MODULE

Or
Due date
1

COURSE CONTENT ACTING

ACTIVITIES /ASSIGNMENTS
INTRODUCE SELF TO TEACHERS ON DISCUSSION BOARD
SEND MARC RICHARD YOUR PAPER TOPIC AND INTRO TO BE APPROVED
Learning Outcomes (for Modules 1, 2 & 6):
Master dialects through an understanding of the use of phonetics and media sources.
Apply dialect work though the creation of an accent breakdown paper and presentation of a monologue.
Step 1Reading: Before moving forward I would ask that you read the following sections from your course pack.
English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course (4th Ed.) by Peter Roach. CHAPTER 2 The Production Sounds of Speech pg. 815.
Challenge yourself to answer the writing exercises (Questions 1 - 4) on pg. 15.
Here are some additional resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulation_%28phonetics%29
http://auditoryneuroscience.com/vocalization/articulators
Step 2English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course (4th Ed.) by Peter Roach. CHAPTER 3 Long Vowels, Dipthongs and
Tripthongs pg. 16-17.
Challenge yourself to answer the writing exercises (Question 1) on pg. 21.
Here are some additional resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPA_vowel_chart_with_audio
Step 3English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course (4th Ed.) by Peter Roach. CHAPTER 4 Voicing and Consonants pg. 2230.
Step 4English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course (4th Ed.) by Peter Roach. CHAPTER 6 Fricatives and Affricates pg. 3945.
Here are some additional resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPA_pulmonic_consonant_chart_with_audio
http://auditoryneuroscience.com/vocal_folds
Step 5English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course (4th Ed.) by Peter Roach. CHAPTER 7 Nasals and Other Consonants pg.
46-53.
Step 6Practical Application (1 hour): Live online with instructor

Online discussion to work through phonetics, questions, exercises, demonstrations.

Next StepsStart to explore the upper class British accent also known as Received Pronunciation (RP). Find and watch sources both in
media and in theatrical format that use this accent. You will be asked to discuss your findings during the online portion of Module #2.
Reading: Before moving forward I would ask that you read the following sections from your course pack.
Accents: A Manual for Actors (Revised & Expanded Ed.) by Robert Blumenfeld. INTRODUCTION General Principles and Advice;
General American English Compared to Standard British English (RP) pg. 2-26.
Challenge yourself to answer the following questions:
Name and Describe the FOUR ELEMENTS of any accent
What is the difference between rhotic and non-rhotic?
What are the socio and economical classifications that RP speakers generally possess?
Step 2Accents: A Manual for Actors (Revised & Expanded Ed.) by Robert Blumenfeld. CHAPTER 1 Standard Upper-Class British (RP)
pg. 28-44.
Challenge yourself to:
Become very familiar with the Quick Reference Guide on pg. 32.
Work through all of the practice material in this chapter.
Here are some additional resources:
(Scroll down to Received Pronunciation)*http://www.dialectsarchive.com/england *
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Received_Pronunciation
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/
Step 3Practical Application (1 hour): Live online with instructor
Online discussion to work through accent honing, questions, exercises, demonstrations
Next StepsMonologue Performance #1 and Working Paper Assessments

Monologue Performance #1 (15%)*Students will present a monologue 2 minutes in length in their Received Pronunciation (RP)
accent. A list of appropriate monologue choices will be discussed between the instructor and students in Module 2. Playwrights can
include Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, etc.
Working Paper Assessment (10%)*Students will submit their chosen monologue from their Monologue Performance #1 assessment
with a character breakdown, including social and economical background. They will also show the accent markings they used to
transition into speaking with an RP accent. This should also include the FOUR ELEMENTS OF THE ACCENT as defined by accent
researcher Robert Blumenfeld.

MAY 20

*These are both due in Module 6

Monologue Performance #1 (Accent) (15%) Monday May 20
Students will present a monologue two minutes in length in their Received Pronunciation (RP) accent. A list of appropriate monologue
choices will be discussed between the instructor and students in Class 2.

MAY 20

Working Paper (Accent Breakdown) (10%) Monday May 20

Students will submit their chosen monologue from their Monologue Performance #1 with a character breakdown, including social and
economical background. They will also show the accent markings they used to transition into speaking RP.

May 26

Monologue performance #2 (Embellishment) (5%) Sunday May 26

JUNE 10

Students will select a monologue from a Restoration, Farce or Melodrama play, and record it in an embellished style appropriate to
the genre. The monologue should be approximately two minutes long. Please use MP3 format.
Research Paper (30%) Monday June 10
Your research paper will be 1,000 1,500 words. The topic must be approved by Monday May 13. A preliminary list of sources is due
Friday May 24.
Possible topics include the following, or you may suggest your own.
Trace the development of one of the early styles we cover (Restoration, Farce, Melodrama) into contemporary performance, focusing
on at least three major recent productions.
Compare the views of theatrical styles espoused by characters in Trelawney of the Wells by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, and The Seagull,
by Anton Chekhov, placing them in historical context.
Using three famous actors from different eras (e.g. Sarah Siddons, Ellen Terry, and Uta Hagen; Colley Cibber, Marlon Brando, and Bill
Irwin), compare the performance styles that historically existed, or that you might expect to see, in the roles of Nora in A Dolls House
and Lady Macbeth, or Torvald Helmer and Macbeth.
Prepare an actors workbook for characters in plays written in three different styles, noting the kind of research and physical and vocal
preparation you would need to do.
Compare three plays written in different styles that deal with similar plots or themes, placing them in historical and stylistic context.

JUNE 17

Document important productions of a Shakespearean play throughout history, examining at least three different stylistic approaches.
Cite all quotations and sources; MLA format is preferred. Include a list of all works cited
Group Project (20%) Monday June 17
Your group project will focus on a Canadian theatre company, known for its strong stylistic approach. Examples include Robert
Lepages Ex Machina, Theatre Gargantua, Volcano, One Yellow Rabbit, Electric Company Theatre (Kim Collier), and Daniel MacIvor.
Include a separate page for each of these topics:
a description of its notable productions
biography of key artists
major influences on its work
innovations
critical and popular response
your own assessment
You should include links to video or audio clips of their work, if they are available.
Your own assessment of this companys work should be based on primary evidence, placing it in the context of the subjects we have
covered in this course.
Students will form their own groups, and submit their names by Monday May 20. The group will submit the name of the company they
wish to research by Monday May 27. The instructor will respond within 48 hours to approve or suggest amendments.
A preliminary list of sources is due Thursday June 6.
The final project is due Monday June 17.
The format for this project will be a Wiki, with a separate page for each of the topics above. It will be accessible to the group members
and the instructor throughout the process. This Wiki will be open to all students by the end of the course.
Grading will be based on research (primary and secondary, including hyperlinks), analysis (including placing the company in the
context of our course), organization and presentation, and accuracy of spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Cite all quotations and sources; MLA format is preferred. Include a list of all works cited.
Important Dates:
Group members chosen: Monday May 20
Topic due: Monday May 27

Preliminary Sources due: Thursday June 6

Group Project due: Monday June 17
Group Projects open to view: Friday June 21