THTR 1202 - Speak/Persuade/Influence

FDR: Fine Arts (HA)
Credits: 3

From traditional storytelling to courtrooms to comedy clubs to children’s television, novels to movie theatres to corporate boardrooms, the use of direct address (acknowledging the actual presence of an audience by speaking directly and specifically and in response to them) has been part of performative human communication as long as we’ve been communicating. This course will study direct address in some of its many forms in preparation for practicing it in our own public performance. Students will learn to read an audience, use persuasive rhetoric, choose body language and make vocal adjustments to present the “character” that will best persuade or influence their audience, and gain confidence in speaking in front of others.