SPEECH AND STAGE ARTS (ALAGON, JOHN MARK S.

INTRODUCTION

Speech Arts
is a discipline that covers speech composition and public speaking, storytelling, and literature,
poetry, and performance in drama. Expression arts involve learning vocal range, body
language and physicality, concentrating on the eyes, interpretation, and emotional perception, in
addition to the structure of expression and coordinating ideas.

Speech is the medium by which we communicate orally; but, through writing and using sign
languages, we can also communicate. Speech relates to speech sounds interpretation,
preparation, and development and has two elements: phonetics, and phonology.

Phonetics is the study of sounds and deals with the development, rehearsal and interpretation
of speech sounds called (phones). It deals with the configurations of the vocal tract used to
create speech sounds (articulatory phonetics), the acoustic properties of speech sounds
(acoustic phonetics), and the manner of mixing sounds to make syllables, words and phrases
(linguistic phonetics). Phonetics comprises the knowledge and skills required for the
perception and production of speech sounds.

Phonology is a branch of linguistics that deals with the systematic arrangement of sounds in
spoken languages and signs in sign languages. This requires the information and skills needed
to understand and use speech sound rules which are linguistically relevant. Phonology explains
the operation of sounds within a given language and works at the sound structures and abstract
sound units.

Communication came from the Latin word ‘communico’ meaning ‘I share’. It's described as a
complex process that often involves reading, writing, listening and talking. Information is
forwarded to the receiver from source.

Communication is the exchange between two parties of evidence, opinions and, knowledge,
ideas. Communication is two-way because it requires the recipient's input to complete the
process, in this sense the sender may determine whether or not the recipient understands the
message. To cut it short, communication is the process of sender-to-receiver information, with
the message being understood by the receiver.

Elements of Communication Process

● Message - the body of information that creates the communication process.
● Sender - the source of information that has the full authority to explain or encode the
information or message created.
● Channel - the way by which the message may be conveyed, communicated or carried.
● Receiver - the party who accepts the message from the sender. It also makes feedback
out of the information taken from the source.Feedback – the response sent back by the
receiver to the sender.
THREE MODELS OF COMMUNICATION
REPORT #1

THE HISTORY OF DRAMA

1. Primitive
2. Greek
3. Middle Ages
4. Renaissance
5. Romanticism and Realism
6. Modern

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
● ATMOSPHERE: the interaction between the audience and the mood of a drama
performance.
● CHARACTER: a person or individual in the drama that may have defined personal
qualities and/or histories.
● DRAMATIC TENSION: drives the drama and keeps an audience interested.
● LANGUAGE AND TEXTS: referring to the use of spoken or written words that observe
particular conventions and language registers that communicate ideas, feelings and
other associations.
● METAPHOR: creating an image or idea of one thing by saying it is something else.
● MOOD: describes the feelings and attitudes, often combined of the roles or characters
involved in dramatic action often supported by other Elements of Drama as well as
design elements.
● RELATIONSHIPS: refers to the qualities of the connection between two or more
characters or roles.
● ROLE: a performer can present in performance a role that represents an abstract
concept, stereotyped figure, or person.
● SITUATION: the condition or circumstances in which a character or characters are
presented often at the opening of a performance.
● SPACE: the place where dramatic action is situated and the qualities of that place.
● SYMBOL: symbolic parts of the scenography or design represent and add further
meaning to themes, narrative, emotion, mood and atmosphere.
● TIME: both the time of day, time of the year and time in history or the future. Time also
reflects changes in time within a scene or drama event.

ROLE OF DRAMA AND THEATER

● THEATER AND DRAMA HELP US TO SEE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FROM OUR
OWN.
● THEATER AND DRAMA REMIND US THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE.
● THEATER AND DRAMA ARE IMMEDIATE, EVOLVING AND ALWAYS DIFFERENT.
● LIVE THEATER AND DRAMA HELP TO PROMOTE SOCIAL DISCOURSE, DIALOGUE
AND POTENTIAL SOCIAL CHANGE.
● THEATER AND DRAMA PROMOTE EDUCATION AND LITERACY.

