MdCV students study tricks of the trade
Acting techniques featured at workshop
November 12, 2007
The high school Forensics class traveled to Baker University in
Baldwin City, to attend an acting technique workshop on September
27. Those who attended the event were Amber Willingham, Jessica
Starch, P.B, Cassie Phillips, Jessie Mullin, Josh Drum, Travis Cox,
Kelsi Toumberlin, and Ålse Trulsson. The group was accompanied by
Missi Kewley and Linda Lawhorn.
A total of ten schools attended. During the morning sessions, students participated in two workshops -- five schools per workshop. For MdCV students, the first workshop was about character development. Here, students were divided into groups to focus on the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood." Each group developed their characters on paper -- making them rounded and full of personality. For example, they had to describe the fears of the character, what their character liked the best, and the character's secret dreams. This exercise was designed to help students better know and express the characters that they may portray. Afterwards, the groups shared their visions and perspectives of each character.
The second workshop was based on Lazzi or Commedia dell Arte, which is a form of improvisational theatre. It typically features stock characters, witty dialogue, any and all kinds of chicanery to induce comic effects, particularly, "if you're losing the attention of your audience," explained Kewley. "It's a small, short, little wake 'em up sort of thing, a type of comedy relief that doesn't have anything to with the actual play itself."
During this workshop, students were given slips of paper with separate ideas to prepare. Students had to think up their own skits, something that was "cartoon-funny," said Lawhorn. Their actions had to be over-done or over-acted -- very physical -- so they would be quickly understood.
The finale of the day was watching a play presented by the Baker University Theatre troupe. It was titled Blithe Spirit -- "An Improbable Farce in Three Acts" by Noel Coward. It was a British comedy, with a setting of 1941, Kent, Britain. The play was about a husband who is haunted by his first wife after a séance. Following the performance, the university performers listened to feedback from the high school audience.
