Christine Rinaldi reads The Invitation, a poem by Oriah Mountain Dreamer.

Christine’s bio and statement are forthcoming.

Drita P. Dumont performs Hope is the Thing with Feathers, a poem by Emily Dickinson.

Drita also performs in Spanish, El Dolor, a poem by Amalia Bautista.

Drita P. Dumont is a multilingual Voice Over Actor with the ability to record in English, Portuguese and Spanish. She has 20 years of experience in Commercials, eLearning, Narration (Medical/Scientific/Educational), On Hold Messaging/IVR and Training Videos. Her clients include Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Florida Blue (she is the English voice for their phone messaging), Gallo Wines, Lockheed Martin, PGA Tour Latinoamerica and Western Union.

After studying Latin American culture and languages as an undergraduate at Rice University in Houston, Texas Drita went on to get a Master’s in Brazilian Studies from Brown University and shortly after a second master’s degree in Public Health with a focus on International and Family Health. While working in the community health field in Houston, Drita rediscovered her love of on camera acting and quickly became active with a local talent agency doing industrial and commercial work in English and Spanish. This renewed interest and creative activity is what led her to start her voice over career, 20 years ago, and helped land her 1^st gig as the Portuguese speaking narrator for NASA’s International Space Station video! 

When she is not recording, Drita enjoys spending time with family and friends – cooking Brazilian BBQ, sitting by the fire pit at night, taking long walks, cooking or simply watching movies on Netflix!

From Drita: “The beginning of 2017 was wrought with loss and sadness – on a personal level but also on a broader, national level. The weight of the sadness and sense of loss seemed to permeate everything. When in the darkness, we look for light. Literature and poems, in particular, provide a source of light and hope for so many. It was no different for me – “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson, seemed to be exactly what I needed at that moment in time. Actually, it is timeless. As I worked on the poem before and during our workshop, I become more and more connected to the words and meaning and it provided a sort of “instant” therapy to help rid me of the overwhelming sense of sadness I was experiencing at the time. Recording this poem as well as the one I recorded in Spanish, “El Dolor” by Amalia Bautista, helped me process my own pain and deep feelings of sadness and come out of the experience with more hope and a sense that “all will be well” in due time. The process of acting out the poem as a voice recording is what truly provided this path to a better place … just reading it alone could not have had the same intense impact.”

Jenn Rajala performs Extending the Airport Runway, a poem by Mary Oliver.

Jenn Rajala has studied voice-over with Wren Ross for 8 years, and has applied that skill-set as a reader for the blind at Audio Journal Worcester.  Her primary interests in the field of voice include audiobook & documentary narration, and she has studied as a vocalist under SueEllen Kuzma.

From Jenn: “Mary Oliver is a favorite poet of mine, and her ability to communicate complex ideas with the simplest of language is a true gift.  Yet I also found that to be one of the challenges while making this recording.  I felt very tempted to try to do something to convey the meaning of the poem, but found instead that if I could trust and stay present to the language on the page, that message would come across far more clearly.”

Andrea O’Connell performs Pinkle Purr, a poem by A.A. Milne.

Andrea O’Connell worked in educational publishing for many years and has been a life-long singer.  The two paths merged in a publication for singers that she created and wrote for six years.  She sees voice acting as the next logical step in a life dedicated to authentic communication.  Andrea enjoys exercising her vocal colors in genres as varied as instructional narration, character dialog and humorous commercials.

From Andrea: “If one is looking for eternal truths, children’s poetry might not be the first place that comes to mind.  Yet, simple expressions are often the most effective so, why not?  In “Pinkle Purr” A.A. Milne takes only a few words to set a domestic scene everyone can recognize and relate to.  A tiny kitten arrives and its entire existence is its mother.  Everything it knows about the world comes from her and it learns by emulating her.  As the kitten grows, it ventures farther and farther from Mother’s safe, small world.  Wren helped me to experience the warmth and rightness of the journey as the now-confident cat assumes its supremacy in the natural order of things and demonstrates the evolving, yet enduring nature of love.” 