THEATER AS AN ART
Theatre is a collaborative art form which combines words, voice, movement and visual elements
to express meaning. The field of theater encompasses not only live improvised and scripted
work, but also dramatic forms such as film, television and other electronic media. Due to the
increasingly pervasive influence of contemporary theatrical media, theater has enormous
importance in citizens’ lives. It is not possible for students to achieve media literacy without
understanding and having hands-on experience with theater. Theater is about the examination
and resolution of fundamental human issues, and is built on understanding and presenting
interactions between people.

THEATER AS A SOCIALIZING ACTIVITY

Theater work provides a vehicle for students to reflect on important aspects of life, in the
process developing their sensitivity to and deepening their understanding of others’ points of
view. The broad, worldwide base of theatrical literature or repertoire ranges from classical forms
such as Japanese Kabuki and Shakespeare, to folk forms such as traditional puppetry, to
contemporary forms such as animated cartoons and movies. Quality theater education is
similarly broad-based, extending beyond the teaching of acting to develop students’ abilities in
areas ranging from technical theater to directing, and from researching the cultural and historical
context of repertoire to creating their own improvised or scripted works.

THEATER AS A WAY OF LEARNING

Theatre is an integral part of English language arts as well as the performing arts, so the
foundation for theater begins at birth as children develop personal communication skills. Parents
and preschool and elementary teachers should encourage imaginative play and role-playing,
both for their own sake and as important components of the learning process across the
curriculum. All students should study creative writing, improvising and writing scripts; expressive
public speaking, media literacy, theatrical production and interpretation; and other key
communication skills as part of their basic K-12 language arts curriculum, and should deepen
and apply these skills in formal theater experiences under the guidance of expert theater
teachers.

REPORT #2

Drama as a Learning Medium

● Drama is a performing art, an outlet for self-expression, and a way of learning.
● Drama is an effective learning tool because it involves the student intellectually,
physically, socially, and emotionally.
● Activities in improvisation, pantomime, play-making, and scene reenactment serve to
develop the creative potential in the participants and help to develop critical thinking
skills.

Classroom Application
Drama has many practical classroom applications for teaching curricular material. Important
concepts, ideas, events, and people can be dramatized through improvisation, pantomime, and
playwriting to stimulate interest, convey knowledge,gain comprehension, and improve retention.

Drama can be the vehicle for the following applications:

a. Role play situations to model/observe new skills or behaviors.
b. Develop scenarios to introduce new concepts.
c. Dramatize a meeting between characters or historical figures.
d. Reenact a real event.
e. Dramatize a scene that might have happened in a story.
f. Improvise a scene that expresses the topic or theme.
g. Act out scenarios as a way to approach writing dialogue.
h. Create literary sketches.
i. Stimulate ideas for composing essays, poetry, or fiction.
j. Portray famous people.

Creative Drama
Creative drama is a type of theater used for educational purposes that helps children work on
social skills and academic subjects using theater games and improvisations while being led by a
trained instructor. It provides a safe environment for students to explore behavior, ideas,
creativity, and school subjects. Ultimately,creative drama is an out-of-the-box approach to
learning that engages imagination,concentration, and sensory awareness in a theater
environment.

The Art of Creative Drama

The art form of creative drama differs from dramatic play (playing make-believe) because of the
leader's training and the structured environment. However, creative drama builds on the
elements of play to create a learning atmosphere that targets social growth and academic
improvement. Children can use their imagination with subjects such as math, social studies,
science, and language arts, and they have the opportunity to work on hearing, speaking, visual
motor, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Creative drama also encourages the
development of vocabulary and independent thought. Kids can do role-playing exercises to
learn about themselves and others socially, and dramatizing a story allows students to find new
alternatives and make decisions. The exercises are researched and structured to help in
academic areas, while also reinforcing study skills and language. However, creative drama is
not formal, and no written scripts are used. The dialogue in the exercises is improvisational and
based on stories and subjects discussed and developed by the children. These activities build
self-discipline, self-esteem, and relationships with others. The art of creative drama lies in
technique, and the exercises explore the imagination, dramatic technique, sensory awareness,
and concentration.

