We can hardly believe that it is now the last week in Spoleto, but voice and drama students are quite excited by their growh and readiness for the final student showcase this coming Saturday.
In the first weeks, singers worked on vocal technique, such as breathing, diction, phrasing, and dynamics. They have now committed their pieces to memory and are staging their ensemble scenes while receiving specific coaching this week.
In the morning performance class, Jack has been teaching both vocal and drama students how to create an imagined reality using the five senses, while simultaneously focusing their energy on a specific partner or target within the new world. Experiential walking tours of the town during which students conduct a sensory inventory have strengthened the ability to fulfill this critical task. The tours have been followed by journal reflections that raise awareness of technique to the conscious level. The latest excursion asked students to experience the streets of Spoleto as an Italian local, ending the walk with an espresso at a local café.
All have learned how to live truthfully in imaginary circumstances and to allow a specific character goal or "objective" to shape their performance. The results are more authentic, engaging, and sincerely expressive performances. (See photos below).
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| Pairs practice character objectives in improvised scenes during performance class. |
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| Students rehearse Sondheim's "You Could Drive a Person Crazy." |
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| Singers stage "Aprite," a duet from The Marriage of Figaro. |
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| A trio practices "Three Little Maids" from The Mikado. |
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