TECHNIQUE OF THE SPOKEN WORD T I. Memorizing HE continual interrogation of, “how can I memorize more readily?" confronts daily the teacher of the Spoken Word. First of all the selection must be read through for the purpose of finding out the correct pronunciation of each word, and its meaning; secondly, the story or poem should be read through at one sitting in order to get a clear concept of the story, its environment, and its setting. There are several methods by which a selection may be memorized, one of the most prevalent and ineffective is to begin repeating over and over again; another method and not a bad one, is continually reading the selection until the student finds that it is entirely memorized. Better than either of these methods, I have found through my own experience and through the students that the following was most practicable. If the matter with which you are dealing is some part of a Descriptive or Lyrical poem, endeavor to know what each idea means and how it leads into the next idea; also how it is associated with other ideas throughout the whole selection as one would acquaint one's self with the different points of interest in making a journey down a certain street or highway in order to reach some particular point of interest. As for instance, in traveling from the Trinity Place Station to the Public Library, one passes first on the left, the new Toy theater, also a flower shop; on the right, The Copley Plaza Hotel, and again on the left, S. S. Pierce & Company's store, and directly in front of you towers your great idea, the central thought word in the first verse of your walk, The Public Library the point of interest. II. Manipulation versus Assimilation You will observe in the chapter on memorizing several methods in which to assimilate a character, one of which will bear repetition. My earnest advice through successive years of experience is to be, not to do the thing, and ́in order to be, it is necessary for you to live and become the very character you wish to impersonate. We read the following definition in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, to be, or to become similar or like, to absorb, or to be converted by the process of assimilation, that is, you must so concentrate upon an idea in its true situation until you actually reflect the character and atmosphere which you wish to portray, then there will be no possibility of confusion either on your part of assuming the character, or your auditor to understand what character in the play you are endeavoring to portray. Do not allow yourself to yield to the cheap whims of a fickle public with the "try to please" plan, to read as is taught in some of our otherwise good institutions in ten of twenty lessons through the pitiless path of manipulation or imitation and putting down in your selection where you should raise your hand, weep, cry, etc., enumerated with a certain number of marks or signs which co-respond to the picture of some girl draped in a Grecian gown posed for the purpose, and who is endeavoring to "look the part." When the student endeavors to follow these cook book directions, the result to the thinking mind is not only disastrous, but disgusting. It brings disgrace and degradation upon one of the noblest arts that ought to ennoble. Beware, O, beware of manipulation and imitation! In memorizing a narrative poem, the speaker whom the interpreter wishes to impersonate, should step out of the narration and apparently shake hands in the clash of meeting; and each of these characters in turn should be assimilated through the following process, that is, endeavor to think definitely just exactly what this character would look like if he were to walk before you upon the stage of life. By allowing this concept to so dominate you, you can pass about your room or house, and perform your commonplace duties, as cleaning the room, sweeping, dusting, drinking, etc.; and you will be making discoveries from minor to major things in this conceivable character. Then when the time arrives for you to suggest through impersonation these different characters, they will appear before you in their successive situations as though they were unconsciously performing their daily duties and meeting the battles of life; each will then be real persons, entities whom every auditor from the littlest to the whiterose decked-browed-person in the audience will be able to comprehend without the least difficulty; and when the student has reached this stage of perfection, one will see little or no nosing the interlocutor, but in the language of our constituency, "Why, your readings seem bits from every day life!" |