Date of Award

1956

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

Speech

Abstract

”Problems for the HIgh School Actor” has been prepared so that the teacher and the student have been given a certain degree of flexibility in its use. The order of presentation of the various problems, the amount of time spent on any one time, and the focusing on the major amount of emphasis may vary from class to class and from year to year as the interests, needs, and skills of the enrollee vary. The most educationally worthwhile method can be used to meet these varying situations.

This study has been developed so as to make possible further study of the problems herein presented. The resources unit that has been included will be found most helpful. It should be a stimulus for a continued analysis of the great plays.

It would be well to consider the objectives involved in “Problems for the High School Actor”: (1) To enable the student to realize the communicative possibilities of bodily action and facial expression; (2) To enable the student to realize the possibilities of emotional expression through the voice.; (3) To help the student acquire grace of movement.; (4) To help the student develop a pleasing, expressive voice.; (5) To make the student aware of the world and the people around him as a source of characterizations.; (6) To develop powers of observation in the student so that he may find in the world around him the inspiration and materials of characterization.; (7) To enable the student to acquire memorization techniques.; (8) To give the student practice in memorizing and characterization.; (9) To give the students practice in working with others in dramatic scenes.; (10) To develop the student’s sense of responsibility in self-organized, self-directed scenes.; (11) To develop the ability to sacrifice personal ambitions to the welfare of the group.; (12) To give the student a knowledge of stage directions and acting techniques.; (13) To develop a critical sense in the student in evaluating his own and other’s work.; (14) To give poise and confidence to the student.

The over-all plan in “Problems for the High School Actor’ has been to give the student a chance to act. It has long been the belief of the investigator that the average, serious-minded high school actor can best learn how to act by working on excerpts from the World’s great dramatic literature. When the actor is told exactly what is expected of him in playing his role. He will most appreciably grow, and he soon senses the importance of a well-motivated characterization, and sometimes he will have the techniques so ingrained, he can attack the more complicated problems in acting with sincerity and understanding.

Pages

143

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