Spring 1999

Course number: THEA 4990-02

Credits: 3 Hours

Time: M,W, 2:10-3:30

Location: Studio Theatre, Fine Arts Building

Professor's Name: Lou Anne Wright

Office: Room 213, Fine Arts Building

Office phone: 766-2227

Dept. phone: 766-2198

e-mail: lawright@uwyo.edu

Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 11am-12noon or by appt.

Required Text: None. You will be given handouts prior to each assignment.

Recommended Texts: The Dialect Handbook by Ginny Kopf, Stage Dialects by Jerry Blunt, & Everyman's Pronouncing Dictionary by Daniel Jones

COURSE OBJECTIVES

-To encourage speech freedom, focus and flexibility

-To give the student the skills to detect and score a dialect

-To teach the student the tone focus, resonance and sound changes of six major dialects for the stage

ATTENDANCE

ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY and roll will be taken at each class. Three (3) unexcused absences will lower the student's final grade by one letter. IF YOU ARE CHRONICALLY LATE TO CLASS, YOU WILL HAVE POINTS DEDUCTED FROM YOUR ATTITUDE AND PARTICIPATION GRADE. Absences from class may be excused by the instructor for religious holidays, personal illness (the student must have consulted Student Health Services or have a note from a private physician) or participating as an authorized university representative in an out of town event. Students must seek permission from the instructor prior to an expected absence.

MAKEUP WORK

You are responsible for contacting me prior to an expected absence and arranging to make up assigned work within 3 days of your return. There will be no opportunity to make up work for unexcused absence days.

CLOTHING AND MATERIALS

You should own a fair sized hand mirror and have it with you for each class. Your mid section should be free from constraint and you should be able to stand in alignment so wear comfortable clothing (no tight jeans or belts) and remove high heeled or thick soled shoes. IT IS MANDATORY THAT YOU REMOVE ALL LIP AND TONGUE RINGS.

ATTITUDE AND PARTICIPATION

This grade denotes how well (and often) you participate in the in-class exercises; it also reflects how you support your classmates in their work.

FOOD AND DRINK ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE STUDIO THEATRE, so please note that you should never have gum.

GRADE

150 points possible, based on:

Shakespeare monologue @ 10 points

Southern scene @ 10 points

Brooklynese scene @ 10 points

British scene @ 10 points

Cockney scene @ 10 points

Irish scene @ 10 points

Shakespeare transcription @ 10 points

Southern transcription @ 10 points

Brooklynese transcription @ 10 pounts

British transcription @ 10 points

Cockney transcription @ 10 points

Irish transcription @ 10 points

"Free" dialect presentation @ 20 points

Attitude/Participation @ 10 points

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR GRADE:

150-135 = A

134-120 = B

119-105 = C

104-90 = D

89-0 = F

CLASS SCHEDULE

This is an approximate daily schedule; due to class size and needs, it will change. You must attend class to keep up with the changes.

-Mon Jan 11 Syllabus; sensibilities; review warm ups + high task; tremoring; resonance; Choose a Shakespeare monologue

-Wed Jan 13 Finish voice review; Begin IPA/Standard American review, diacritical marks; review scansion

-Mon Jan 18 MARTIN LUTHER KING OBSERVANCE - NO CLASS

-Wed Jan 20 How to study dialects, packet and procedures

-Mon Jan 25 Voice and movement exercises; Intro imitation

Mini-monologue due next class: Choose a character from a skit (like those on Saturday Night Live) or base your imitation on a real person (such as Bob Dole). Memorize at least a 30 second presentation.

-Wed Jan 27 IMITATION (RESONANCE) PRESENTATIONS DUE

-Mon Feb 1 SHAKESPEARE MONOLOGUES previewed/Standard check

Choose scene partner(s) for Southern American dialect

-Wed Feb 3 SHAKESPEARE MONOLOGUES GRADED/Review Standard

-Mon Feb 8 Southern American dialect presentation & exercises

Mini-monologue due next class: Choose a SOUTHERN

AMERICAN character from film and imitate that character's words, resonance and sound changes. Check with me to see if it's a good sample!

