Acting in Public PMA 3815 Spring 2018 Mon./Wed. 10:10am-12:05pm Schwartz Center, Room SB21 Professor Rebekah Maggor Office Hours: Mon./Wed. 12:30-1:30 Office Location: Schwartz Center 424 Contact: ​[email protected] Course Overview and Aims This course helps students develop and strengthen public speaking skills through a combination of classical rhetoric and modern acting techniques. Students learn strategies for impromptu speaking, preparing and delivering formal presentations and speeches, and building overall confidence, flexibility, and dynamics in oral expression. We learn to formulate and organize persuasive arguments, engage with an audience, and use the voice and body effectively. “Acting in Public” is an embodied learning course; through rigorous warm-ups and regular speaking performances, students learn to integrate the rhetorical, psychological, physical and vocal elements that produce compelling public speaking. This class focuses on the integration of new skills. When we first attempt to combine and apply various techniques in performance the results may be awkward. Often we will take one step back in order to take two steps forward. It is only by working through difficult technical stages, rather than retreating from them, that we will move towards transforming ourselves into persuasive and charismatic speakers. We will do our best work when we venture outside our comfort zones and risk embarrassment and failure, both in our arguments and our delivery. Discipline, boldness, curiosity and passion will bring us success in this course. Course Requirements A great deal of the learning in this course takes place in the classroom. To participate fully, we must be present and on time for class, prepared to engage in a lively discussion of the readings, commit to classroom exercises, reflect on our experiences with our classmates, ask questions, offer thoughtful feedback to our fellow speakers, listen to others, and contribute to our classroom community. We also spend significant time preparing and rehearsing outside of class. We must find ways to work respectfully and creatively with a partner and offer specific and constructive critiques of our own work and the work of others. Grading: ● 80% Speaking Performances (approximately 10% per performance, including written components) 1

● 20% Class Participation: preparedness for discussions, focus, creativity, listening, awareness, risk-taking, vocal and physical expression, and overall progress in warm-ups, exercises, and constructive critical feedback to other students. Speaking Performances: For each assignment, expect to prepare and rehearse for several hours outside of class. Your grade is based primarily on evidence of sufficient and rigorous preparedness and clear progress. *For group work: If you have not achieved a productive working relationship with your partner, and difficulties arise, contact me immediately. Attendance and Participation: Attendance and active participation are crucial for success in this course. Please arrive on time. Lateness (and early departure) will affect your grade. More than two absences during the semester, for any reason, will also affect your grade. (Exceptions: observance of religious holidays, in accordance with Cornell’s policies.) Three late arrivals or early departures of 5 minutes or more will count as an absence. If you are unable to attend class, inform me by email beforehand so I can plan accordingly. Others may be depending on your presence, as a portion of our work involves partnering. It is crucial that you be present for your performance on your assigned day. Performances will be rescheduled only in the direst of emergencies and only with advance notice. Any unexcused absences on days when you are scheduled to perform will seriously impact your grade. Dress: The work in this course requires the ability to move freely.​ ​Wear clothes and footwear that are comfortable and will allow you a free range of movement in class.​ ​For your performances, dress appropriately for the persona you will present. (For example, how would you dress for a specific job interview? How would you dress when introducing a famous speaker at a particular conference? How would you dress to give a speech at a protest rally?) In-class etiquette: No electronic communications are allowed during class time. Turn off your cell phones and other devices and keep them put away and out of view during class. Likewise, no laptops in class. Please bring currently assigned readings to class in hard copy form. No food or drink allowed in the classroom, with the exception of water in a spill-proof bottle. Academic Integrity: It is critical that you present only your own, original work for this class, and that you follow scrupulously appropriate academic standards for acknowledging the work of others in your writing and research. The Code of Academic Integrity and Acknowledging the Work of Others is found in the Policy Notebook for the Cornell Community and also on the web at http://www.theuniversityfaculty.cornell.edu/AcadInteg/code.html​. Students with Disabilities: 2

If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments in this course, provide the instructor with an accommodation notification letter from Student Disability Services. Students are expected to give two weeks’ notice of the need for accommodations. If you need immediate accommodations or physical access, please arrange to meet with the instructor within the first two class meetings.

