Dialect (and American plays) - (ENGLISH ACTING STUDENT)
| Get the dialect right! - research the play. You must be true to the text. |
| You can change some play texts into English dialects. There are conventions for this. Ask advice. |
| (ENGLISH ACTING STUDENT) You CANNOT perform an American text in an English dialect. |
| BECAUSE - there will (surely) be a cultural context to this that cannot translate so simply. Research! Ask American friends. |
| AND - because there are rhythms and structures to the sentences that only make sense in American dialect. |
| AND - energy! - most American dialect speakers put a lot more energy into speaking than English speakers in England. You have to explore that energy - and it only makes sense in an American dialect. |
| AND - BE PRECISE - your American dialect work has to be precise. For example, there are four standard American dialects. |
| Get an American dialect coach. |
| There are great opportunities in American plays. I strongly recommend American roles for training actors. And especially because of the energy demanded. |
| There is a similar problem in trainee musical actors - sometimes a lack of energy in singing and performing American roles, and a lack of precision in dialect. |
Research for UK dialects and others
| The British Library site, Archival Sound Recordings at http://sounds.bl.uk/.Then in the search option, type in dialect. This gives a collection of older clips from the Sound Archive. |
| Search on the Internet for actors' down-loadable clips, offering voice-over. |
To WELCOME PAGE for this site: http://www.savoyhill.co.uk/actor/index.html
This site gives advice about: 'ACTING 101' - FIRST YEAR OF ACTING TRAINING
You have experience of acting in school or pre-university courses? Here is advice for a college or university acting course. Or for an acting school.
This 'ACTING 101' course plan aims at achievable results for a wide range of students.
| ADVICE FROM ALAN BECK - FIRST STEPS TO ACTING TRAINING |
| 'ACTING 101' - FIRST YEAR ACTING TRAINING |
| ONSTAGE |
| BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE BEGINS - REHEARSAL AND PREPARATION |
| To LEGAL DISCLAIMER FOR THIS SITE |