Oral Interpretation: Response #2
Oral communication and interpretation is an entertaining form of vocal acting, in which the majority of the performance is done with the voice, only vaguely suggesting a character through physical acting. There are various elements of an oral interpretation performance that determine whether the performer was successful or not, including facial expressions, tone, stance, etc. Oral interpretation can take on various forms, including poetry, prose, humorous interpretation, or dramatic interpretation. In Brandon Garman’s oral interpretation of “The Dark Knight” hospital scene for his oral interpretation class, he chose to use a dramatic interpretation of the script. In Garman’s performance there are various elements
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that fit within the oral performance suggestions in chapter 1 and 2 of Performing Literary Texts: Concepts and Skills. According to Performing Literary Texts: Concepts and Skills, “performance is sometimes defined broadly to include the daily roles we play, the rituals we enact, the ways we perform gender, racial and ethnic identity, and personal identity.” In this scene, Garman was required to interpret the Joker visiting the hospital to see Harvey Dent for the purpose of attempting to corrupt the “White Knight.” As seen in “The Dark Knight,” Brandon “selected a text, analyzed it, [planned to perform it], and [kept] in mind the audience and situation” (Jaffe 2006). In addition, Brandon uses the concept of elocutionary movement or elocution “which [focuses] on delivery, [including] vocal qualities and body movements…as well as aesthetic communication, which includes utterances that are created to entertain or to express ideas creatively” (Jaffe 2006). In addition, Brandon’s performance also fits within the oral performance suggestions in a number of ways, including the elements that make up the main ingredients of performance which include: place, content, audience, and goal (the end or purpose); goals include instruction, pleasure, or a combination of the two. Performance should also be intentional and should have some reformative effect on the audience (Jaffe 2006). As can be seen in this particular performance, Brandon kept in mind the place or the physical setting in which the performance took place (in his oral interpretation classroom at Victor Valley College), content (a script that discusses the hospital scene that occurs between the Joker and the Harvey Dent), audience (his oral interpretation classmates and his teacher), and his goal/purpose (which was to successfully convey the scene through the use of placement, expressions, and character distinction). Furthermore, Brandon’s performance also fits within the oral performance suggestions in that he kept in mind his intention and goal during the performance, which was to entertain the audience and successfully convey the scene. Finally, Brandon also followed the guidelines of oral interpretation of overcoming anxiety or stage fright. At the end of the interpretation when the audience is analyzing his performance, Brandon admits that he was anxious about his performance, but overcame his performance anxiety by practicing, visualization, and using physical movements to relax. To close, Brandon used the guidelines found in Performing Literary Texts: Concepts and Skills, which was that the reader may look at the printed page (in Brandon’s case the script), but as an interpreter he knew he needed to know the text well enough that he could look away. As can be seen in the video, Brandon only looked away from the audience one time during the performance. Brandon also relied heavily on emotions to convey both the Joker’s and Harvey’s characters (negative emotions of shame, guilt, fear, rage, disgust, and hatred) and create distinction between the two. In conclusion, Brandon’s performance not only fit in with the oral performance suggestions in chapter 1 and 2 of Performing Literary Texts: Concepts and Skills, but went beyond just selecting and reading the text by analyzing and interpreting its meaning (while adding his own take of the content), planning and practicing his performance, performing it, and keeping in mind his audience/situation. In Brandon’s performance, although his words were not his own, his voice and body entered the performance.
Because of this, Brandon had to mediate between the script writer and the audience (the listeners). In my opinion, the performer (Brandon Garman) interpreted the text in an effective manner for many reasons. To start, Brandon interpreted the text fairly straight forward (didn’t add any of his own content). However, through the use of Brandon’s placement, focus, physical and facial expressions, open focus, introduction, and voice distinction, he was not only able to create character distinction, but he also conveyed the scene as though it had happened to him personally, therefore making the characters come to life for the audience. In addition, Brandon also orally interpreted the text in an effective manner through his nonverbal and verbal communication with the audience. When Brandon was reading the script about the Dark Knight, his voice was passionate depending on what part of the poem he was in. When Brandon wanted to emphasize the Joker, his voice would become louder and he could change his voice pitch, along with moving his hands in front his face to convey the stereotypical “evil” villain body and hand movement. On the flip side, when Brandon wanted to convey Harvey, he would have his voice soft and by the end of the scene when Harvey is angry that the Joker was saying that his girlfriend dying was not “personal”, he would become passionate as well (but in a …show more content…
difference voice than the Joker). Lastly, he would change which direction he was facing in order to create character distinction as well. Brandon had the Joker’s words less pronounced, while Harvey’s words were clear to understand. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would rate Brandon’s performance as a 5 for many reasons.
