Jenn Rajala plays Gertrude in The Sea Horse by Edward J. Moore.

Martin Pierce portrays Bradley in The Cocktail Hour by A. R. Gurney.

As a voice over artist haling from northern Illinois Martin Pierce is virtually accent free. His voice has been described as calming, relaxing, warm and trusting. With extensive vocal background in public speaking and choral singing, Martin is drawn to voice over projects for audio-book narration and corporate training/marketing.

From Martin: “Significant for me in developing Bradley’s role is that my own father was similar to Bradley in his suppression of feelings, and his lack of closeness with his sons. When we recorded the monologues in the studio, Wren had me imagine where in my body would my disappointment and anger reside, and I chose the cheek and jaw bones. At that precise moment I got for the first time how to speak the scene using my body. And this mirrored what I’d observed with my own father growing up!”

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams which received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948.  This is a scene where Blanche and Mitch first meet.

Liz Callahan has been an actor, acting teacher and communications consultant for over 30 years. After  a decade in the leadership development arena (using theater techniques to help leaders develop) she is back in the “actor’s world” and Wren is helping her relaunch a new, vibrant voice over career.

Richard Congelosi is an actor & voice talent. He has also had his own radio show (American Jukebox) in the Boston area for 12 years. A member of screen actors guild he has worked in films and TV, “Gone, Baby, Gone”, The Town, Irrational Man, Brotherhood to name a few. He has worked on stage with a troop of actors known as The Actors Colony in Massachusetts summer stock productions. Favorite line is from an Edward Albee play “sometimes it is necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly.”

The great Arthur Miller confronts the American dream in the dark and passionate tale, A View from the Bridge. Alfieri, the lawyer tries to convince longshoreman Eddie Carbone not to report the undocumented immigrants living with him to authorities.

Tim Corbett is a Boston area Voice Talent and Actor. In addition to his voice and stage work, he performs as an historical character during the summer months, to the delight of visitors from around the world.”

From Tim: “View from the Bridge is a powerful work with finely drawn characters. I felt a connection to Mr. Alfieri which became deeper as I explored the character. He understands Eddie’s turmoil very well. But Mr. Alfieri is haunted by his inability to divert Eddie from the tragic path he is taking. I tried to project Alfieri’s frustration and dread in my performance. The experience of developing the character and scene with only my voice, was unique, challenging, and ultimately satisfying. Wren’s guidance and support helped to bring it together wonderfully.”

Steve McGarry is a Boston-area voice talent and singer, as well as a software engineer. One of his fondest performance memories was being part of a quartet which sang both the USA and Canada national anthems for a packed TD Boston Garden, before a Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors NBA game.

From Steve: “While studying Eddie Carbone in A View From The Bridge, I found him to be a tormented soul. He loves his niece, Beatrice, but is also horrified by the thought of it. Rather than being simply protective of her, he becomes jealous of her beau. Further, Eddie is in denial about his feelings, and becomes very defensive when called-out by his wife, or by Mr. Alfieri. Wren was essential in helping me see the challenges Eddie faces, and the challenge I faced in portraying this tragic hero.”

A Doll’s House is a play by Henrik Ibsen written in 1879. It was highly controversial and is thought to be one of the sparks that set off the women’s rights movement.  This is the famous scene where Nora is telling her husband she must leave their marriage to find herself.

By day, Jess Garrett is a voice over actress, educator, author and climate activist. By night she’s Super Mom to her darling young son. She has taught both in public schools and at MIT, and has just co-authored a hilariously slimy book for 8-12 year olds, called Oh Ick! 114 Science Experiments Guaranteed to Gross You Out!

From Jess: “In the play, “A Doll’s House,” Nora goes from being a silly, child like doll-wife, to realizing she needs to figure out who she is, and that to do that she must leave her overbearing, patriarchal husband who wants to keep her limited and obedient. In the play, you can watch this whole arc unfold, and see what her husband does to make her so angry, but finding more than just that one emotion in a short piece took uncovering all the ways Nora might actually want to stay. All the ways she hopes her husband will join her in a real marriage of equals so that she can find herself without having to slam the door. Wren helped me find emotional nuance in a scene where I could have played it all anger and that gave me much more to work with. As my scene partner and I performed across from each other, speaking into microphones, seeing the pitiful, confused look on my “husband’s” face as he realized it was over helped me feel as conflicted as Nora must have been.”

Chuck Holleman is a Boston area voice talent and part time actor who has appeared on stages throughout Central Northeastern Massachusetts – and once in Boston itself! (that was in 1776 – the musical, not the year).

From Chuck: “A Doll’s House” was a ground breaking piece of theater in it’s day, and a little scary to approach even now 130+ years later with regard to doing justice to the work. There is a temptation to modern eyes to look at Torvald and make him a melodramatic cartoon villain. But in this case to give in to the bias of modernity would drain much of the emotional power of the event. This is supposed to be a heartbreaking dilemma we are witnessing, and we can only achieve that as performers if we can get the audience to care about our characters, no matter how flawed they may be. Wren’s guidance helped us to make that work.”

Welcome to Wren’s Audio Theater Student Showcase where you’ll enjoy films and plays for your ears performed by members of Wren’s Acting classes.

Let yourself to be transported into the world of each story and enjoy!!

