How to Speak in a Play

Speaking in a play is more than just learning your lines and following a script. You need to know how those lines should be spoken so their tone fits your character's personality and so the audience hears and understands your speech clearly.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Project your voice from the diaphragm--the muscle that extends across your waist just below the ribcage. You're essentially beginning the speech from your midsection and not your throat, which increases your projection without straining your voice.

2. Talk in the direction of the audience. Never turn away from your audience when you speak, as they won't hear you since the sound is going away from them. You should never face away from them anyway, unless directions in your script or from your director say so.

3. Know your character and how this person would speak. If you are playing a shy and reserved person, you'll speak in a softer tone and in short sentences, while a boisterous character will speak boldly in elongated sentences.

4. Use extreme caution if improvising. It's best not to do it at all because it drives the director crazy and can confuse other actors who rely on your lines as a cue. Any slight change at all should not actually alter the lines.

Tips & Warnings

• Improvising may be necessary at times when you end up forgetting a line--it happens even to the best. When this occurs, do your best to stay within the play's context and cue your fellow actors so they can pick you up and get back on script.