ALL MY SONS by Arthur Miller and directed by Melia Bensussen started previews at Hartford Stage on April 11th. This is the second Miller play I’ve worked on this season, and I’ve been reminded of why I fell in love with his writing in college. This production is beautiful and devastating, and the cast are all-around wonderful. Performances run through May 5th. More info and tickets here.
Othello
The first three episodes of Next Chapter Podcasts’ series OTHELLO are currently streaming. The text is a modern English translation by Mfoniso Udofia, and the series is directed by Victor Malana Maog. I had a wonderful time collaborating with the cast as Voice and Text coach. New episodes drop every Monday here and wherever else you get your podcasts.
Love's Labour's Lost
The first two episodes of Next Chapter Podcasts’ production of LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST, modern English translation by Josh Wilder and directed by Nelson Eusebio, are streaming! This series sets the action at Howard University in the 1920s, and the cast is simply amazing. New episodes drop every week. You can listen to them wherever you get your podcasts for free. More info here.
the ripple, the wave that carried me home
Christina Anderson’s beautiful play the ripple, the wave that carried me home begins previews tonight at Yale Repertory Theatre. This production is directed by Tamilla Woodard, Chair of the Acting Program at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, and it features three Yale Drama School alums in the cast. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to serve as Vocal Coach on this play. Performances run through May 20th. More info here.
The Winter's Tale
THE WINTER’S TALE by Shakespeare and directed by Melia Bensussen started previews at Hartford Stage last night. It was a true pleasure to serve as Voice and Text Coach through this process, and this is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Performances run through May 7th. More info and tickets here.
The Tempest
The first episode of Next Chapter Podcasts/Play On Podcasts’ series THE TEMPEST is out today! The Shakespeare play has been translated into modern English by Kenneth Cavander, and the episodes were directed by Andy Wolk. I served as Voice and Text Coach. A new episode will drop every week. Listen to it here and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
The Winter's Tale
The first four episodes of Next Chapter Podcasts/Play On Shakespeare’s presentation of THE WINTER’S TALE, modern English translation and directed by Tracy Young, are streaming now! New episodes drop every Friday. This play is one of my favorites, and I had an absolute blast revisiting it as Voice and Text Coach. Find it wherever you get your podcasts!
Measure for Measure
The first four episodes of Next Chapter Podcasts/Play On Shakespeare’s presentation of MEASURE FOR MEASURE, modern English translation by Aditi Brennan Kapil and directed by Jessie Austrian, are streaming now! New episodes drop every Friday. I once again had a wonderful time serving as Voice and Text Coach on this series. Find it wherever you get your podcasts!
Henry V Podcast
This spring I served as Voice and Text Coach for a podcast production of HENRY V, translated into modern English verse by Lloyd Suh and directed by Krista Williams for Next Chapter Podcasts. I had a wonderful time working with Bobby Moreno on Henry’s many speeches in this play, as well as with Nikki Massoud and Brittany Kathryn Allen on the French language and accented English in the play.
The first three episodes are out, and a new episode will drop each Friday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Twelfth Night Podcast
This spring I served as Voice and Text Coach for a podcast version of TWELFTH NIGHT, translated into modern English verse by Alison Carey and directed by Christopher Liam Moore for Next Chapter Podcasts. The cast is delightful, as is the sound design. A new episode will arrive every Friday for the next several weeks. Give us a listen here, or anywhere you get your podcasts!
RIDE THE CYCLONE and Other Show Updates
My latest project started performances on April 30th at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ. The piece is a musical called RIDE THE CYCLONE by Brooke Maxwell & Jacob Richmond and directed by McCarter’s new Artistic Director, Sarah Rasmussen. It’s wacky and magical, and I coached some French and Ukrainian accents for it. Performances run through May 29th. More info and tickets here.
Some other projects of mine have come and gone since my last post. I served as Voice Coach on two productions at Connecticut Repertory Theatre this spring: SEVEN SPOTS ON THE SUN by Martín Zimmerman and directed by Tlaloc Rivas had performances March 26th - April 3rd and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS by Howard Ashman & Alan Menken and directed by Vince Tycer had performances April 21st - May 1st. I also coached accents for a production of CABARET by John Kander, Fred Ebb, & Joe Masteroff and directed by Ken Prestininzi at Connecticut College in New London, CT.
It’s been a busy spring!
CORIOLANUS Podcast Interview
A few weeks ago, I had the distinct honor of being in conversation with Play on Podcasts Executive Producer Michael Goodfriend and brilliant Dramaturg Amrita Ramanan about our work on the podcast version of Sean San José’s modern verse translation of CORIOLANUS, directed by Kate Wisniewski. You can listen to our conversation here — and anywhere you get your podcasts.
