The Basic Actor’s The Basic Actor’s Training Program:Training Program:

FREEINGFREEING

An actor’s work in An actor’s work in freeing freeing is designed to is designed to limberlimber, align, , align, and strengthen an actor’s and strengthen an actor’s

body in an body in an integratedintegrated approach that serves the approach that serves the

clear and theatrical clear and theatrical expression of the expression of the inner inner

impulseimpulse..

A natural A natural extensionextension of the of the centering, sensing, and centering, sensing, and focusing activities is the focusing activities is the

integrated work with both integrated work with both the internal and external the internal and external

physical and vocal physical and vocal energies. energies.

This release work forms This release work forms the framework for the the framework for the

freeing processfreeing process, which is , which is designed to designed to liberateliberate the the

actor’s conscious and actor’s conscious and subconscious physical and subconscious physical and

vocal response while vocal response while simultaneouslysimultaneously

strengthening the voice, strengthening the voice, body, and imagination. body, and imagination.

The The primaryprimary impulse for impulse for releasing the body and voice releasing the body and voice

is is breathbreath..

The process of voicing is, in The process of voicing is, in fact, movement. fact, movement.

Communication between Communication between two people begins with an two people begins with an

impulseimpulse—a need to —a need to express the self—that express the self—that

results in a results in a complexcomplex series series of movements that of movements that ultimately result in ultimately result in phonationphonation and the and the

formationformation of thoughts and of thoughts and feelings into words and feelings into words and

sentences.sentences.

The process of improving The process of improving the functioning of the the functioning of the voice must be tackled voice must be tackled

indirectlyindirectly. This . This indirectindirect approach involves the approach involves the

removal of removal of habitualhabitual and and unnecessary tensionsunnecessary tensions that that inhibitinhibit the effective the effective functioning of the voice-functioning of the voice-

speech speech mechanismmechanism..

THE VOCALIZATION THE VOCALIZATION PROCESSPROCESS

STEP 1:STEP 1:The The brainbrain

registers the registers the impulse for impulse for

sound.sound.Inhalation Inhalation

and and exhalation exhalation assume a assume a secondary secondary function.function.

STEP 2:STEP 2:The The jawjaw

drops slightly drops slightly with respect with respect

to the to the amount of amount of

breath breath needed to needed to

communicate communicate the message the message

of the of the speaker.speaker.

STEP 3:STEP 3:BreathBreath is is

taken in. The taken in. The vocal cords vocal cords

spread apart spread apart to allow the to allow the

breath to breath to travel through travel through the the trachea trachea or or windpipe, into windpipe, into the bronchial the bronchial

tubes and tubes and reach the reach the

lungs.lungs.

STEP 4:STEP 4:When the air When the air reaches the reaches the base of the base of the

windpipe, the windpipe, the diaphragmdiaphragm is is

activated.activated.The The diaphragmdiaphragm

is a dome- is a dome- shaped structure shaped structure that separates that separates the chest and the chest and

abdominal abdominal cavitiescavities

STEP 5:STEP 5:The size of the The size of the

chest cavity chest cavity enlargesenlarges, , creating a creating a

partial partial vacuum. The vacuum. The inhaled air inhaled air

fills this fills this vacuum and vacuum and expandsexpands the the

lung sacs.lung sacs.

STEP 6:STEP 6:The inhalation The inhalation

movesmoves the the diaphragm diaphragm downward, downward,

flattening the flattening the abdominal abdominal

muscles and the muscles and the sides and back of sides and back of the lower torso.the lower torso.

There is an There is an expansion expansion

outward, creating outward, creating the appearance of the appearance of

an inflated an inflated abdomen.abdomen.

STEP 7:STEP 7:As the breath As the breath is is released, released,

the diaphragm the diaphragm moves upward moves upward and its dome and its dome

shape is shape is transformed transformed into a cone into a cone

shape, shape, reversingreversing the the

process of process of inhalation.inhalation.

STEP 8:STEP 8:Air Air departsdeparts from from

the lungs and the lungs and passes through the passes through the

larynxlarynx, where , where sounds are sounds are

produced. The produced. The larynx houses two larynx houses two membranes called membranes called the the vocal folds vocal folds or or vocal cordsvocal cords. As . As exhaled breath exhaled breath

passes through the passes through the vocal folds, they vocal folds, they

vibrate and vibrate and produce sound produce sound

waves. The basic waves. The basic pitchpitch is determined is determined

by how fast the by how fast the folds vibrate. folds vibrate.

STEP 9:STEP 9:ResonatorsResonators, ,

hollow spaces in hollow spaces in the chest, neck the chest, neck and head, serve and head, serve as soundboards as soundboards that reinforce, that reinforce,

modify and enrich modify and enrich sounds. The sounds. The four four primary human primary human resonatorsresonators are are

the the pharynxpharynx (throat), the (throat), the oral oral cavitycavity (mouth), (mouth), the the nasal cavitynasal cavity (nose) and the (nose) and the

chest.chest.

STEP 10:STEP 10:Finally, theFinally, the

articulatorsarticulators (lips, teeth, (lips, teeth,

gums, tongue, gums, tongue, soft palate, soft palate, hard palate, hard palate,

throat) are set throat) are set in motion, in motion,

cutting up the cutting up the sounds into sounds into intelligent intelligent speech.speech.

Both Both voice and voice and movementmovement are better are better

regulated as regulated as subconscioussubconscious functions. functions.

To this end, we seek to To this end, we seek to liberateliberate the actor’s body the actor’s body and voice through indirect and voice through indirect

and improvisatory and improvisatory methods.methods.

An actor’s stiff, held, or An actor’s stiff, held, or underdeveloped body, underdeveloped body,

voice or imagination voice or imagination lackslacks the the dexteritydexterity and and

freedomfreedom needed to needed to adequatelyadequately express the express the essenceessence of the of the impulseimpulse..

FreeingFreeing work serves to work serves to meetmeet the larger the larger physical physical and and

vocalvocal requirements of large requirements of large emotional expressionemotional expression and and

requires a thorough requires a thorough understanding of the understanding of the

centeringcentering process, process, sensorysensory perception, and the perception, and the

importance of importance of focusfocus..

VocabularyVocabularylimberlimber primaryprimary

integratedintegrated complexcomplex

impulseimpulse phonationphonation

extensionextension formationformation

liberateliberate indirectindirect

simultaneouslysimultaneously habitualhabitual

inhibitinhibit mechanismmechanism

adequatelyadequately essence essence