Vol. 13 No.2

VASTA

VASTA Conference 1999
Toronto

Join us in Toronto, Canada for VASTA Conference '99! It will be held July 31 through August 3. Our theme this year is "Bridges Across Disciplines," and so, true to the spirit that has always led VASTA, we will be building bridges that will link training methods in voice and movement, breath and phonation, theatre and speech science. And, because this is our first Canadian conference, we especially hope to build bridges between voice an speech trainers in the U.S. and Canada. Our host for both housing and workshops is York University in Toronto.

At our reception on Saturday night we will be building some bridges between our members and guests. Starting at 7:30 p.m., this will be a relaxed time of networking, sharing, introductions, and the VASTA members meeting. You're invited to bring items for the "Sharing Site," which is a big table where you can display any books, tapes, products, or promo materials you'd like to share.

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday mornings, we are thrilled to have workshops led by VASTA member David Smukler of Toronto and his associate Judith Koltai. Their workshop is called "Sensation, Spine and Sense: a thoughtful re-examination of those things we think we know.' The actor's art is to embody the spoken word into bone, flesh, and blood. The investigation of this will be the focus of their workshop. It will be an experimental inquiry into the central role of a fluidly adaptable skeletal structure. This is the key to resonance, availability and responsiveness of the organism in movement and sound to the requirements of the sensations, thoughts, and emotions of the text. The workshop will integrate individual and shared experience with the practice of observation skills. Please bring a piece of classical text (preferably Shakespeare) of approximately 8-14 lines to work with.

David Smukler, one of the senior voice teachers in the Canadian theatre, is on the faculty of York University in Toronto, where he supervises the Voice Teacher Diploma in the MFA Acting Program. He is the Director of the National Voice Intensive held in Vancouver, teaches professional classes at Equity Showcase Theatre, and has been in demand as a voice coach for theatre, opera, film, television, radio, and musical theatre, with major acting schools and theatrical companies in Canada, England, the United States, and the Netherlands, including the Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival and The Tyrone Guthrie Theater. David is currently preparing a diction book for Canadian actor training and a handbook for working with Canadian dialects.

David's co-presenter and colleague over the past ten years, is Judith Koltai of Victoria, British Columbia. Judith holds an M.A. and ADTR (Academy of Dance Therapists Registered), and has been in practice as a movement specialist and coach to performing artists for over thirty years. Her trademark method SYNTONICS, is based in the Anti-Exercise method of Therese Bertherat and the discipline of Sensory Awareness as taught by Charlotte Selver. Judith has pioneered the application of Authentic Movement to voice and text. Currently, she leads masterclasses in Embodied Practice for advanced students and professionals.

Each afternoon, we will be led by Dr. William Weiss, who teaches at the Department of Theatre at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Weiss' workshops are entitled "Mobile Voice, The Minimal Movements and Spatialization Method," exploring his approach to increasing the mobility of the bodily parts that produce speech. The goal of Mobile Voice is to establish neuro-muscular speech patterns that will produce efficient speech without the speaker's attentions on himself/herself. The approach is practical and the lessons can be transposed to other organs involved in phonation. Besides the benefits in voice and speech production and vocal health, the participants will discover new possibilities of voice qualities depending on the positioning of bodily parts.

Dr. Weiss created Mobile Voice in 1985 and has taught in Europe, the Middle East, and in North and South America. He has also conducted research in the acoustics of speech, in actor training, movement, mime, music in the theatre, theatre and spirituality, and he also directs plays. The English language version of his book on Mobile Voice will soon be published.

Our Saturday evening program will feature the always popular "Things That Work, where we will share and discuss problems, solutions, and ideas regarding our field. On Sunday evening, we will do the "Exercise Swap," so let us know ahead of time that you wish to demonstrate a helpful exercise, and bring about 75 copies of any materials you wish to hand out.

The Conference will wrap up at 6:15 pm on Tuesday. We invite you to plan on staying through Wednesday to join us for our exciting trip to the Shaw Festival in Niagra-on-the-Lake! Plans are in the works for taking a bus trip together, and tickets will be at a group discount. But mark your calendar.

By now, you should have received the VASTA Conference '99 brochure, containing full details on housing and meal plans, schedules, prices, transportation, etc. Please note a correction: If you intend to drive or rent a car, parking will be available on campus, at the rate of $7 (CDN)/ day. Please indicate in your housing registration that you will require parking. If you have already mailed the tearsheet, please contact Frank Villiva with the information - (416)736-2100 x 22111, or email: fvilliva@fbo.yorku.ca. Please write 'VASTA'on your return registration for housing. And the good news - room prices are actually $37 for singles, and $55 for doubles (doubles are in very limited supply). For further information or input, contact conference chair Candice Brown at (716) 673-3597 or email her at brownca@fredonia.edu. Or you may acesss the brochure at http://www.vasta.org/conf99.html or follow the links to this page from the VASTA "home" page at http://www.vasta.org .