home and during rehearsal hours.
• Remember that you are not just responsible for yourself; you have a
partner.