What is a "Shakespeare voice?" —with Scott Ferrara

08/28/19 • 44 min

Speaking Of... Conversations on Voice, Speech, and Identity with Ryan O'Shea

On this episode of Speaking Of... I’m joined by my friend, voice and acting teacher, Scott Ferrara. Scott specializes in coaching voice as well as acting for classical texts. He joined me to talk about “Shakespeare voice”—the tone and accent that many actors often go to when first exploring Shakespeare in performance. We talked about why he believes this is so common, and he shared some tools and experience for how to guide actors toward their more authentic voice. (And it is far more advanced than saying “Hey, don’t do that voice.”) While the main conversation is from the context of Shakespeare in performance, the conversation is absolutely relevant for actors of all genres and mediums, and even for non-performers interested in finding their more authentic voice.

You can find complete show notes and links to everything we’ve mentioned in the episode on https://www.voiceandspeechwithryan.com/podcast.

You can find complete show notes and links to everything we’ve mentioned in the episode on https://www.voiceandspeechwithryan.com/podcast.

Previous Episode

How do I release my voice when I’m under stress?—with Vivi Devereaux

On this episode of Speaking Of... I’m joined by my friend, actor Vivi Devereaux. Vivi’s question was, “How do I release my voice when I’m under stress?”

Vivi is regularly performing and auditioning, and his question is related to the stressful “fight-or-flight” response that often accompanies performance. Throat tightening is a very common side-effect of nerves or fear, that affects performers and non-performers. We talk about WHY this happens and I offer an array of tools you can use both in the moment that the tightening is occurring, as well as some exercises to add to a vocal practice.

You can find complete show notes and links to everything we’ve mentioned in the episode on https://www.voiceandspeechwithryan.com/podcast.

Next Episode

How can I help myself be more present when I’m feeling overwhelmed?—with Jessica Barrett Denison

On this episode of Speaking Of... I’m joined by my friend, actor-writer-photographer-editor, Jessica Barrett Denison aka Jess. Jess asked the question, “When I shut down, how do I come back?” The way I reframed Jess’ question was “How can I help myself be more present when I feel overwhelmed?” Her question is relatable to performers, especially if you ever have a feeling being “stuck” when the performance isn’t going the way you think it “should” be. And it’s also relevant for anyone with any degree of social anxiety. In the episode, we talk about some tools and concepts for helping you get present with what matters, whether you’re in performance or in conversation.
You can find complete show notes and links to everything we’ve mentioned in the episode on https://www.voiceandspeechwithryan.com/podcast.