Using Punctuation For Delivering Your Lines

Your old sixth grade English teacher was right–pay attention to the punctuation. When you first go into rehearsal on a complicated role, let the punctuation lead you through it. When you come to a period, bring closure to the next sentence. Take a full-beat pause and open the next sentence with new energy. The comma is a half-beat pause. Handle the question mark as…well…questions. When you are dealing with a parenthetical phrase, let's hear those parentheses.

Now, in case this sounds too simple, allow me to point out that clarity (provided by using punctuation) is an irreplacable virtue. In addition, it will let you hear the author's rhythm and, in wild compound sentences, tip you off as to where to breath (full breath on the periods; quick breaths on the commas).

Making sense is not, believe me. beneath you and, though you have been reading from text since childhood, adrenaline, nerves, lack of concentration and laziness sometime drive us past the periods and give us not the tiniest respite on the commas.

Ruth Goldman