What’s it about working with heightened textual content that fills some actors with concern? Is it the departure from common, on a regular basis speech? The breadth of research and preparation it typically requires? Maybe it’s the concern that even after a wealth of script evaluation and rehearsal, the phrases would possibly nonetheless sound stilted or pretend. Whether or not you’re getting ready for a drama faculty audition, wading into Shakespeare for the primary time, or tackling a textual content that leaves realism behind, heightened textual content goes to be part of your apply as an actor. Learn to do it and do it effectively.
In drama, heightened textual content refers to language—normally dialogue—that’s distinct from on a regular basis speech by its make use of of poetic, rhetorical or stylistic units. It’s generally related to Shakespeare, Classical or associated older texts, however can also be current in up to date works that forgo realism or naturalism of their writing. Heightened textual content requires an excessive amount of research and preparation by actors, because it is probably not as simply accessible as textual content written in on a regular basis speech. Nevertheless, it additionally gives actors an opportunity to discover stylistic and emotional extremes, and captivate audiences in a method that will shock and delight them.
This text accommodates all the pieces it’s essential find out about heightened textual content: tips on how to recognise it, perceive it and tips on how to carry out it effectively. And as with all issues in your performing apply that will trigger you nervousness or concern, be methodical. Don’t panic. Develop your understanding, apply the associated expertise and also you’ll be feeling assured very quickly.
Examples of Heightened Textual content
Heightened textual content sits throughout two major subcategories: older dramatic works, reaching again to the Classics, and up to date writing that strays from realism.
Classical Heightened Textual content
Within the Western theatre canon, we are able to hint heightened textual content again to its roots within the drama of Historical Greece and Rome. Classical theatre was rooted in poetry, and so the comparability we’d make within the current day between this type of play and what we’d establish as ‘straight-up poetry’ is apt.
As theatre continued to evolve, reaching bigger audiences and receiving larger acclaim, it continued to attract from these foundational varieties. It’s why we affiliate heightened textual content most famously with William Shakespeare (and contemporaries of his like Christopher Marlowe) who was a eager pupil of Greek and Roman Classical writers.
Shakespeare’s work was (for its time) modern. Nevertheless, he nonetheless drew upon classical conventions similar to verse (iambic pentameter), and rhetorical/poetic capabilities to sway the ideas and seize the imaginations of his viewers.
Ultimately the arrival of realism and naturalism within the nineteenth and twentieth century began to shift writing in drama to one thing extra akin to common human speech. Writers similar to Anton Chekhov started to discover characters onstage extra just like the viewers than fictional heroes, or the ruling class of Shakespeare’s historical past performs.
However the affect of classical, heightened textual content remained: if indirectly in type, then in the usage of literary units similar to metaphor, simile, analogy, symbolism and imagery.
Up to date Heightened Textual content
There isn’t any hard-and-fast rule to find out when up to date heightened textual content begins to develop within the Western canon, solely the means to establish it stylistically. One may argue that so long as artists have labored to ascertain an inventive ‘norm’—similar to realism within the early twentieth century—there are outliers eager to push the boundaries of type both for the sake of innovation or revolt.
Typically, up to date heightened textual content utilises varieties similar to clean verse or rhyming couplets. It could make use of rhetorical units to ‘elevate’ the phrases of a personality above the normalcy of normal human speech. And the selection of language and imagery could also be extra poetic than literal—signalling a departure from nearly all of dialogue in trendy stage or display screen works that seeks primarily to maneuver the motion of a narrative ahead.
Typically, the supply of heightened textual content alerts a break with the conventions of dialogue on stage or display screen: the direct communication between actors used to mimic a dialog. Heightened textual content could utilise direct handle to talk to the viewers, be carried out as a soliloquy, or function performers talking fragmented phrases or phrases in the identical house—however not to one another.
Advantages of Heightened Textual content
So: why carry out heightened textual content? Or, should you’re feeling cynical: why trouble with heightened textual content? If it’s complicated sufficient for actors to study and carry out, then isn’t it doubly so for an viewers to understand and recognize?
Heightened textual content isn’t involved with sounding actual. It doesn’t spend its time attempting to ‘trick’ an viewers into believing what’s on the stage or display screen in entrance of them. As an alternative, it speaks on to the themes and concepts current throughout the work, and gives them up in a method that’s evocative, affecting, emotional.
If you end up performing heightened textual content from one other time interval, similar to Shakespeare or one of many Classics, you rapidly uncover that themes current in these works are simply as related as they’re at this time. And relatively than the archaic facets of the language locking audiences out, they really invite us in previous the dramatic conventions of the occasions. The phrases are puzzles to be solved, by artist and viewers alike. Why do you assume we maintain coming again to Shakespeare?
