“Tovah Close is a sensational dialect teacher. For a number of years, I have sought her assistance for a variety of roles. She has always been incredibly knowledgeable and clear, but what makes her exceptional is her ability to really listen and hone in on what will work for me.”
-MATTHEW LAWLER, actor (ABC’s The Family, The Americans)
“Tovah has become invaluable to me as a dialect coach. It is not unusual for my agents to call with one or two days notice for an audition that requires a dialect. Tovah has an arsenal of tools, guides, and exercises to help me find a clear and structured path from my natural dialect to the way a particular character would speak. I always leave a session with Tovah feeling as though a dialect is an asset rather than a hinderance. Tovah is the perfect coach --accessible, knowledgeable, curious, and a great cheerleader. Her love of language is infectious and inspiring.”
-KALISWA BREWSTER, actor (Billions, Daredevil, God Friended Me)
"Tovah is a terrific accent coach. I was really impressed by her style and ease with teaching and the accent. She is warm, smart, prepared, and fun to be with -- learning the accent was easy following her lead.”
-JULIE FITZPATRICK, actor (MTC, EST)
“She is precise without being rigid and her kind, warm demeanor encourages me to bring a sense of ease and play to material that can often make me tense and cut off from impulses. Working with Tovah via Skype or Zoom proves over and over again to be a reliable and successful method of preparing for my auditions. ”
-CHRISTIN SAWYER DAVIS, actor (Private Lives of Pippa Lee, ZACH Theatre)
“Tovah introduced students to advanced breath and voice work with professional rigor, but also support and enthusiasm. She critiqued their rehearsals and performances with mature critical judgement of what was optimal and what was doable. Her gentle, graceful presence surrounded all of her work. She made her way through this campus and this program with incomparable dignity and grace and tempered and calmed as she passed. We were very lucky to have her in our midst.”
-LUCY MILNER, former Director, North Carolina Governor’s School
"Tovah was a great teacher. She really helped not only me, but I think everyone, come out of their shell and be comfortable and vulnerable with the class."
-UVA public speaking student
"She is passionate about the work that she does. It is clear that she knows the topic and is able to reach us with multiple approaches so that the work is easier to understand. I feel more connected to other cultures and have a better understanding of the challenges that my students face when English is their second language. This course has provided me with tools not only for acting but for bridging the gap between cultures and generations."
-UVA graduate acting student, accent/dialect class
"Tovah's approach to teaching is wonderfully integrated and holistic. It is geared and very effective for diverse learners."
-UVA graduate acting student, accent/dialect class
"When I came to college, I had a few things in mind that I had to learn before I left. This class fulfilled one of them. I had to learn how to truly go out of my comfort zone and be comfortable with that. I wanted to learn how to be confident. I wanted to be able to go to an interview and know that I'm going to rock it. I don't mind speaking in front of my peers anymore. In fact, I now enjoy it. This is one of the most worthwhile courses I've taken at UVA. 10/10 I would recommend to all my friends."
-UVA public speaking student
"She motivated, made sure we comfortable, related to us and made sure we took something from the course. One of my favorite teachers by far!"
-UVA public speaking student
“Professor Close is a wonderful instructor. She is so clear is what she expects and teaches us accordingly, but she is also lenient and completely supportive of her students. I'm very thankful to have had her as my acting instructor."
-UVA acting student
“Conversations about topics such as color-blind and race-conscious casting helped remind me of how having theatre in my life can connect to other aspects of life. Theatre forces me to consider other people’s perspectives, because as an actor it is my job to embody those same perspectives when necessary. I am quite thankful for having taken this course, and I thoroughly enjoyed this course."
-UVA acting student
“Where do I begin? This class changed my life. I'm getting emotional writing this, but Tovah's approach to Acting 1 gave me such a new viewpoint on how to live and interact with both myself and others. We were challenged with the technical side of acting. We were gently nudged to venture out of our comfort zone. We experimented with how we transfer energy through our physical actions and voice. But Tovah gave us so much more.
I learned to be more present. I learned to appreciate the nuances of phenomenal theatre. Maybe most importantly, I learned to savor those experiences that you create with the people around you. I will remember the lessons from this class for the rest of my life. And isn’t that what true education is? The lessons you remember even after you forget all the facts and details.”
-UVA acting student
"Tovah is an amazing professor! I really enjoyed the acting class, it was the class I always looked forward to every week. I have learned so much and I love the games we played. She has a great way of introducing theatrical concepts to us in the most fun way possible that we don't even notice that we have been gaining skills through our games."
-UVA acting student
"I felt extremely comfortable and never judged by my teacher or classmates. I also felt very comfortable taking acting risks because she encouraged us too and never gave us criticism that wasn't kind and constructive."
-UVA acting student
"Tovah was my favorite professor of the year. She was supportive, welcoming, and she challenged everyone. She taught me so many useful skills that I know I will use in future performances."
-UVA acting student
“You have taught me so much this year. You are such an inspiration and I’m so thankful I got to spend the year learning from you!”
-NYU BFA acting student
“Tovah is great. She is methodical and such a wonderful teacher. I learned so much.”
-NYU BFA acting student