tovahclose-cv-dec2023.docxI’m a voice, speech, and acting teacher with a deep love of language and the spoken word, a keen ear, and a kind spirit. I teach acting, public speaking, breath-body connection, vocal embodiment, articulation/warm-up skills, verbal action, IPA, text analysis, Shakespeare and accents. Since childhood I’ve loved puns, word games, and silly voices.
I am a full time faculty member in the University of Virginia Department of Drama. In addition to graduate-level voice and speech, my courses include Acting I, Speaking in Public, and Voice for Theater. I hold an MFA from American Conservatory Theater and a BFA from UC Santa Barbara, both in Acting and I have completed all pre-certification training in Knight-Thompson Speechwork. My conservatory training and background in theater acting provide insight into the challenges that actors often encounter, and allow me to help students integrate the work into performance. Students’ evaluations of me consistently praise my kindness, sense of fun, and ability to give notes that are specific and easy to implement. My influences include Patsy Rodenburg, Ilse Middendorf, Brené Brown, and Dr. Seuss. View my CV here. For a small taste of my work, check out the breath work lesson below, recorded for my public speaking students during 2020's distance learning. (Link here.) |