Performance Skills

Accent Reduction/ Stage Dialects
Acting/Audition Coaching / Presentation Preparation
Vocal Coaching

Performance Skills Can Help You:

Stage Dialect/Accent Reduction Coaching

Lose an accent so people understand you
Acquire a believable and understandable stage dialect for a role
Become aware of your own vocal habits
Recognize regional vocal patterns and feel the vocal placement of a particular accent/dialect, so you can choose whether you want to use them or not
Explore the regional use of vowels, consonants, rhythm, resonance, and inflection
Feel confident that your audience is paying attention to what you are saying, as opposed to being distracted by how you are saying it
Expand your vocal repertoire to include pronunciations, syllabic stresses, and inflections that were previously unfamiliar to you
Enhance your vocal enjoyment and confidence

Acting, Audition, and Presentation Coaching

Express yourself naturally and professionally in front of an audience
Clearly and compellingly express complex ideas
Feel confident at auditions, performances, presentations, and recitals
Eliminate performance anxiety and harness its energy to create dynamic performances
Perform expressively while maintaining the vocal and physical requirements of your role
Competently work with the challenges, demands, and possibilities of differing performance styles

Understand and relate to the circumstances of the character and the world of the play or opera
Comfortably manage technical demands such as microphones, projections, and challenging props
Increase your concentration and stage presence
Keep your audience’s attention and get your message across
Enjoy your time both in the practice room and in front of an audience

Vocal Coaching:

The Cast of a Play

A play’s vocal coach designs the vocal expression of an entire production. The vocal coach is responsible for the cast’s vocal health, volume, intelligibility, language usage, the creation of character voices, and any technical vocal adjustments that the performance space and style of the play require. The production may also require the vocal coach to design dialects that are understandable but believable while reflecting the character, style, and time period of the play. In certain circumstances, the vocal coach is asked to design methods of creating character and style through vocal use.

Individual Vocal Coaching

Vocal coaching on the individual level covers the same issues as group coaching but with individual attention and focus on one performer. Individual vocal coaching prepares you for auditions, roles, and specific challenging vocal issues.

Vocal and Dialect Coaching, Representative Shows:

As You Like It, Arcadia, Bengal Tiger in the Bagdad Zoo, Blithe Spirit, Bonjour la Bonjour, Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Children’s Hour, Crimes of the Heart, Dancing at Lughnasa, Darker Face of the Earth, Glass Menagerie, Harvey, House of Blue Leaves, In Conflict, Julius Caesar, Puddin’ Head Wilson, The Matchmaker, The Merchant of Venice, Metamorphoses, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Odd Girl Out, Shout – the musical, Time of Your Life, Top Girls, Vanities, Winnie the Pooh, The Wizard of OZ

"Diane has served as a superb voice, speech, and dialect coach… I am exceedingly grateful to her for our work together"

Doug Wager

Artistic Director for Temple University Theaters/former Artistic Director of the Arena Stage in Washington, DC

"I was…losing my voice in rehearsals for a vocally demanding show, and Diane came in and gave me some tangible tools to open my throat and protect my vocal cords when shouting for the role.”

Amanda Holston

Actress, Alignment Educator & YogAlign Instructor

"I was suffering from vocal loss due to a cold, and (Diane) provided me with emergency voice coaching prior to a performance. Because of (Diane’s) coaching, I was able to fully support my voice and maintain my vocal health throughout the length of the run.”

Kyra Baker

actress

"The Performing Arts College audition process is nerve-racking and requires a lot of preparation. Diane Gaary gave incredible support, guidance, and thought- provoking exercises that helped finely tune my audition material and prepare me for this process. I felt confident walking into any audition room whether it was for an acting or musical theater program. After training with Diane, I was accepted to five amazing Performing Arts programs and I am now pursuing my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting at the University of Michigan!”

Brooks Inciardi

actress

"On my 50th birthday, I relocated from Cali to NYC to have another go at my acting career. The stress level was astronomical! Diane’s… work reminded me to live graciously in the moment. It was also great prep for auditions. Diane’s gentle voice always urged me within and I still hear her today… Thanks, Diane.”

Kristine Waters

actress