December Updates
Two shows I coached had performances in December.
FOOD FOR THE GODS, written and directed by Nehprii Amenii, had three performances at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, December 11th & 12th. This promenade-style performance piece served as a healing ritual for black men killed by police and other self-appointed law-enforcers over the years. It’s a piece unlike any others I’ve worked on, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity. The number of performances was reduced due to issues around COVID.
A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES, adapted by Adrian Mitchell and Jeremy Brooks from Dylan Thomas’s short story and directed by Bonnie J. Monte, had performances at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, December 8th-26th. It was a beautiful, heart-warming show with a lovely cast, and it was the first show produced in the Kirby Theatre in two years. It closed early due to issues around COVID.
Lastly, I co-taught the 33rd offering of the Knight-Thompson Speechwork workshop, Experiencing Speech, December 11th-17th. I love teaching this workshop, especially in the December slot. The workshop is always filled with interesting, curious participants who teach me so much. And I had a blast teaching with my KTS colleagues, Andrea Caban and Nathan Crocker. Here’s a screenshot of our recording thumbnails:
Coriolanus
This summer, I got to serve as Voice and Text Consultant on Play On Shakespeare’s podcast production of CORIOLANUS in a modern verse translation by Sean San José and directed by fellow A.R.T. alum Kate Wisniewski. The cast is comprised of all female and non-binary actors, and a majority of them are people of color.
It was challenging and deeply fulfilling to work on this text with this group of artists. A new episode will be streamed for free each week! Listen to the first episode now and subscribe.
Antigone
Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s virtual production of ANTIGONE adapted and directed by Gary M. English started performances last week and runs through April 11th. I served as Associate Director, as well as Voice and Text Coach. This virtual production is unlike any other I’ve worked on during the pandemic (or ever). It employs a scenic and projector installation in one of CRT’s theater spaces to make it really feel like the actors are together in the space. The production design is truly innovative and exciting to watch.
More info and tickets available here. Join us!
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s virtual production of PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE by Shakespeare and directed by Raphael Massie opened last night, February 26th, 2021. I had a wonderful time working on this play for the first time and with this group of generous artists. Raphael Massie re-imagined this tale of high adventure, tragedy, and perseverance as a web graphic novel, complete with shadow puppetry and amazing illustrations by scenic designer Amber Convery.
Performances run online through March 7th More info and tickets available here. Join us!
Men on Boats
MEN ON BOATS by Jaclyn Backhaus and directed by Beth Gardiner starts live-stream performances tonight for Connecticut Repertory Theatre. This is the first live, online production CRT has done!
The actors are all in different spaces, Zooming together to tell this true story of John Wesley Powell’s exploratory expedition on the Green and Colorado rivers in 1869. As stipulated by the playwright, the cast is comprised entirely of female-identifying and non-binary actors.
We had some fun exploring voicework for this medium. Performances run through October 18th. More info and tickets here.
As You Like It
I’m spending much of the summer in Boulder, CO, as a Voice/Text/Dialect coach for the indoor shows at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. It’s been a delight to spend my time working on Shakespeare’s language with a lovely group of artists and also exploring the mountains around Boulder.
The first indoor show of the season, AS YOU LIKE IT directed and adapted by Carolyn Howarth, starts performances tonight. It’s a beautiful production with original songs by Sam Misner (of Misner and Smith) that will stay with you long after the show. Performances run through August 10th at the University Theatre (on the University of CO, Boulder, campus). Tickets and more information here.
Inside Edition and Elizabeth Holmes
I had the opportunity to be on the TV show Inside Edition this week. They did a segment on Elizabeth Holmes’ voice, and I talked a bit about why and how I thought she might have altered her voice. I also patterned her voice a bit and got to work with a friend of mine, White Horse Theater Company Managing Director Vanessa Bombardieri, on finding easier access to her lower pitch range. It was a great experience, and you can watch the segment here.
If We Were Birds
My latest project started performances last week at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre in Storrs, CT. IF WE WERE BIRDS by Erin Shields and directed by Helene Kvale is a re-telling of the story of Procne and Philomela, two sisters and princesses of Athens. After Procne is married to Tereus of Thrace, he captures and assaults Philomela. After taking revenge on Tereus, the sisters and he are transformed by the gods into birds. This telling of the story threads in tales of modern-day women who were assaulted in contemporary wars and genocides. It’s both beautiful and harrowing. Performances run through Sunday, April 7th. Tickets and more info can be found here.