Matthew Greif performs If We Only Have Love, a poem by Jacques Brel.

From Matthew: “As a former National Park ranger in Boston, I have had many opportunities to speak in public.  I have also had some prior experience in children’s theater and puppetry — but almost none in studio recording. So Wren’s workshop was an eye and ear-opening experience.  I chose to read (but not sing) the lyrics of one of my favorite songs by Jacques Brel, If We Only Have Love, poetically translated into English by Eric Blau.  The song’s message of hope and compassion seem especially needed during these difficult and divisive times. And in her own fun and playful way, Wren challenged me to abandon old habits and experiment with new techniques and unexpected ways to interpret the lyrics and connect with an audience. The process was exciting, surprising and very helpful. Clearly, Wren is a remarkably gifted teacher!”

Nancy Hilliard performs Dawn, a poem by William Carlos Williams.

Nancy Hilliard, educator actor, has participated in community theater in the Boston and Worcester areas, striving to give dignity and voice to all her characters. In her work as a tutor with children and adults, the goal is always to enable confident communication. Emotional, behavioral, and intellectual disability-difference can create low expectations among listeners, especially when verbal ability is diminished. Using art, sign language, drama and listening, we explore learning strengths and share our thoughts in story, game, and conversation.

From Nancy: “William Carlos Williams is a favorite poet, simplicity and ambiguity in his observation of the scenes around him. A recent witness of an awesome sunrise, so hazy at the seacoast that I could watch the huge golden globe rise above the horizon, inspired a search for sunrise poetry. Williams’ Dawn described the beauty and collaboration, but stunned with doubts that the Sun was aware of the voices surrounding and supporting ‘his’ ability and achievement. Are those of us ‘abled’ aware and respectful of those struggling to communicate with us?”

Susan Giusto performs Alone, a poem by Edgar Allan Poe.

Susan Giusto started experimenting with voice acting at an early age performing and writing poems and radio plays. She has also produced sound effects and music scores for live theater. Recently Susan lends her voice to a myriad of projects from training videos and commercial spots to audio books and recently several character voices for animated short student films. She continues to keep her craft sharp by taking classes and workshops with Wren.  Susan can be contacted by thevoicegypsy@gmail.com and at https://voice123.com/profiles/susangiusto/.

From Susan: “I recently had a chance to visit Edgar Allen Poe’s home in New York City and was struck by the surrounding in which he was writing at that time. This was the house in which his beloved wife lost her battle with tuberculosis. The poem ‘Alone’ quietly acknowledges the struggles of loneliness and the twisted ways that one is really never alone with ones thoughts. Many times when I read Edgar Allen Poe I melt into my soul and feel how his life allowed him to capture such glorious visions in his words. Bringing his words to life was my gift to honor such a wonderful writer.”

Tim Corbett performs To the Western World, a poem by Louis Simpson.

Tim Corbett has been involved in performing, acting and voice-over work for several years.  Since 2013, he has been portraying historical characters at Boston’s Old State House for visitors from all over the world.  In these roles, he opens a window into life in the 1760’s, when Boston was a restive colonial capital of the British Empire, and the town’s inhabitants were subjects of young King George III.  He has performed in local community theatre, appearing as Howie Newsome in Theatre to Go’s production of Our Town in Melrose, MA.  Also, Tim recently performed the role of Chief Inspector in the Facing Exclusion program presented at the Paramount Theatre in Boston, MA.

Before coming to the performing arts, Tim worked with large global clients as a professional in the Information Industry.

From Tim: “I was already aware of Louis Simpson’s work when I came across To the Western World.  I was stunned by his ability to capture, in only three compact stanzas, the history-changing achievements, personal moments, and grinding hardship of the explorers and settlers who first came to America.  In performing this work, my goal was to offer the listener a chance to share that sensation.”

Kathy Zerlin performs The Journey, a poem by Mary Oliver.

