Flower flower blooming fair tells us all that Spring is here!
“Peter Goes To Wonderland”
Rehearsals for this most anticipated end of year panto are off to a cracking start! Scripts are already down, vocal chords are lubricated and choreography is already almost complete! Things are hot and happening and officially going like a boeing!!
Show dates are as follows, so be sure to start informing family and friends and diarise NOW!
17th, 18th, 24th and 25th November
Inter-society Happenings
EADS
Our sister society EADS is putting on “King Arthur” as their end of year panto. Bookings are now open for their November run, check out their poster for all the details.
RLT PRODUCTIONS
RLT will be presenting its annual festive fun extravaganza at the Basement in the Roodepoort Theatre complex. So for some summer solace and December delights, diarise: Fri 24 & Sat 25 November and Fri 1 & Sat 2 December.
RLT will also be hosting another Quiz Night on 14 October at Stages Restaurant (adjacent to the Roodepoort Theatre’s main auditorium). RSVP before 12 October. See their poster for all the details.
For more information about the RLT Christmas show or to RSVP for Quiz Night, drop a line to their booking agent at RLTproductions1950@gmail.com or call / message 083 332 9683.
PROTEA STAGE PRODUCTIONS
Franklin Players would like to express condolences to family, friends and members of Protea Stage Productions on the recent passing of Margaret Todd, a stalwart with over 40 years of her life dedicated to theatre.
Margaret’s passing has inspired Protea to kick off 2018 with a one act play festival which is proposed to take place around mid to late January. More news to follow soon.
AGM
It’s heading up to that time of the year again which means it’s time to diarise the date for our Annual General Meeting. The meeting will take place on Sunday 3rd December at 12 o’clock at the hall. See you there!
2018 OAPF
Submissions for our 2018 One Act Play Festival will be in January so best you budding scriptwriters get some ideas brewing and the creative juices flowing, so that the pens can start writing / fingers typing over the holidays.
Breathing Tips for Projection
3 Simple Techniques to Improve your Voice Projection
Effective voice projection depends on a combination of three key areas:
- Breathing technique
- Resonance
- Pitch
There are plenty of exercises to develop all of these areas, but here are a few which, if practiced regularly, will really make a difference to the way your voice sounds and travels:
1. Breathing technique
Place one hand on your belly (below the ribcage, over your belly button) and one hand on your back. Breathe in slowly, and feel the gap between your hands get wider as your belly moves outward. Take a few deep breaths in and out and feel the hand on your belly moving out and in as you do so. Now place your hands, with fingertips touching, across your belly, just below the ribcage. Breathe in and feel your belly move out, then breathe out making a hard, quick “Huh” sound – you should feel your belly contract as the sound comes out. Repeat several times. Practice this abdominal breathing regularly so that it becomes normal and natural (in the car, watching TV – anywhere). Then try making different sounds. Hear how much stronger and clearer the voice is, and how much more it projects when you breathe abdominally. Good voice projection requires efficient working of the lungs, intercostal muscles and diaphragm. The diaphragm is an umbrella shaped muscle which helps push air out of the lungs. The diaphragm should move down and push the belly out when breathing in, and move up, pushing air out of the lungs and pulling the belly in when you breathe out.
2. Resonance
Resonance resonators are the ‘speakers’ in your head. Your voice originates at your vocal cords and then resonates through your chest, throat, and head as it comes out of your mouth. When people have a cold and their sinuses are blocked, their voice doesn’t resonate well and they sound odd. To improve vocal tone, one must “open up” the chest, throat, and head cavities to allow the voice to resonate. Hold your nose and say “many mighty men making much money in the moonshine” with as much force as possible. Then immediately let go of your nose and say the same phrase. You will immediately hear the difference in the force of your vocal sound. Humming is another way of improving resonance: Hum at a comfortable pitch, then move the pitch slightly lower and pay attention to how your chest feels. Continue humming until you can feel the vibration in your chest – try to increase the vibration in your chest. Then move the pitch slightly higher and pay attention to how your head feels. Let your mouth open gently. Hum until you feel the vibration in your tongue and lips, behind and above your mouth. Then continue humming, attempting to increase the vibrations in your mouth, tongue and lips. Finally, return to your chest again. Repeat the whole exercise, but always ensure you end with your chest in order to develop a full, luscious sound. Note: Remember to breathe frequently, and stop if you get light headed.
3. Pitch
Everyone has an optimum pitch (which is usually lower than their normal speaking voice). To find your optimum pitch, place your hand on your chest, at heart level. Breathe with your diaphragm (see above) and say a long “Oooooooh” starting with a high pitch and swooping down to the lowest pitch you have and then up again. Pay attention to the vibration on your chest – there will be a specific pitch level in which you feel more vibration than the others. This is your optimum pitch – the more vibration you can achieve the better. Practice speaking at or around this pitch (but NOT on a monotone!)