This 5-session workshop focuses on some of the most commonly used dialects in the actor’s toolbox, British Received Pronunciation (“Standard British”) and Cockney. In this workshop, you will explore the signature sounds and intonation patterns of these two accents. Topics explored include research and rehearsal techniques, finding freedom and flexibility, and the challenge of accessing emotional life while speaking in an unfamiliar way. All actors will work on a monologue of their choosing, as well as very short scenes. Texts will be drawn from the works of playwrights including Oscar Wilde, Joe Orton, Nick Payne and Kwame Kwei-Armah. Essential for every actor, skills underlying British accents can be applied to characters and plays from around the world, reaching far beyond the UK. Due to the expanse of the colonial British empire, Standard British exerted large influence on African, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian accents. Therefore, even today, non-native speakers of English are exposed to and learn English not with an American accent, but with a Standard British accent — meaning, a solid foundation in Standard British will equip you with skills for performing dialects from many cultures and nationalities across the globe.

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• Registration Prerequisite: Open to all.

Voice Over director Theresa Buchheister has directed and sound-engineered 100s of audiobooks, including How Music Works with Andrew Garman, The Perks of Being a Wallflower with Noah Galvin, Leaving the Sea with Brian Hutchison, Lydia Davis Collected Stories with a variety of actors, Wild Boys with Luis Moreno, and many, many more. Theresa has narrated (under their name and a pseudonym) over 50 books, including erotica, young adult and educational texts. Over the course of this workshop, Theresa will introduce you to the basic skills and valuable practices of audiobook voiceover performance. First, we will start at the very beginning: genre differences, preparation questions, common terms, valuable warm-ups and tricks, differentiation from other areas of voice acting, what your voice is best suited to, focus and clarity, and more. Next, we will put these into practice: subtle shifts in vocal characterization, flow and breath, dialogue pacing, tonal qualities within genres. You will be sent away with homework – selecting books that are a good fit for your voice – and you will have the opportunity to perform an in-class, expanded audition. We will start and stop, make adjustments, and get a clean take of your pieces.

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• Registration Prerequisite: Open to all.

Communication and Presentation Skills are required at various professional levels, as well as in everyday situations. Executives, educators, team leaders and managers, can all benefit from sharpening communication skills. A great message can get lost if the delivery is less than impactful. Whether the goal is to persuade, inspire, inform, tell a story, or offer a toast at a wedding, this course will offer tools to help you speak with confidence and clarity, and make an impact. You’ll learn about the importance of delivery, how to refine your message, learn strategies for working with visual aids such as PowerPoint, and how to engage your audience – whether on Zoom, in the conference room or on a stage. Lead by Theresa McElwee, a voice and speech coach who works with actors, broadcasters, news anchors, and corporate clients.

• Learn more about the instructor.
• Registration Prerequisite: Open to all.