"AUTHENTIC VOICE" - MAIN MEANS OF EXPRESSION ON THE STAGE AND A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE

Abstract

This article discusses the concept of “authentic voice”, originating in theatrical training, in relation with communicative competency and offers specific theatrical techniques for its development in educational practice. The focus is on speech as one of the elements of communication, and its efficiency. Language is one of the elements of communicative competency, which favors social relationships through the creation of texts in the process of social interaction. Linguistic competence includes not just the knowledge of linguistic elements and the rules for their combining, but also the mastery of paralinguistic phenomena such as intonation, prosody and rhythm of speech. These elements are deeply individual and can convey the communicator’s “authenticity”, in other words their personal attitude towards the object of communication. Our claim is that the capacity for such “personal investment” of the communication act, a warrant for its success, can be developed through theatrical techniques.