Why Do Drama Faculties ask for Heightened Textual content?
A ready heightened textual content monologue is a typical requirement for actors hoping to check at a drama faculty. Some individuals view this as institutional snobbery, or mental gatekeeping.Who cares should you “thither” and “thus” and “forsooth” if you wish to act on the newest HBO drama?
The rationale it’s requested by colleges truly has extra to do together with your course of as an actor than your present capacity. Keep in mind: they’ll educate you tips on how to be actor. What a drama faculty can’t educate is tips on how to be a pupil. And never a pupil as in “noun and e-book and present and inform”: a pupil of the humanities—which all nice artists are.
Heightened textual content requires research and consideration. It is advisable learn the play the piece comes from to get the context. It is advisable do some Googling (or StageMilking?) to work out the meanings behind phrases, definitions, the presence of options similar to iambic pentameter. Candidates who fail to do that are sending up a flare to the choice panel that they probably received’t do that when truly prompted to of their research. It’s an effective way to skinny the herd of hopefuls: ridding the pack of individuals afraid to place within the effort an actor’s life so very a lot acquires.
Easy methods to Carry out Heightened Textual content
Wish to see heightened textual content achieved proper? Try this monologue from A lot Ado About Nothing carried out to perfection by Ekow Quartey. Watch it after which we’ll discuss additional.
Quartey does a masterful job of this speech. Why? As a result of he makes the phrases sound like his personal. They’re informal, relaxed. They communicate to his ideas with out oversharing or overcomplicating. It’s an ideal instance of a rule we apply to Shakespearean language—and heightened textual content as an entire. Phrases are essential, however they exist to serve the story.
So whenever you’re performing one thing that steps exterior of realism, remind your self: regardless of how bizarre it’d get, the phrases are there that can assist you inform the story. The phrases serve you, not the opposite method round. Iambic pentamenter, as an illustration, was a well-liked type in Shakespeare’s time as a result of it was thought to emulate pure patterns in human speech. It’s why Shakespeare can sound so trendy. And why talking Shakespeare’s phrases with an overwrought da-DUM-da-DUM rhythm seems like a druken nursery rhyme.
Deal with heightened textual content like another textual content. That’s tips on how to carry out it. You would possibly end up doing a bit of extra analysis, or working more durable to unlock the imagery or subtext. However on the finish of the day, the phrases you communicate are in service of reaching an viewers and making them really feel one thing.
Further Hints & Ideas:
- Analysis the textual content. Know what you’re speaking about, know the context of a scene throughout the bigger story. That is significantly essential should you’re auditioning with the monologue.
- Consonants carry that means, vowels carry emotion. Vowels are significantly essential in poetic or heightened textual content. Don’t be afraid of letting your voice free—particularly when your/your character’s impulse is to make themselves smaller and fewer weak.
- Take note of punctuation. Assess the inclusion of punctuation (or lack thereof.) A comma is mostly a pause or change in thought; a full cease is an opportunity to breathe and assault the scene anew. The top of a line in heightened textual content isn’t essentially a pause: typically Shakespeare would run a number of strains collectively because the character’s ideas and emotions overwhelmed them.
- Do common apply. Wanting dissecting a Shakespearean monologue each morning earlier than breakfast, why not take into account a sonnet? You might even begin your day studying a poem out loud. Talking of:
- Don’t recite, carry out. It’s not sufficient to easily say heightened textual content out loud and with an impassioned high quality. Get into your character, who they’re talking to and what they need: the goal.
Lastly, ask your self an essential query: why is that this written in heightened textual content For many older, Classical items, the reply might be “These have been the occasions…” However for up to date items? Why the hell did the author trouble writing in such a method? What does the type or type do for the textual content that common dialogue or monologue would possibly in any other case have failed to speak?
Conclusion
So there you’ve it: our introduction to all issues heightened textual content for actors! We kicked this text off by speaking about concern—the concern so many actors have of working with heightened textual content. If this concern is acquainted to you in your personal craft or profession, take it from us right here at StageMilk that it doesn’t should be this fashion.
Heightened textual content is scary. It’s intimidating and, at occasions, downright complicated! However solely whereas it stays an unknown. So dive in! Get cozy with it. Problem your self to experiment, discover and, sure, fail. Earlier than lengthy, it’ll be simply one other talent in your actor’s toolkit you deploy to nice impact.
You received’t even keep in mind what you have been so frightened about.
Good luck!
