Episode 89 (Voice Coaching, Sound Design, and Amplification in the Theatre)

For the June 2025 episode, Paul and his guest, voice/dialect coach and IDEA Senior Editor Sarah Nichols, discuss the relationship, or lack thereof, between voice coaches and sound designers in the theatre, with particular emphasis on the use of microphones.

Paul and Sarah, along with podcast co-producer Cameron Meier, dive into the history of amplification on stage (and screen) and discuss why, historically, there has not been more cooperation between the disciplines of sound design and voice coaching.

This podcast was inspired by Sarah’s 2022 article, “Bridging the Gap between Voice Coaches and Sound Designers in the Theatre” from VASTA’s academic journal, the Voice and Speech Review, for which she received the Rocco Dal Vera Graduate Research Award. For more information on that article, go here.

Sarah is a second-generation Cuban American voice, accent, and communication coach with a BFA in musical theatre from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and an MFA in voice studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She has performed on tour with TheatreworksUSA and at sea for Royal Caribbean International, and has taught for institutions in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and Egypt. Based in Savannah, Georgia, Sarah works with actors and executives in vocal production, accent modification, and public-speaking skills. She is the resident voice and dialect coach for the Acting Company at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in Annapolis, Maryland. Visit SarahNicholsVoice.com and IDEA for more information.

We also recommend listening to podcast episode #34, with Rush Rehm, from November 2020, which features a discussion of Greek drama.

Check out the videos below for related content:

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