MCCCD Official Course Competencies:

THP241  2007 Fall – 2010 Summer II

Introduction to Oral Interpretation

1.

Describe the development and theory of literary performance as an art form. (I)

2.

Describe a communicative model of literary performance. (I)

3.

Describe the criteria for selecting literature for performance. (I)

4.

Analyze a literary selection, and adapt and cut the selection for performance. (I)

5.

Demonstrate variety in volume, pitch, tempo, and quality of voice. (I)

6.

Demonstrate body control in posture, gesture, muscle tone, and motivated movement while performing a literary selection. (I)

7.

Write and deliver an appropriate introduction, development of a theme, and transitions for a literary selection. (I)

8.

Demonstrate techniques for performing prose, lyric and narrative poetry, and dramatic literature involving a dialogue between two characters. (II, III, IV)

9.

Compose oral and written evaluations of literary performance. (I-IV)

MCCCD Official Course Outline:

THP241  2007 Fall – 2010 Summer II

Introduction to Oral Interpretation

I. Basic Principles

A. The development and theory of literary performance

1. The communicative act

2. Models of the communicative act

3. Creativity and style

B. Selecting the literature

1. Three touchstones of quality literature

a. Universality

b. Individuality

c. Suggestion

2. Literary genres

a. Imaginative prose and poetry

1. Novel

2. Short story

3. Plays

4. Poetry

b. Non-imaginative prose

1. Biography/autobiography

2. Essay

3. Letters, journals, diaries

4. Didactic prose

C. Analyzing the literature

1. Organization of ideas

2. The author's attitude

3. The intrinsic factors

a. Unity and harmony

b. Variety and projection

c. Balance and proportion

d. Rhythm

4. Adapting and cutting the literature

D. Voice development

1. Breath control

2. Volume and projection

3. Pitch

4. Rate and pause

5. Quality

E. The use of the body

1. Posture

2. Muscle tone

3. Gesture

4. Movement

F. Performance requirements

1. Introduction

2. Themes

3. Transitions

4. Manuscripts

5. Written and oral peer evaluations

II. The Performance of Prose

A. Types of prose

1. Prose fiction

a. Novel

b. Short story

2. Non-fiction prose

a. Essays

b. Biography/autobiography

c. Letters, journals, diaries

d. Didactic prose

B. Literary structure

1. Description

2. Exposition

3. Narrative

4. Argument

5. Point of view

6. Plot and action

7. Setting

8. Theme

9. Characters

10. Dialogue

11. Symbolism

12. Grammatical elements

a. Sentences

b. Paragraphs

c. Choice of words

d. Syntax

e. Figures of speech

f. Style

C. Performance techniques

1. Speech phrases

2. Prose rhythm

3. Characterization

a. Physical focus

b. Dialect

c. Pitch

d. Volume

e. Evaluation

III. The Performance of Poetry

A. Types of poetry

1. Narrative

a. Popular ballad

b. Metrical tale

c. Epic

2. Lyric

a. Elegy

b. Ode

c. Sonnet

B. Literary structure

1. Rhythm/meter

2. Rhyme

3. Figurative language

4. Stanzas

5. Syntax

6. Tone color

7. Figures of speech

C. Performance techniques

1. The use of tempo and pauses in relation to rhythm and rhyme

2. Reading rate

3. Evaluation

IV. Performance of Drama

A. Types of drama

1. Tragedy

2. Comedy

3. Tragi-comedy

4. Melodrama

5. Farce

6. Fantasy

7. Historical

8. Problem play

B. Literary structure

1. Conflict

2. Plot

3. Climax

4. Characters

5. Dialogue

6. Poetic verse

C. Performance techniques

1. Acting and interpretation

2. Intensity and control of emotion

3. Physical action