Creative Drama incorporates the following Techniques:

● Pantomime
● Sense Memory Improvisation
● Emotions, Characterization
● Dialogue
● Story Dramatization

Role Playing
● Role-playing is taking on the role of others, or assuming the part of another person in
society.
● Role playing can help you grow socially. When you “try on” the role of others, you have
the opportunity to discover how they feel or what they want or need. Thinking as
someone else helps you to expand your way of looking at things and strengthens your
own decision-making skills. Often, the views and opinions you act out will be different
from your own. Role-playing allows you to take safe risks with thoughts and ideas in
order to establish your own set of values and beliefs.
REPORT #3

IMPROVISATION
It is a spontaneous style of theater using unrehearsed and unscripted acting scenes.

An Improvisation can be:

● Who? An improvisation can be character-centered.
● Where? An improvisation can be location-centered.
● What? An improvisation can be situation-centered.

Three Basic Parts of Improvisation

1. Beginning
● Tells the audience what was happened before the scene
● Introduces the characters
● Establishes the setting
● Set up the conflict or problem
2. Middle
● Problems become more complicated
● Characters reveal wants and needs
3. End
● Problem is solved
● The scene comes to an end

Guidelines for Improvisation

1. Introduce your characters with energy! Give them personality and pizzazz!
2. Use different voices, gestures, and emotions to distinguish your characterizations.
3. Listen to each other and build on each other’s ideas.
4. Speak up so your audience can feel the energy.
5. Relax and go with the flow. Creativity comes pouring out when you are having fun!

PANTOMIME (THE ART OF SILENCE)

● is the art of communicating through movements and facial expressions rather than the
spoken word.
● ''pantomime‘’ it is used to describe both a person and a theatrical play or performance.
● It was developed in the United Kingdom and is generally performed during the Christmas
and New Year season. It is a participatory form of theatre, in which the audience is
expected to sing along with certain parts of the music and shout out phrases to the
performers.
Pantomime Characteristics
● Reversal of Gender Roles
● Good vs. Evil
● Slapstick Comedy
● Audience Participation
● Colorful and unconventional costumes
● Based on a fairytale or nursery story

Guidelines for Pantomime

1. Strive for consistency. Mimed objects should remain the same size.
2. Use exaggerations! Gestures and emotions should make a BIG impact.
3. Keep it simple – something your audience will immediately understand.
4. Tell a story that has an initial situation with a rising conflict and ends with resolution.
5. Be creative! Your story does not have to be totally realistic so have fun!

Scripted Performances
● refer to the performances that allow the students to prepare a script in advance and to
rehearse it before performing them.

Non-Scripted Performances
● refer to the performances in which students play without scripts or rehearsal.

PUPPETRY
● The word puppet comes from the Latin pupa, meaning “doll”, a puppet is not a doll, nor
it is limited to being doll-like.
● It is a form of theatrical performance where puppets, which are inanimate objects
manipulated by human performers, are used to tell stories and convey emotions.
● It can be made of a variety of materials, such as wood, cloth, paper, foam, or even more
advanced materials like animatronics. It is commonly used in children's shows,
traditional folk performances, contemporary theater, television, and films.

PUPPETEERS
● also known as puppet operators, use their hands or other control mechanisms to move
the puppets and bring them to life.
● by manipulating the puppets' movements, facial expressions, and voices, they create
characters that interact with each other and engage the audience.

TYPES OF PUPPETS

Rod Puppet a paper constructed without shoulders, arms, or legs and manipulated
by one or more rods.

Shadow Puppet a flat, two-dimensional puppet designed to cast a shadow or form a

silhouette on a white screen.

Hand Puppet a puppet that fits over the puppeteer’s hand, much like a mitten, and
is manipulated by puppeteer’s fingers inside the puppet’s head and
hands.

Movable-mouth a hand puppet with a movable mouth.

Puppet

Marionette a puppet manipulated by strings connecting a control rod or paddle to

the moving body parts.

Full-body Puppet a puppet worn over the puppeteer’s head and body like a costume.
 KINDS OF PUPPETRY PERFORMANCES

Hand Puppetry are small puppets that fit over the puppeteer's hand and are
controlled using the fingers. The puppeteer's hand becomes the
puppet's head, and the fingers control the movement of the puppet's
arms and sometimes the mouth.

Marionette Puppetry Puppets that are manipulated using strings or wires. The strings are
attached to different parts of the puppet, allowing for intricate and
detailed movements.