Kathy Zerlin is a Boston area vocalist and an aspiring voiceover artist. Her New Year’s resolution is to delve deeper into her artistic pursuits, relinquishing the excuse that “life got in the way.”

From Kathy: “Poetry unleashes something. It is so open to interpretation, so the only fact that matters is what it arouses in you and how you identify with a poem. That makes it a very personal medium. In the recording booth, you feel the importance of each word and you want to honor those words by conveying the truth of the poem. You don’t want to be “off” or hiding your emotion so as not to feel vulnerable. That’s where Wren comes in! She helps personalize the poem by uncovering something inside of you. It was a cathartic experience!”

Valerie Smith performs The Road Not Taken, a poem by Robert Frost.

Valerie is new to voiceover and thoroughly enjoying the journey so far. “Observing people has always fascinated me. Getting to know characters and backstories helps me to do my best to honor the characters and the intention of the writers.”

In addition to her acupuncture practice of 20 years she has taught Chinese medicine for 18 years.

From Valerie: “Robert Frost has always been a favorite of mine, particularly this poem. Sometimes the less trodden road, although more challenging, ends up being the most gratifying.”

Valerie Smith performs The Power of the Spoken Word, a speech delivered by Helen Keller to the National Institute of Arts and Letters at New York, New York.

Valerie is new to voiceover and thoroughly enjoying the journey so far. “Observing people has always fascinated me. Getting to know characters and backstories helps me to do my best to honor the characters and the intention of the writers.”

In addition to her acupuncture practice of 20 years she has taught Chinese medicine for 18 years.

From Valerie: “What Helen Keller wrote in 1947, still powerfully resonates in 2017. Her speech gave me chills the moment I read it. Her message that words have meaning and must be spoken with integrity is something we seldom seem to see, but still strive for in today’s world.”

Susan Giusto performs A Stone Upon the Cairn, a poem she wrote.

Susan Giusto started experimenting with voice acting at an early age performing and writing poems and radio plays. She has also produced sound effects and music scores for live theater. Recently Susan lends her voice to a myriad of projects from training videos and commercial spots to audio books and recently several character voices for animated short student films. She continues to keep her craft sharp by taking classes and workshops with Wren.  Susan can be contacted by thevoicegypsy@gmail.com and at https://voice123.com/profiles/susangiusto/.

From Wren: Stories help us understand our world. I imagine that our ancestors, sitting on the ground, may have told a story about the wet substance pouring from the sky, in an effort to explain the mystery of rain. The bedtimes stories that our parents read when we’re young are bonding rituals of wonder and delight. They also teach us what matters in life and how to conduct ourselves. Stories reveal truth and pose valuable questions to ponder as human beings. Stories are in our DNA.

So, how exciting must it have been for our predecessors when radio was invented? Now, families and friends all over the world could gather around the new device to hear tales about all aspects of the human experience: some familiar and some strange. People could ponder worlds that they may never see and meet characters who struggled and triumphed in ways they may never experience, or even find resonance in folks who were just like them. They could laugh and cry and learn more about being human. Listening to radio together created a community of shared imagination. Now, people could forget their troubles and enter a new world — the theater of the mind.

Working on “The Blind Beggar Dies” was a delightful and revelatory team event. Our aim was to take this classic “Shadow” script from the 30’s and find fresh relevance to today’s world. We discovered some remarkable similarities. Not unlike the homeless people who were harassed by the thugs Spike and Marty in the script, there are people in our society today, who are marginalized because they are “other” and may look, pray or love differently from those who seek to bully them. Sadly, bigotry and injustice are still themes very much alive today.

During the workshop, we investigated the psyches of all the characters by walking in their shoes without judgement or prejudice. We created back stories and biographies for parts big or small so that every actor could portray the person with as much authenticity as possible. This enabled the actors playing multiple roles, to know their characters inside and out.

And how fun was it to perform for a live audience at Soundtrack! And how glad we are to share this story with you!

Enjoy the following post with audio, “The Blind Beggar Dies,” from the Shadow Series written by Maxwell Grant.