DECLAMATION

Shut up the shutters and sit
in the shop
I thought, I thought of
thinking of thanking you
Give papa a cup of proper

coffee in a copper coffee cup
CONQUERING THE FEAR OF
DELIVERING
DECLAMATION
WHAT IS DECLAMATION?
It is a speech given by a person, using another author's
piece of writing. It is memorized and given in front of
an audience.
it includes inflections of emotion and hand or body

gestures which are used to convey the feeling of the
piece
The speech must have been previously delivered in
public (by a government official for example)
Must be memorized and Speeches are to be ten

minutes in length (some areas' time limits vary)
Speech delivery should be honest and as if the words

were the speaker's own and eye contact is important
All body language and vocalizations need to work with

the piece to help better convey the message
All gestures need to be visible and purposeful and

speaker should have a strong stance
No distracting movements (feet shifting, uncontrolled
hand gestures, etc.)
Command the language!

Eye Contact
This is a fairly simple concept but eye contact is
fundamental. Yes, you are supposed to make the words
live, but eye contact adds the edge to the performance. It
draws the audience in and makes the performance more
personal; like you are really speaking to them and not just
reciting from memory. Eye contact adds the dramatic.
Pending on how long you look at a person, or not, tells a
different story. Play around with eye contact. When you
really want to stress a point holding eye contact with
another individual adds intensity. Warning: do not make
people uncomfortable with your gaze! You want to speak to
your audience, not scare them. Furthermore, do not just
look at the judge. It is awkward and creates unwanted
tension. Scan the room and include all audience members.
Facials
A speech without facials is like food without flavor-bland and
boring. Dec. is not an acting event so treating a Dec. piece like a
scene from "A Streetcar Named Desire" is not quite the right
method, but "reacting" and feeling what your words mean is a
great way to separate you from your competition. Too often Dec.
speakers are blank faced and this comes off, at least to me, as a
gulf between them and the words. It is okay to smile if your piece
has a joke. If your speech is teasing at points or coy, it is okay to
give a sly smirk. And if something disturbing is being said, then go
ahead and show it. Rarely will you give BIG facials like you would
in a play because then you will appear as a performer and not a
speaker (different speeches require different things). There is a
fine line, and only practice and reviews from yourself, coaches,
judges, and peers can help you find that balance. Just refrain
from being a cadaver. For all involved, keep a lively face and make
all facials purposeful and seen!.
Gestures
Number one rule to always have on your brain: do not use
gestures as a means to fill space. If you do the same hand
extension every fifteen seconds you are being overly
repetitive and erasing all purpose and impact you might
have had. It is best to pre-plan gestures while at practice
and train your body when to do what. Attempt to have a
variety of gestures and use them as an emphasis to what
you are saying. It will feel weird to have your hands at your
side for what seems an eternity, but I promise you will look
confident and sure of yourself. Excessive gesture twitching
will lose you points, so train yourself and get some muscle
memory working in your favor.
Movement
Think of movement as punctuation. In Dec. you are allowed
to walk in your performance area, so take advantage of this
to accentuate what you are saying. Your movement on a
new point acts as a transition and breaks-up/punctuates
your speech. This transition keeps your speech fresh and
draws in your audience because movement is exciting and
full of energy. Plan these movements out so you do not end
up pacing the floor or bouncing. Three-four strong
movements are really all you need. Most Declamation
pieces I have seen have the speaker start center, go
left/right, move left/right, back center, and then down
towards the audience for the conclusion. This does not have
to be your path, but this is the standard circuit and does
make sense logistically.
Vocals
As important as your body is to help convey meaning, it is
your voice that is the centerpiece. The words need to
caressed and delivered in such a way that draws in your
audience and tells the message of the speech. Variation is
your greatest weapon. Changes in tempo, pitch, volume,
tone, silence, any dynamics you can give, are going to help
you rank higher. Note, pretending to be Al Pacino and
yelling for the sake of yelling will not help (he's a
professional, knows what he is doing, and chooses proper
times to "yell" in the dialogue). Everything you do with your
voice needs to be a deliberate choice. Every vocal action
needs to.
progress and reinforce what you are saying. Have all of this
pre-gamed so blunders are rare in your performance. Also,
this is a speaking event and not acting, so again, thinking
you are Kevin Spacey giving a monologue might be too
much. There is a fine line that you need to search out, but
finding the proper mix will make you stand out. I have seen
too many Declamations where the speaker never seemed
connected to what they were saying because they did not
feel the words
THE MURDERESS
I DEMAND DEATH

DECLAMATION

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

DECLAMATION

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

DECLAMATION

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Shut up the shutters and sit

Give papa a cup of proper

it includes inflections of emotion and hand or body

Must be memorized and Speeches are to be ten

Speech delivery should be honest and as if the words

All body language and vocalizations need to work with

All gestures need to be visible and purposeful and

Command the language!

You might also like