Presented by: Liz Eckert & Katya Pronin
The question “How do I make these words my own?” is at the core of the actor’s craft. If you are speaking English as a second language, you may encounter additional stumbling blocks like getting stuck in “translator” mode, feeling emotionally disconnected from the language, and fearing being misunderstood. This Beyond Fluency course is designed to help you bridge the gap between the text and the self by unlocking the full expressive power of the language skills you already possess.
The 5-week series guides you through activities to fully access your natural and learned language tools so that you can express yourself more freely, listen more intently and contribute more meaningfully in English. You will begin with a stream of consciousness to transform your written expression and immerse yourself in English-thinking. Voice and movement exercises will uncover the expressive musicality and physical experience of embodied language. You will find tools to use the grammar and vocabulary you already know in a much more personal way. After these foundational movements toward self-expression, we introduce storytelling to guide your thought. You will build on the momentum of conversation through active listening and engaged responsiveness. All of this serves the actor’s calling to make meaningful connections with others through collaborative dialogue. This course precedes Theresa McElwee’s course, which will help you further develop your personal narrative voice.
“Let execution unfold beyond technique, beyond exertion, beyond thinking”.
-Jon Kabat Zinn
Paired with Embodied Speech, these two workshops comprise a 10-week Speech 3 option for our International students.