A Note from Wren:

I love acting because it is the art of behavior that teaches us who we are and why we do what we do as human beings. I encourage my students to think of themselves as “behavior detectives” searching for specific clues about what makes a character tick – fueled by curiosity that prompts questions about who this person is: What’s their background? What influences in their lives contribute to their choices and actions? What do they love, hate, fear?

When investigating and taking on these questions they can step into the character’s shoes, see the world through their eyes and they stop “performing.” The result is that their acting becomes more authentic, dynamic and memorable.

If you are interested in working with me, click here for information about upcoming classes and workshops or email me at wren@wrenross.com.

The Odd Couple is a play by Neil Simon about two mismatched roommates: the neat, uptight Felix Ungar and the slovenly, easygoing Oscar Madison.  In this scene Oscar tells Felix he is fed up with Felix’s fussy personality.

Terrence Drula is an actor, narrator, storyteller, Terry regularly records audio books at Perkins School for the Blind audio and talking book library.

Richard Congelosi is an actor & voice talent . He has also had his own radio show (American Jukebox) in the Boston area for 12 years. A member of screen actors guild he has worked in films and TV, “Gone, Baby, Gone”, The Town, Irrational Man, Brotherhood to name a few. He has worked on stage with a troop of actors known as The Actors Colony in Massachusetts summer stock productions. Favorite line is from an Edward Albee play “sometimes it is necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly.”

The Glass Menagerie is a four-character memory play by Tennessee Williams with strong autobiographical elements that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. In this scene Amanda asks her son Tom to help his physically challenged sister Laura find a husband.

Holly Miller is a Boston area voice talent. Along with her voice and acting work, Holly is a regular reader for Audio Journal, a part of the Massachusetts Reading Network. Her programs are broadcast directly to the homes of thousands of blind or visually impaired people. Additionally, she can be heard on cable television, via telephone and online.

Andy Miller has recently moved to Boston after graduating with an English degree from Texas Tech University. He is a published writer and poet who uses performance as a way to feed his creativity while he finds his way in the world.

From Holly and Andy: “As a mother/son duo, working on a selection from The Glass Menagerie offered a thrilling duality. On one hand, we were able to use our real life relationship as a platform for the roles. On the other, we were able to separate our own personality from the characters and dive into their complexities. Marrying the two gave me a rich understanding of the characters.”

Beyond Therapy is a comedy by Christopher Durang which focuses on Prudence and Bruce, two Manhattanites who are seeking stable romantic relationships with the help of their psychiatrists, each of whom suggests their patient place a personal ad in the newspaper. This scene is between Bruce and his therapist Charlotte.

Miriam Glassman is a freelance writer and author of several children’s books. She also narrates audiobooks for the Perkins Library.

From Miriam: “Working on a comedy in audio-theater presented a particular challenge as the physical aspect of performance associated with comedy had to be conveyed purely through voice. Pacing was critical as my scene partner and I tried to present our characters with both humor and humanity.”

Andy Miller has recently moved to Boston after graduating with an English degree from Texas Tech University. He is a published writer and poet who uses performance as a way to feed his creativity while he finds his way in the world.

From Andy: “While working with Beyond Therapy, I ran into the issue of presenting the punch line to the play’s jokes without making it sound like a rim shot was needed after every line. However, by stepping back and deepening the character of Bruce, the lines stopped being jokes and became the quirky words of a lost man.”

August: Osage County is a play by Tracy Letts that was the recipient of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Barbara discovers her mother Violet knew her father was going to commit suicide.

Cindy Newell is a retired neuromuscular therapist, an organic farmer and outdoor enthusiast. She supports a number of environmental and wildlife causes, including a small, private reserve in Costa Rica.

From Cindy: “In the final scene of August: Osage County, matriarch Violet, a caustic, venomous woman suffering from mouth cancer and addiction to pills, is confronted by her oldest daughter, Barbara, about her father’s long-ago affair and recent suicide. By the end of the conversation, Barbara, like the rest of the family before her, gives up on Violet and leaves her completely alone. Portraying Violet required me to dive deeply into my own emotional reservoir in order to convey her mercurial emotional journey in that scene. Wren’s skilled and sensitive coaching guided me safely through these turbulent waters”

Claire Taylor is a community-oriented New Hampshire writer and singer studying voice acting with Wren Ross.

Birdbath is a play written by Leonard Melfi who was considered one of the most important experimental artists working in the American Theater in the 1960’s. Shy Velma comes to Frankie’s apartment for the first time.

Susan Giusto has been vocally active since modest beginnings writing and performing radio plays in high school and college. She enjoys bringing characters to life and has a wide range of passionate personalities poised to be present for a sincere connection and conversation. Susan has been working with Wren for over five years and deeply enjoys Wren’s candor, critique and guidance. Even though Susan is going blind due to glaucoma, she believes her voice is a gift to give others and her dedication to her voice over work brings her immense joy.

Bruce Lundeen is a documentary cinematographer and producer who has stepped to the other side of the camera for acting experience to broaden his skill-set.

From Bruce: “Working in the sound studio with such great caliber people and Wren’s guidance is magical- if we could only watch the stories, the emotion, the breakthroughs between characters- oh yeah we can! In our minds eye. Susan and I performed a scene from Birdbath- really fun and I learned so much about developing the “why” of the scene.”