The goal of Voice for the Performer is to make the actor aware of what habits are inhibiting his/her body and voice, to free the flow of energy vocally and physically, and to find, through a series of technical and organic exercises, a spontaneous connection to expressiveness that is centered, focused and alive. Relaxation and release is essential to opening, freeing and ultimately strengthening your voice. In Voice for the Performer, you will become aware of how your voice and body carry habitual tensions and begin to undo them. This is the start to freeing your breath and vibrations of sound. As your voice begins to loosen up, the next step is to develop resonance by sensing and spreading the vibrations through the bones and hollow spaces of your body. Resonance is what gives your voice a warm, embodied presence and what carries your voice through a room. You can then move on to releasing specific tensions in the jaw, larynx, and tongue in order to encourage your sigh to find a free and focused pathway. Now you will be ready to begin to strengthen the voice and activate more expressiveness with the resonating ladder. Finally, you will contact the chest, the mouth, and the teeth resonators to find a vibrant, relaxed and focused connection between your thoughts, feelings, and your voice. The progression of exercises are based primarily upon the work developed by Kristin Linklater. The work will be done individually, with partners and in group exercises. Text will be derived from Freeing the Natural Voice by Kristin Linklater