In this course we work on the quality of our speech as actors at an advanced level. The aim is not the “correct” pronunciation of letters, but deliberate artistic voicing: acting speech as an art.
We look for clarity, for momentum and lightness, for nuance, fullness, surprise and impact. In a creative spirit, we also ask what actually makes a human voice “human”, and where our individuality as speakers lies.
Much of the course is based on the exercise system of Yuri Vasilyev, Professor of Stage Speech at the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts in St. Petersburg. Building on his integrative approach, we develop a small canon of exercises that participants can then use in their individual practice.
The literary material is German-language dramatic and non-dramatic literature. We give particular attention to the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in their first edition of 1812/1815.
In small portions, we also acquire the first foundations of a cognitive-scientific understanding of language and speech. This serves to clarify the factual conditions of acting speech, beyond aesthetic conventions and school rules, so that participants can make independent artistic decisions on that basis.
In-person teaching is kept compact. Most of the development comes from weekly independent work and a required reading practicum. Over the course, participants read aloud to real audiences for a total of 12 hours, for example in primary schools, kindergartens, care homes, or among family.
- In-person teaching, 12 sessions of 2 hours each: 24 hours
- Independent work, preparing texts and doing exercises (approx. 2 hours per week): 24 hours
- Reading-aloud practicum: 12 hours
- Total: 60 hours
The course is for actors who want to take their speaking skills a deliberate step further and are willing to put in the effort. It also explicitly addresses practising and prospective German teachers who want to add an acting-based approach to text and speech to their teaching repertoire.
The course can be booked together in conjunction with Advanced Class 27 Compact.