Rod Puppetry Rod puppets have rods attached to the puppet's limbs or body,
allowing the puppeteer to control their movements. The rods are
usually made of wood or metal and are manipulated from below or
behind the puppet.

Shadow Puppetry It involves the use of flat, cut-out puppets made of leather, paper, or
other materials. The puppets are held between a light source and a
translucent screen, creating shadow images that are projected onto a
larger screen for the audience to see.

Bunraku Puppetry Bunraku is a traditional Japanese puppet theater form that combines
large, elaborate puppets with three puppeteers per puppet. One
puppeteer controls the head and right hand, another the left hand,
and a third the legs and feet. The puppeteers work in harmony to
bring the puppet to life.

Wayang Kulit Wayang Kulit is a traditional Indonesian shadow puppetry

performance, where intricately designed leather puppets are used to
enact stories from Hindu epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The puppeteer skillfully manipulates the puppets while narrating the
story.

Finger Puppetry Finger puppets are tiny puppets that fit over the fingers, and they are
often used for storytelling and interactive performances with young
children.

Object Puppetry Object puppetry involves using everyday objects as puppets to tell a
story. The puppeteer brings life to these objects by giving them
personalities and using them to convey emotions.

Muppet-style This style is popularized by Jim Henson's Muppets, where puppets

Puppetry with foam and fabric bodies and expressive faces are used in
television shows, films, and stage performances

Ventriloquism Ventriloquists use puppets, typically called "dummies" or "figures," to

perform comedic or entertaining routines, making it appear as though
the puppet is speaking independently

MASK MAKING
● Mask is a covering worn overall or part of the actor’s face to neutralize the actor’s own
face. Masks have long been a part of the theater. The Greek believed that you put on a
mask to become another person..
● Theater masks are symbolic objects used in theatrical performances to represent
characters and emotions.

Two Most Well-known Theater Mask

1. Comedy - Light tone that depicts amusing incidents and in which the characters triumph
over adversity
 2. Tragedy - Based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that
befall a main character.

Types of Theater Masks from Various Cultures

1. Greek Theater Masks:
In ancient Greek theater, masks were used to portray characters and amplify their
emotions for the audience. The range of expressions, such as happy, sad, angry, and
frightened were included.

2. Commedia dell'arte Masks:

Commedia dell'arte is an Italian form of theater that emerged in the 16th century. The
masks in commedia dell'arte represent stock characters, each with their own distinct
personality traits.

Some well-known commedia dell'arte masks include:

● Pantalone: An old, miserly character with a long nose, hunched back, and often
dressed in red.
● Harlequin (Arlecchino): A mischievous and agile servant character wearing a
checkered costume.
● Brighella: A clever, quick-witted servant with a hooked nose.

3. Noh Masks:
Noh is a traditional form of Japanese theater that dates back to the 14th century. Noh
masks are carved from blocks of wood and are highly stylized to represent specific
character types.

Some Noh mask types include:

● Hannya: A mask representing a jealous and vengeful female spirit.
● Okina: A mask depicting an elderly man, representing wisdom and authority.
● Shakumi: A mask of a middle-aged woman, usually representing a person of
high status

4. Kabuki Masks:
Kabuki is another form of traditional Japanese theater that emerged in the 17th century.
While Kabuki actors often wear elaborate makeup rather than physical masks, the term
"kabuki masks" refers to the different makeup styles used to depict various character
types.

Some examples include:

● Kumadori: Elaborate makeup with bold lines and colors used to portray heroic or
supernatural characters.
● Oshiguma: A Special makeup style used to depict demons and evil spirits

5. Balinese Topeng Masks:

Topeng is a traditional Balinese dance form accompanied by music and storytelling. The
performers wear masks that represent various characters from Balinese mythology and
history. Each mask has its own distinct features and colors.

6. African Masks:
These masks can represent ancestral spirits, animals, or mythical beings, and they play
a significant role in religious and ceremonial events.

7. Contemporary Theatrical Masks:

This refers to the idea of characters "wearing masks" to hide their true emotions or
intentions.
THEATER STAGE
Upper Left Side Upper Center Side Upper Right Side

Left Side Center Right Side

Left Down Side Front Center Stage Right Down Side

APRON