Great theater is by no means an imitation of life, but a reflection of truth. From its ancient conception in Greece, theater had a therapeutic function and was used to heal the soul. And to this day a person comes to the theater to find the truth. The success of a performance is determined by the extent to which the actors incarnate and convey the truth – and the audience receives it. Both sides, performer and viewer, are interdependent on each other. Both are active participants. The great founder of modern acting K.S. Stanislavsky wrote: “And where there is truth and faith, there is genuine, productive, expedient action, there is experience, and the subconscious, and creativity, and art” (An actor works on himself, published posthumously in 1938). The leading voice coach of our time Patsy Rodenburg noticed that the success of the transmission of the truth, and its acceptance, depends on the degree of presence of the artist and the audience.

Presence is participation in existence. Presence is communion: with God and all of His creation. Presence is necessary for all relationships, because presence is the foundation of trust. Presence in Greek is parousia – the presence of God in us and the promise of His return.  

Presence is essential for the lived life. The present person is alert, responsive to the environment, defines their own safety boundaries, and develops healthy relationships. The present person acts as an irreplaceable member of an ensemble –  sensitive to others, responsible, and motivated by clear intent. 

Our degree of presence determines our body awareness and our breathing patterns. These in turn determine the quality of our voice. Without presence, our breath is stifled, we cannot be literally inspired by God’s grace all around us, and we cannot speak our truth in love.

As a professional voice coach, homeopathic doctor, and midwife, I work with people of all backgrounds to help them acquire the skills of presence and discover their voices. 

Participants in my workshops and seminars use texts of the greatest poets and playwrights to help them express universal truths. Speaking the truth of others, who have expressed prototypical human experience for hundreds of years, helps us to approach our own personal truths more easily.

People from all walks of life, professionals and amateurs, in various states of health and illness, from children to the elderly, participate in this work. Through the methodology developed by Patsy Rodenburg and my own lifetime experience as a holistic health practitioner, I am honored to assist people in finding and using the present voice. 

The methodology for acquiring presence involves working with body, breath and voice. Analogous to the creation of man: And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). Our body is formed from the earth itself. A clear, pleasant voice is based on correctly set breathing. Proper breathing permeates the entire body and has its foundation in a balanced body. With the body we are connected in a state of full presence with the earth. The breath of life breathed into us in our incarnation became both the requirement and the proof of our life. It is our inspiration: the grace of all of creation. In the state of full presence, we breathe in this grace and give it back to the surrounding world. Such harmonious breathing provides the foundation for a normal voice. The voice is the instrument of conveying each person’s word – their individual and unique expression.

Participants gain confidence to speak their truth in love; to hear others and be heard; they discover improved communication and a deepening of relationships with self, God, and loved ones.  They learn about how and where they hold tension (compensatory mechanisms) in their bodies. They learn to overcome their fear of connection. 

These skills are an absolute prerequisite for actors, performers, and public speakers. Yet they equip people of all vocations and life stories to experience a more fully present existence.