Text Coaching work shifted my whole world with the Bard, and beyond.  I trained with former RSC/Royal Shakespeare Co, London member, David Howey who was later in Philadelphia as Chair of the renowned University of the Arts Theatre program.  He also served as my mentor at The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre as Actor & Text Coach where I worked for many years as a principal character actress and then the company’s Text Coach for the Classical Acting Academy, School Tours, and Mainstage.  

     It amazed me how simply knowing the imbedded literary devices Shakespeare used to signal us as actors to “Lift” those words, made an enormous shift in the beauty and comprehension (for actor and audience) of his spoken language on stage, and clarity in the storytelling and character relationships, particularly in the verse; Lifting, i.e. giving those words/phrases more ‘juice’, such as with alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, antithetical/opposite words, lists of words, the end words of verse lines…just to name a few…as well as some other techniques.  It completely changes the game in short order and lifts the performer’s work exponentially. 

     All classical actors need a text coach, even if they already understand the basics.  When rehearsing, and immersed in all the aspects of developing a character, learning lines, etc, it is easy to miss the moments where the text is meant to be heightened. And an astute Text Coach can hear those places as well as intuit where the rhythms and pacing and sounds of words need to shift in certain ways to underscore what is happening with the character and the story. 

     I have developed a TEXT TIPS DOCUMENT for Actors of Shakespeare and have worked with all levels of actors…students, early career, seasoned professionals, and even teenagers.  It is a facile, quick, and really fun way of working as theatre artists start to have big ah-ha moments and enjoy feeling how their characters soar very quickly as they incorporate these techniques.  I work in a very organic way in rehearsals, with the director and actors so as not to interrupt the rehearsal process, and to facilitate a smooth and fun production.