Freeing the Voice

press release: Broom Street Theater will host a two-part workshop entitled "Freeing The Voice" with Stephen Montagna on March 2nd and April 6th from 1 - 4 pm.

While the art of acting can take many forms  across a variety of genres, texts, and performance styles,  central to the task is the expression of the character(s) experiences and the words of the playwright(s) through the use of voice. The more free (read: relaxed, connected, alive) an actor is in these moments, the more capable they are of conveying words, feelings, and experiences to an audience. Yet, often when presented with emotionally intense material, in our attempts to convey this experience, we actually tighten up; we think were embodying an emotional tension  and we are, except it cuts us off from our own power as actors to convey emotion through our voice.

Drawing on his experience as an actor, director and teacher, Stephen Montagna will lead two sessions focused on helping actors (and the directors who work with them) connect the text to the deeper levels of our human experience and expression. Following the voice work of Kristin Linklater (co-founder of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA) and the late Cicely Berry (long-time voice coach of the Royal Shakespeare Company), participants will re-familiarize themselves with their instrument, explore the body-feeling-voice connection, and stretch their emotional vulnerability and expressive capabilities through body work, feeding in, dropping in, and hands-on exercises in a safe, supportive, fun, and challenging workshop environment.  

Session One will focus on Monologues; we will do a collective warm-up, some group exercises, some partnered/paired work, and then have a chunk of time to workshop individual pieces. Participants are asked to come with a piece to work  this can be an audition piece, selection from a show you have been in and want to revisit, or something from an upcoming production. This can be across any genre, and it can be a piece that traditionally might be off-limits to you (e.g.  there will be no limit to gender identity or age). However, material that speaks to you as a piece that is emotionally challenging  e.g. where the stakes for the character are quite high  will be most helpful, as this workshop will be focused more on this kind of acting challenge. It is preferable, and more helpful, if the piece is memorized.

Session Two will focus on Scene-work; again, these can be partnered scenes from a past or pending production that you'd like to work/re-work, or participants from Session One will have time to network and choose to work together on a scene for the second session. We will follow nearly the same format from Session One  a collective warm-up, some group exercises, and then a chunk of time to workshop scenes.

Participants can attend either session or both sessions  though there will clearly be additional benefit for those that can attend both sessions. The cost is $25 for one session, or $45 for both sessions. Reservations are available at    https://freeingthevoice.bpt.me

Participants for both sessions are asked to wear comfortable clothing (come dressed to move), bring a water bottle, as well as scripts or copies of text selections, along with a willingness to be challenged and support each other in the work.