I've noticed the last week or so while running lines with people that my diction is horrible right now. We don't tend to talk on a day-to-day basis in a manner that requires a heightened level of diction. We can slur our words in a fairly pedestrian manner and still be understood. However, when I'm speaking in front of hundreds or thousands of people, I can't get away with such relaxed diction. The audience won't understand me.
I notice that as an acting teacher, as soon as my students leave for the summer, my diction starts to get a little relaxed. It's as if I feel like I need to have good diction in my classes if I am demanding good diction from my students but then once summer hits... the slurring of words begins.
So, with two weeks to go until rehearsals begin, I'll start doing my regular physical and vocal warm-up along with a heightened amount of diction work. When a football player shows up to training camp, they are expected to be in shape. If they aren't, you often hear about it on the news. Players are expected to be ready to go... ready to work on the actual craft of football rather than simply trying to get their body ready for physical exertion.
The same thing holds true with acting. I can't not act for months on end and then show up day one of rehearsal expecting my physical instrument to be ready to perform. I have to get it back in shape. I've talked about the gym work I've been doing already, but none of that exercises vocal production.
Two weeks to go until rehearsal starts... a great time to start honing my voice, my diction and my breath into performance mode.
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