-Wed Feb 10 IMITATION (RESONANCE & SOUND CHANGES) PRESENTATIONS

-Mon Feb 15 (ACTF WEEK)-TUTORIALS INSTEAD OF CLASS MEETING

-Wed Feb 17 (ACTF WEEK)-TUTORIALS INSTEAD OF CLASS MEETING

-Mon Feb 22 SOUTHERN AMERICAN DIALECT SCENES DUE/Review dialect

-Wed Feb 24 New York/Brooklynese dialect presentation & exercises

Mini-monologue due next class: Choose a NEW YORK/BROOKLYNESE character from film and imitate that character's words, resonance and sound changes.

-Mon Mar 1 SPRING BREAK - NO CLASS

-Wed Mar 3 SPRING BREAK - NO CLASS

-Mon Mar 8 IMITATION (RESONANCE & SOUND CHANGES) PRESENTATIONS

-Wed Mar 10 NEW YORK/BROOKLYNESE DIALECT SCENES DUE/Review dialect

-Mon Mar 15 Southern British dialect presentation & exercises

Mini-monologue due next class: Choose a SOUTHERN BRITISH character from flim and imitate that character's words,resonance and sound changes. Check with me to see if it's a good sample!

-Wed Mar 17 IMITATION (RESONANCE & SOUND CHANGES) PRESENTATIONS

-Mon Mar 22 SOUTHERN BRITISH DIALECT SCENES DUE/Review dialect

-Wed Mar 24 London Working Class/Cockney presentation & exercises

Mini-monologue due next class: Choose a WORKING CLASS/COCKNEY character from flim and imitate that character's words,resonance and sound changes.

-Mon Mar 29 IMITATION (RESONANCE & SOUND CHANGES) PRESENTATIONS

-Wed Mar 31 LONDON WORKING CLASS/COCKNEY SCENES DUE/Review dialect

-Mon Apr 5 Irish dialect presentation & exercises

Mini-monologue due next class: Choose an IRISH character from flim and imitate that character's words,resonance and sound changes.

-Wed Apr 7 IMITATION (RESONANCE & SOUND CHANGES) PRESENTATIONS

-Mon Apr 12 IRISH DIALECT SCENES DUE/Review dialect

-Wed Apr 14 "Free" presentations/SIGN UP FOR ORAL EXAMS

-Mon Apr 19 "Free" presentations

-Wed Apr 21 "Free" presentations

-Mon Apr 26 NO CLASS - END OF YEAR THEATRE EVALUATIONS

-Wed Apr 28 Dialect party

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND!

Because we have a mere semester in which to study 6 (plus the "free" dialects), this is an intensive class. You will need to budget your time so that you can accomplish the work you need to do.

¥ You have 5 "mini monologue" assignments to complete in addition to your scene/monologue work. They will come in fast order, so you should be compiling a list in advance of who it is you wish to imitate. It may not be a bad idea, for example, to record skit shows like Saturday Night Live and Mad TV or certain imported shows such as Ab Fab or The Young Ones for help in writing out and preparing your mini monologues ahead of time. These mini monologues must be at at least 30 seconds long but they do not have to be longer. YOU WILL NOT GET A GRADE FOR THESE BUT POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM ATTITUDE/PARTICIPATION IF YOU MISS ONE.

¥ YOU MAY MAKE THE MINI MONOLOGE A MINI SCENE IF A CLASSMATE WISHES TO DO IT WITH YOU, BUT IN THAT CASE THE MINI SCENE WILL BECOME AT LEAST A MINUTE LONG.

¥ You may stay with one partner for a maximum of 2 dialect scenes but you must switch partners after that.

¥ You may also want to compile a list of dialect scenes that you've always wanted to do. If you cannot find a dialect scene, come an see me AT LEAST A WEEK BEFORE THE SCENE IS DUE and I will provide you with a scene. You'll find I will have little sympathy for those who wait unti the last moment.

¥ If you are absent on a day you are scheduled to present, you will receive an "F" for that unit. and your partner will be assigned another scene.

¥ Some suggestions for the "Free" dialect: French, German, Spanish, Mexican, Australian, British North Country, Polish, Norwegian, Japanese. SIGN UP EARLY -- IT'S FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!