The Shakespeare Theatre Company

Speech and Text

Speech

Ear training is the basis of the ACA's speech and text work and is integrated thoroughly into the acting process. The speech professor attends classes to give notes, identifying ways in which the student might communicate more meaningfully and effectively, and beside the director when the students are doing their table work for the repertory plays in the last term. As with all other classes at the ACA, speech and text classes are fully participatory and interactive.

Using a Standard American Stage Dialect as the model when learning the International Phonetic Alphabet, emphasis is placed on the fact that it is a modern American model and it is a dialect adopted the way in which one would adopt any other dialect. Great importance is also placed on a student's own linguistic heritage or idiolect, and that there is no attempt to ‘neuter' those sounds but simply ‘neutralize' them when so desired, for the sake of clarity, distinction and sounding similar in background and nature. Edith Skinner's Speak with Distinction is the principal text used.

Students learn to be highly proficient in the International Phonetic Alphabet, scansion dynamics and various other forms of text analysis, so there is a significant amount of material handed in and returned with comments. This way, students are perpetually aware of their level of work and the advancements they are making.

Speech class is held three times a week for four and a half hours in the fall and up to 6 hours a week in the spring. Smaller group sessions and individual tutorials supplement the work done in class.