Pistis Productions, ASF OAU

24/11/2023

It's 7 days before the heaven kisses the earth


'23

14/09/2022

Throwback Stage Play

*Title: DOMINION*
(HHRT Production)

Cast: Semilore Bolarinwa as *Akígbe Oba*
This character is defined by the way it speaks which is usually in a high and loud manner that catches the attention of the mass to welcome the arrival of the king.

A soft or low manner of speaking would redefine the character hence it losses it meaning in the play

14/09/2022

On today's elements of drama, we will be focusing on *speaking*

_Did you know?_

That the way you speak affects the way potray the character?

The voice tells us so much about a person. Where they come from, their personality and how they’re feeling. As an actor, you should be able to communicate lots of emotions. To achieve this, you must consider vocal elements likeee
_*Pitch* – speaking in a high, low or natural voice._
_*Pace* – the speed with which you speak, eg the speed of response in an argument._
_*Pause* – a dramatic pause at a crucial moment is very effective in performance._
_*Tone* – your tone suggests your mood and your intention towards the listener, eg happy, sad._
_*Volume* – you must be audible to the audience but not shout at them!_
_*Accent* – you need to consider the accent that will work for your character._
_*Emphasis* – this is the pressure on individual words that makes them stand out. There’s a natural stress on syllables as we speak, such as the first syllable in 'cabbage'. But emphasis or stress for a particular effect is significant and can change the meaning of a sentence as well as the feeling behind it._
_*Intonation* – the rise and fall of the voice. There’s a clear movement up when we ask questions for example. Intonation also helps us to say what we mean._

16/08/2022

*Did you know?*

Memorization is as important as the way you act itself?

As actors, we all have at least once forgotten our lines due to many factors including a bit of negligence🌚 but, *Memorization* is the fundamental skill all actors must perfect, no matter the culture, language, or aesthetic. Yet it’s not taught. Why? no one knows and we won't dwell on that today .

But why is it important?
The aim of memorising lines is to build a strong textual foundation on which to build and develop the deeper meaning of the character.

You can't fully understand your character, if you've not meditated on it, and you can't fully meditate and be in character if you don't know the lines of your character

So learn your lines so that the evocation of actual emotion and the visceral feelings brought forth on stage make the words that go with them hard to forget.

The English plenty abi.

10/08/2022

Actors have two forms of communication they can use to help the audience understand the characters they play on stage better. They can use *dialogues, which is verbal communication* because it involves the use of words, or they can use *non verbal such as Actor's appearance (with the aid of acting semiotics you can understand the role an actor play), stage directions or blocking which involves movement and expression.*
Those are all nonverbal forms of communication.

10/08/2022

You already know about the semiotics of acting as well as the basic tools of actors, but are you aware of the skills you need? Here are some

*Memorization :* Remembering lines, stage directions

*Creativity:*
Developing characters, conveying emotion

*Reading:*
Understanding and interpreting scripts

*Speaking:* Projection and pronunciation for audience

*Teamwork:*
Working closely with cast and crew for a production

*Improvisation:* Problem-solving when something goes wrong, adjusting to different situations

*Commitment:* Seeing a project through, persisting through rejection

*Physical stamina:* Working long hours, acting out high energy scenes.

10/08/2022

10/08/2022

On Today's Episode of *Acting Facts* we're learning about Semiotics

*Did you know?*
Semiotics of Acting is the actor’s ability to transform into a convincing character in front of the audience. It is the ability of your audience to interprete the sounds, monologue, gestures and words into meaning.
For the audience perspective, there are 3 steps that go into how your audience interprete the message you are trying to pass across

1.Analyze verbal signs (what you see and hear)...your gestures and script

2. Analyze visual signs (what you see).

3.Analyze the symbolic message (interpretation of what you see)

This is why sometimes you watch a good movie and you get so lost in it, you forget that they are acting.This is because the audience no longer sees the actor as a performer, but sees a character as a completely different being.

The tools required to aid this transition of art from make-believe to real are called theatre semiotics...
*Did you know?*

Examples are the *make-up, hairstyle, speech, costume, lighting, sound effects* and so on...

10/08/2022

On today's Episode of *ACTING FACTS* let's learn about:
*YOUR BASIC TOOLS*

Every skill, profession, trade and art has their own tools. Painters have their brushes; carpenters have their hammers; stylists have their scissors.
ACTORS ARE NO EXCEPTION!
Actors have three basic tools always at their disposal.
Proper understanding and implementation of this tools would help you create a beautiful character in any play

Here are your tools
¶ Voice
¶ Body
¶ Imagination
*1. VOICE*

“An actor’s voice is a versatile and creative tool capable of explaining characters, moods and events"

An actor’s voice can be used to express their innermost thoughts through monologue, or soar through a gorgeous aria or ballad. Actors can create sound effects and soundscapes through their voices.
A whisper or a shout used effectively can pull an audience in and have them stuck till the end of the play

An actor's voice can explain a happy or sad mood even to the blind.
Ever heard of Radio Drama? There are no visual components but it depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story:
How do you think the audience gets the message with no sight... It's pretty simple, the VOICE does the magic

_“Can you say the word ‘love’ and fill it with the sound of love? Can you say the word ‘angry’ and fill it with rage?”_

Get creative with you voice tool and win over your audience forever
*2. BODY*
Does your body express your dramatic intention?

“When you free the body and it starts to work in conjunction with the lines, your acting becomes extremely relatable”

We, as actors, place far too much emphasis on what is being said, and not what the body is doing in a scene. Whereas, effective control and expression of the body is fundamental to outstanding acting.

“The body can tell a story without any dialogue at all.”

Can you depict a dead character by blocking it to jump or dance 😂
Doesn't make any sense right? There's no dialogue that would convince your audience that the character is dead.
But imagine the character laid down, and people crying, you need no dialogue to explain what has just happened.