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Hello, BettyAnn here.​​​​​

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My credentials? Let’s begin with Talking Well Consulting.

I Created Talking Well Consulting, LLC in 2007 after I had trouble understanding a doctor. I said to myself, "If I can train actors to

do accents, I surely can help those from other countries and who speak other languages to reduce their accents." Since then, I have done

exactly that. And I continue to coach privately, one-on-one, and offer accent modification for internationals and dialect coaching for

theatre, film, and television productions with entire casts and/or individual actors. I also work with cochlear implant clients who wish

to reduce their deaf accent and live in both the signing and speaking worlds, becoming bi-lingual.

 

Now then, back to the beginning.

I grew up in a military family, attending 16 schools by the time I graduated from high school. Sadly, no, I never lived in another country.

Here in the US, though, we had to change our accents every time we moved to "fit in". That gave me accent proficiency, for sure. We were

always “the other,” “those people,” so I can empathize with the many who are treated “differently” due to their accents.

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My next step with accents? A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Acting, also giving attention to voice, diction, and accents. I taught at the

University of Iowa first, but saw many of my students go to NYC and acting…as actors. I thought, "If my students are succeeding, then I

will too!" After all, I taught them so...

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I moved to NYC with my first dog, a russet Golden Retriever named Hostage – after the play, The Hostage, of course. There, I was a

working actor in theatre, soap operas, and commercials. No, I was never a star, just a working stiff who earned enough money acting to

pay my bills and a little more. (Less than 15% of union actors achieve that level! Stars? .3 %) I also began to work with actors and business

clients to reduce their accents…and did some dialect coaching for actors and shows. I did have an amazing accent modification student

while in New York: Howard Stern. I tell people, “I taught Howard how to speak, not what to say.” I do want to tell you he was one of the

hardest working students I ever had. A wonderful person!

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I was fortunate to train with many of the master teachers of the 20th century.

     Acting: Arthur Wagner, Eric Berne technique; John O’Shannesey, an original member of the Group Theatre; and Bill Esper, Meisner

technique: an intensive two-year program in New York City. 

     Voice and Diction: Arthur Lessac, who developed a kinesiological approach to teaching voice and diction; intensive workshops with

Cecily Barry, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon; Patsy Rodenburg, Master Voice Teacher, Guild Hall, London; Louis

Colianni, International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Pillows, University of Kansas, Pace University's Professional Actor Training program.​

     Accent & Dialects: Studied the systems of: Evangeline Machlin, Jerry Blunt, Gillian Lane-Plescia, multiple original speaker dialect

tapes. Served as Dialect Coach for the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Canada.​​​​

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I married and moved to St. Louis, still acting as well. I taught in Webster University’s Actor Training program, which is connected to the

Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, dialect coaching for professional theaters in the area as well. My husband Tom (a liturgical organist with

a passion for University of Missouri football (MIZ-ZOU) and March Madness) and I had five dogs over quite a number of years. They

were all rescues: Mary Elizabeth Lambchop, rescued by me in NYC; Greta, the Peta, the Poo, and Oscar Bear, saved in St. Louis by Tom;

the notoriously happy Dalmatian Natasha, rescued reluctantly by Tom in Valparaiso, IN (truthfully one of my favorites), and Auggie

Doggie, who was Tom’s baby, saved from the front of a grocery store in Ellicott City, MD. All long lived, all well loved, all sadly now gone

from our lives.

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After working as an actor I became a Dialect coach for professional theatre, film and television

I coached accents in professional theatre and university productions in New York City, St. Louis, Chicago, the Washington, D.C./Baltimore

corridor. My dialect coaching was reviewed positively in both the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun. I joyfully served eight years as

Resident Dialect Coach for REP Stage, a professional theatre within Howard Community College, one of only two in the United States.

I taught voice and diction workshops at the Black Rep and The New Theatre, both in St. Louis. And dialect coached professional produc-

tions in Washington, D.C./Baltimore corridor: Studio Theatre, Olney Theatre, Everyman Theatre, Roundabout Theatre among others.

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My university teaching began while I was working in NYC as an actor.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice, NYC: I was invited to train police cadets for victim and witness interviews, and was a member of an

acting group that served as victims (especially of physical abuse and rape), and witnesses (to violent crimes).

Webster University Professional Actor Training Program: I taught student actors at the basic level in voice and diction, and dialects. 

Valparaiso University: I served as a tenured professor and interim department chair​. I taught acting, voice and diction, and dialects for

both actors and opera singers and was fortunate to direct, and dialect coach plays and opera. I also developed a student company that

performed interactive plays about child abuse for area grade schools, and also interactive plays on date rape and prejudice against the

LGBTQIA+ community to university students and regional high schools.

The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.: Associate Professor and Associate Chair also teaching voice and diction, and

dialects to undergraduate and graduate actors, and singing students. I was blessed to be awarded the Professor Who Most Supported

Students with Disabilities.

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While teaching at Valparaiso University, I served as the President of VASTA, the Voice and Trainers Association, an international organi-

zation for those who work in the fields of voice and diction, dialects, presentation skills, dramaturgy, university and professional coach-

ing, and with medical personnel, including otolaryngologists, speech therapists, and linguists.

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We moved to Maryland as Tom found “the job of a lifetime,” and I began dialect coaching in professional theatre, film, and television.

What and who? Well, In D.C., Baltimore, and smaller professional theaters in the area. As an associate professor teaching undergrads

and grad students in acting, and serving as the associate chair of the theatre department at The Catholic University of America was

exciting. Watching my students become involved in the theatre scene in D.C. was rewarding, and even more enjoyable as I coached them

in professional productions. 

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When Tom retired, we moved back to the St. Louis area where I thoroughly enjoy my beautiful screened in porch…but no dogs…sigh. 

Hobbies include jewelry making (chunky necklaces), sewing (not quilts!), reading (murder mysteries), and killing plants, especially basil.

I am thrilled with the very active theatre scene (large and small theatre companies) here in St. Louis, as well as the Saint Louis Art

Museum and the internationally known Botanical Gardens of Saint Louis. 

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In 2023, I published my first book, OTTO! A Three-Step Process for Controlling Your Negative Voice, which serves people who are limited

by past traumatic events - children and young people and school shootings; those suffering from PTSD; people seriously injured in

accidents; and actors in auditions. It is on Amazon!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Come join me. You too can be part of the exciting world of Talking Well Consulting!