OFFERINGS
All offerings use Knight-Thompson Speechwork™ as their foundation, which is a panlingual, skills-based pedagogy.
Individuals
Learning a new accent is about building physical skills of speech and allowing ourselves to imagine that we have always spoken with the new accent. During coaching, we'll work together to identify patterns and pronunciations of a target accent, understand how those differ from your current speech, practice the new oral posture, musicality, and target sounds of the accent. Then we'll play with the accent using an acting text or spontaneous speech to keep the energy of the accent flowing as easily as if it was your own.
Theater Productions
During pre-production, I'll consult with the creative team to determine the goals and timeline for accent work. Then, depending on location, I can teach the cast as a group and/or individually either in person or on Zoom. With enough pre-production time, I can create a webpage like this one to support the group coaching and actors' accent work at home and during rehearsals. Then I can come in during later runs to support the work as needed.
Film Productions
Film production coaching is available over Zoom or in person (at a studio or on set) in Los Angeles. During pre-production, I'll consult with the creative team to determine the goals and timeline for accent work, and adjust to what your project needs: individual coaching, group coaching, on set coaching, post-production notes or coaching for ADR, etc.
ABOUT
Siobhan Doherty Buffett
Siobhan (she/her) is a certified teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork™, and serves on the KTS Executive Council. She is the Head of Voice & Speech at the Art of Acting Studio, the Los Angeles campus of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York. Siobhan has taught at UC Berkeley, Utah Shakespeare Festival, PCPA, UC Irvine, and the Actor's Studio of Orange County.
As an actor, Siobhan has worked regionally with Berkeley Repertory Theater, Utah Shakespeare Festival, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Rep, and Loose Canon Collective, among others. She also works extensively in industrial voiceover, and indie dramas, comedies, and sitcoms.
MFA UC Irvine
Certified Knight-Thompson Speechwork
Certified Seven PIllars Acting
PROJECTS
My research and creative activities cover three main areas.
My accent coaching work utilizes my certification in Knight-Thompson Speechwork
to research and analyze primary sources to craft authentic and artistic dialect choices for performance.
My work as a director and choreographer primarily utilizes
a collaborative movement-based style to develop the physical vocabulary of a show.
My work as a visual designer focuses on representations of linguistic concepts
to better help students understand accent pedagogy.
See more on my research page.
Accent Analyst & Coach
Director & Choreographer
Visual Designer