Firstly, Brandon was successful in not only maintaining eye contact with the audience (which made the performance seen more personal), but he had a powerful introduction that caught the audience’s attention. Secondly, Brandon explained the scene (content) before he started in order to avoid the audience becoming confused. In addition, from the very beginning of Brandon’s performance he enunciates his words, conveying confidence about his performance. Next, Brandon also uses his hands and facial expressions, as well as vocal fluctuations in order to emphasize important words so the audience could pick on the purpose of the scene. Next, Brandon conveyed the emotional aspects of the poem, including anger and grief that Harvey was feeling, along with the disgust and frustration of the Joker’s character. Brandon also distinguished his voice for the characters and maintained energy and enthusiasm throughout the scene. Brandon memorized the content so the scene was more realistic and believable(less scripted feel), and also overcame his anxiety, allowing the performance to shine through and not his nerves. Finally, he emphasized his language and rhythm in order to create a sense of flow to the performance. In other words, Brandon’s performance was not too fast or too slow (he went at a good pace). In my opinion, I don’t think that there is anything that Brandon could have improved or changed in his
performance. In conclusion, in my opinion, I believe that the performer (Brandon) was able to pull the words from the script and give dimension to the characters through the use of his voice (with variety, quality, and accents), eyes, face, gestures, and posture, which created district characterization between the Joker and Harvey. Brandon set the emotional context of the scene through the use of poise, involvement, and imagery. Brandon also maintained eye to eye contact with the audience and set the mood of the scene, which allowed the scene to come to life. Brandon also conveyed the message of the script that the writers intended to convey beyond just reading the words on the page. Through Brandon’s performance, the audience was able to connect with the characters. Overall, Brandon’s body movement, voice, eyes facial expressions, gestures, and originality of the performance not only conveyed the scene, but created an outstanding and enjoyable performance for the audience.
The performance of the storyteller was not particularly frightening at any point in the story. It was told for the purpose of entertainment, and the storyteller certainly kept his audience interested throughout the tale with hand gestures and body motions. At ...
The narration mimics human speech through breaking grammar rules and using informal language. This is exemplified through the passage where Granny is in the hospital and the narrator comments on the medical system saying, “Those doctors tell Granny, ummmm, ummmm, ummmm. Maybe you better stay here. One day. Four days. Maybe we see something” (King, Magpies 23). The narrator pokes fun at a system which frustrates him and a somewhat sarcastic and witty voice is created in the passage. The uncomplicated nature of the narrator’s speech strengthens the voice of a storyteller and makes the narrator more relatable and realistic. The onomatopoeia of the word “ummmm” adds sound to the narration and brings his speech to life. These techniques pull the reader to not only read, but also to listen to the story. The narrator is given a personality through this and is given the opportunity to express personal opinion and engage with the reader, much like a real
In this essay I shall concentrate on the plays 'Road' by Jim Cartwright and 'Blasted' by Sarah Kane with specific reference to use of language and structure of dialogue as examples of dramatic techniques.
Good morning/ Afternoon Teacher I am Rachel Perkins And I was asked by The Australian Film Institute to be here to today to talk about my musical. My musical One Night The Moon which was the winner of the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Cinematography in a Non-Feature Film in 2001. I am also here to talk about how distinctive voices are used to show the experiences of others. The voices of Albert and Jim are two characters that give us two different perspectives this is due to their views. Albert one of the characters in my film is an Aboriginal character played by Kenton Pell who is hired by the police as a tracker. Albert is a very deeply spiritual person this gave him a spiritual voice throughout the play but when he get 's kick off the land and banned from the search the gets frustrated which gave him this really emotional voice. This event has a greater meaning which I will elaborate on later and now Onto Jim. Jim is your 1930s white Australian that owns a farm and is going through tough times because of the Great depression. Jim does not allow Albert to find his daughter, This is due to his racist and prejudiced views of black Australians. Jim has an authorial voice because he see’s himself as inferior. Near to the end of
Literary theorist, Kenneth Burke, defined dramatistic explaination by the prescence of five key elements. This list of elements, now popularly known as Burke’s Pentad, can be used to asses human behavior as well as dicipher literary themes and motives. The five elements; agent, purpose, scene, act, and agency, have been found highly useful by performance study practitioners in translating texts into aesthetics. When systematically applying Burke’s Pentad to “Burn Your Maps,” a short story by Robyn Joy Leff published January 2002 of the Atlantic Monthly, the analyzer can realistically grasp the emotional and logical motivations and tones of the text. By doing so, the performer becomes an enlightened vessel for the message Leff wants to communicate. The Pentad can be described with simple questions like: Who? What? When? Where? How?, but asking the small questions should always lead to more in depth analysis of the element, and it should overall, explain the deeper question: Why?
