Singapore

In August, I traveled to Singapore - my first time visiting Asia - to attend the annual Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) conference. I had a wonderful time taking workshops led by voice and storytelling practitioners from Australia, India, Bali, and Mongolia. I co-presented a workshop on linguistic detail in Singlish with fellow Knight Thompson-Speechwork Teacher Jeremy Sortore and native Singaporean and voice coach Petrina Kow. We chose Singlish to explore this core principle of KTS - the principle that advocates teaching speech skills and fluency strategies that might increase or decrease the amount of linguistic detail a speaker uses, rather than teaching a prescriptive pronunciation pattern as a standard. The practices explored in the workshop are part of a larger conversation about the use of the term "formality" in KTS. You can read more of that conversation here, on the KTS blog.

After the VASTA conference, Jeremy Sortore and I co-taught Experiencing Speech: Part One, the introductory Knight-Thompson Speechwork workshop that covers vocal anatomy and the physical actions of all speech sounds in every human language. We had a wonderful group of speech explorers in the workshop. Here we are gurning on our last day together:

Good Men Wanted

This week, I went up to Poughkeepsie to do some dialect coaching for New York Stage and Film. The play is GOOD MEN WANTED by Kevin Armento and directed by Jaki Bradley. It takes place during the Civil War (sort of) and follows the journeys of several women who, for various reasons, disguise themselves as men in order to enlist and fight in the war. It's a powerful and engaging new play, and I had a wonderful time working with some of the cast on these historical accents.

Performances run July 20-30 in the Powerhouse Theater on the Vassar College Campus in Poughkeepsie, NY. More info and tickets available here.

And here's a snap shot from the train ride along the Hudson - always beautiful.

Larry Singer Studios Summer Conservatory

This summer, I'm delighted to be teaching voice in the Larry Singer Studios Summer Conservatory in NYC. It's my first time teaching with Larry, and it's a real joy. The students study voice, physical acting, scene study, and writing for performance. They also attend professional productions and meet with industry professionals in the city. And they receive college credit! 

Theatermakers

I'm teaching Voice in the Theatermakers training program at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT, for the fourth time. Theatermakers is an ensemble that is made up of college-aged actors, directors, and playwrights. It's a 6-week immersive experience in which the students make and perform new work every week, as well as train with and observe professionals. The group is delightful this year, and we get to work here:

YOU ARE PERFECT at the Toronto Fringe

My next project opens at the Toronto Fringe Festival next week. White Horse Theater Company will bring the second production of YOU ARE PERFECT by Cyndy A. Marion to Canada July 7-15. This production is directed by Rhys J. McClelland, and I again helped with the accents. Take a journey into the mind and memory of Susan Atkins. Tickets and more info here.

Fitzmaurice Voicework Workshop

This is a new website for me, and thus begins a new blog.

I had the privilege of teaching two days in Catherine Fitzmaurice's 6-day workshop in NYC over Memorial Day Weekend. On Saturday, I was part of the Restructuring teaching team, exploring and practicing the FV method of breath support for communication. On Monday, I was part of the Speech teaching team, exploring and practicing all possible speech actions and using them for communication. It was a wonderful group of participants and teachers.