The Actor's Voice: Vocal Performance Assessment by Different Professionals

Summary Introduction The voice production of actors is complex and can be assessed by different professionals. The objective of this study was to measure actor's global vocal performance (GVP) based on overall voice quality (OVQ) and overall severity (OS), by consensus auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice (CAPE-V), and to investigate the possible correlation between these two analyses in actors without self-reported vocal complaints. Methods A total of 39 actors participated in this study, including 20 men and 19 women. Their ages ranged from 18 to 53 years (mean of 33.3 years), with a mean duration of eight years of professional experience. The referred actors were asked to perform predefined CAPE-V tasks and provide one voice sample in which they read a poem at normal loudness; all tasks were recorded. A professional speech-language therapist evaluated the OS based on CAPE-V vocal tasks; scores up to 35.5 mm represented normal parameters, while those from 35.6 to 50.5 mm represented mild deviation, 50.6 to 90.5 mm indicated moderate deviation, and 90.6 to 100 mm indicated severe deviation. A theater director and another speech-language therapist classified the voice samples using the OVQ scale. The OVQ was measured using a 200-mm visual analogue scale. The calculation of terciles allowed the division into three groups regarding the GVP: lowest score group; intermediate score group; and highest score group. The scores of both analyses were compared by sex and groups. Lastly, a correlation analysis was performed between the two analyses for the total sample. Results There was a significant difference among the three groups and a mild vocal deviation in the lowest score group. In addition, an inversely proportional correlation was observed between GVP and OS. No sex-related differences were observed in the scores for either analyses. Conclusion The actors without self-reported voice complaints presented differences on GVP scores and their distribution was independent of sex and length of professional experience. Vocal deviation, although mild, on average was greater in actors who had the lowest scores in GVP, with an inversely proportional correlation between these two parameters.