Sid Smith, T.,Arts Critic. (1994, Oct 30). STRICTLY NON-SPEAKING PERFORMER PETER COOK SEEKS TO COMMUNICATE BEYOND WORDS. Chicago Tribune (Pre-1997 Fulltext). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/283742574?accountid=26459
Collins uses metaphors to teach the audience that with patience, poetry can be understanded easily. For instance, he tells the audience to “walk inside the poem’s
In school, you often read research and then at home you watch television. Reading is more associated with educational purposes, and television with entertainment. When I read the play, it felt real. I was reading interviews with real people, about real events. The book, because of its strong grasp of reality, then made the events more powerful because the felt more like reality. When watching the movie, the mind can easily disconnect by thinking it is just a movie. It does not enhance the fact the everything being seen in the movie actually happened. Although it is actors on the screen, they are representing real people, who experience the sadness and trauma of the events. Emotions are also easier to be read than seen. When reading, one’s brain creates the tone. Words are associated with tones, so when reading a very intense sentence, the mind makes the dialogue more dramatic. Thus, making the reading more climatic. When the police play the tape of Aaron McKinney after he was arrested, he gives a detailed description of what he did and why he did it. In the movie, Aaron relays the details with a hint of despair, in my head Aaron gave the same responses but with a more sinister tone. To me this had a greater effect than the movie. It made me more agitated at Aaron, instead of the movie trying to produce more guilt. Emotions are what make watching and reading so enjoyable, and in the play, emotions
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a comedy that has been interpreted in different ways, enabling one to receive multiple experiences of the same story. Due to the content and themes of the play, it can be creatively challenging to producers and their casting strategies. Instead of being a hindrance, I find the ability for one to experiment exciting as people try to discover strategies that best represent entertainment for the audience, as well as the best ways to interpret Shakespeare’s work.
Ross, Steven M. ""Voice" in Narrative Texts: The Example of As I Lay Dying." PMLA94.2 (1979): 300-10. JSTOR. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.
During the early twentieth century -- and well throughout history -- , women and children were treated more as second class citizens when compared to wealthy, landowning males; the uncongenial treatment of women and children lead to crucial flaws within society: social wounds that consisted of dismal working conditions -- what Kelley, a United States social worker and reformer delivered a speech on at the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia on July 22, 1905 -- and the nonchalant passing by of inequalities. Kelley, like many great social reformers, utilizes the empowering rhetorical strategies within her speech to illustrate the magnitude of the dismal working conditions for children. The rhetorical
Malcolm Forbes once said “diversity: the art of thinking, independently together.” This conveys the idea of Zadie Smith’s personal narrative Speaking in Tongues about embracing ones equivocal character. Smith applies the use of symbolism, ethical appeal and conflict of man vs. self to persuade her audience that fitting in a society does not have to mean losing one’s language, or cultural background, rather fitting in can simply mean flexibility towards one’s belief. Embracing the spectrum of speaking in tongues can lead to a rewarding experience. Smith describes different viewpoints to relate to various readers by using the technique she tries to convince them to use.
Our target was mature audiences, due to some content of the play being explicit and gritty. I played the role of Dreamer, a homeless young drug addict who due to unfortunate circumstances was pushed into a life of reliance and addiction to substances. In my portrayal of the character of Dreamer, I had to adapt my personality to the role I was playing, and doing so I had to work on many aspects of my regular self. To give the impression to the audience that I was under the influence, I had to make my tone of voice more high pitched and slur my words as well as changing my gait to an unsteady, arbitrary stance at all times. Silences were essential to my characterization as it gave the impression that I was fading in and out of reality, which is why I employed this technique mid sentence so as to make it seem as if I was unable to keep track of my own thoughts.
All the actors were excellent in timing, exaggerated gestures, and realistic dialect, all of which contributed to an overall enjoyable experience for the audience. Dustin, who played Leo, was fluid in such a way that he could quickly switch from character to character without faltering and without difficulty. Phillip was able to personify the personality of the “deaf and dumb” Stephanie with much ease and could quickly transition into the frustrated and aggravated Jack. I could not stop laughing at the subtle, ridiculous, witty jokes that the characters would make throughout the play. The leader among the jokers was Doc Myers (Matt Hopper) who was frank yet hilariously funny.
Robert Browning frequently wrote dramatic monologues to enhance the dark and avaricious qualities in his works. Browning's use of this particular style is to "evoke the unconstrained reaction of a person in aparticular situation or crisis" (Napierkowski 170). A poem may say one thing, but when mixed with dramatic monologue, it may "present a meaning at odds with the speaker's intention"(Napierkowski 170). This change may show the reader more insight into the poem without directly stating the underlying facts. The reader is allowed to "isolate a single moment in which the character reveals himself more starkly" (Napierkowski 171). Browning's use of dramatic monologue "disposes the reader to suspend moral judgement" (Napierkowski 171) causing a haughtiness to hover over many of his works.