Required Texts: ● The Second Circle: How to Use Positive Energy for Success in Every Situation by Patsy Rodenburg ● Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student (4th ​ ​ edition) ​by Edward Corbett and Robert J. Connors. ● Additional essays and texts will be available through BlackBoard. Required Production & Event attendance The Shape of Water ​(film by Guillermo del Toro) Screening at Cornell Cinema and Cinemopolis World Drama in Translation Keynote address by Elyse Dodgson May 11-12, location TBA (for extra credit)

Schedule of Classes & Assignments Day W Jan. 01/24 M Jan. 29 W Jan. 31

M Feb. 5 W Feb. 7

M Feb. 12

Agenda Introduction to course: What is public speaking? The five canons of rhetoric. Vocal & Physical Warm-up. Ghost Story partner meetings No group class Physical & Vocal Warm-up. Defining objectives. Vocal dynamics. Figures of speech (tropes and schemes) Breath and discrete sentences.

Readings & Assignments The personal introduction.

Upload examples of Storytellers: comment on structure and delivery The Ghost Story as performance Performance #1: The Ghost Story Group A

Physical & Vocal Warm-up. The Great Leader Speech. Rhetorical analysis. The parts of a discourse and the three modes of persuasion. Prepare for Performance #2: Emulation Speech: Great Leader

Performance #1: The Ghost Story, Group B Performance #1: Ghost Story: Final Perormance, All Read: ​Classical Rhetoric, “​Discovery of Arguments” & “Arrangement of material.” Analyze introduction, argument, and arrangement of material for emulation speech of “great leader.”

Physical and Vocal Warm-up

Read: ​Classical Rhetoric ​“Style”

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W Feb. 14

M Feb 19 W Feb. 21

Style: language and delivery Creating a speaking persona, expanding the tool box. Physical & Vocal Warm-up Charisma: acquired skill or natural gift?

Performance #2: Emulation Speech: the Great Leader, Group A Performance #2: Emulation Speech: the Great Leader, Group B

W Feb 28

Cornell February Break Physical and Vocal Warm-up Volume, clarity, audience and environmental awareness. Prepare Performance #4: The ceremonial speech Wrestling with PowerPoint Workshop on anxiety/stage fright: Breath, objective, preparedness Physical & Vocal warm-up

M March 5

Physical and Vocal warm-up

W March 7

Physical & Vocal warm-up

M March 12 W March 14

Physical and Vocal warm-up

The ceremonial speech, final performance, all

Warm-up. formulating talking points, reframing the conversation, speaking in discreet sentences Prepare for Perormance #4:

Performance #3: Remaining Ceremonial speeches. Prepare for Performance #4 discussion with talking points, how to critique dramatic performance.

M March 19

Elevator speeches, prepared points that sound “spontaneous.”

Performance # 4: Discussion with Talking points ​The Shape of Water​.

W March 21 M March 26

Objective in comedy routines. “To get the audience to…” discussion of active objectives. Further discussion of objectives. Eliminating “bad” objectives like “to get the audience to laugh.” Discovering active & specific objectives. Discussion of next assignment, #6: The job interview. Warm-up Prepare for final Stand Up performance Cornell Spring Break

Performance #5: Emulation #2: The Stand-up comidan Group A Performance #5: Emulation #2: The Stand-up Comic, Group B

Review of writing a review on dramatic performance in preparation for Performance #8: the Podcast Prepare for Performance #7: the job interview

Performance #6: The Job interview, Preparation

M Feb 26

W March 28

M/W April 2, 4 M April 9

W April 11

Read: ​The Second Circle​ by Patsy Rodenburg, part one. Performance #2: Great Leader Speech, Final Performace, All Read: ​The Second Circle, ​part 2 Performance #3: The Ceremonial speech Group A Performance #3: The Ceremonial speech Group B

Performance #5: Emulation #2: The Stand-up Comic, Final performance

Performance #6: The Job interview, Group A Performance #6: The Job interview, Group B

M April 16

4

W April 18

Performance #6: The job interview, remaining pairs

M April 23

Group warm-up

Performance #7: Original Speeches, Group A

W April 25

Individual coaching

Individual coaching sessions

M April 30 W May 2 M May 7 W May 9

Group warm-up and coaching Group warm-up and pod-cast critiques Group warm-up and pod-cast critiques Final Class Discussions Self critique, next steps Class evaluations

Original Speeches, additional coaching Original Speeches, additional coaching Original Speeches, Final Performances

*Due Dates and assignments subject to change depending on overall class progress.

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