'bout Me
Foster Johns is a Knight-Thompson Speechwork certified accent and voice coach as well as a performer who hails from New Orleans, Louisiana and currently lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he is a voice and dialect coach for performance as well as a speech and communication consultant for professionals. He holds a B.A. in Theater and English from Boston College and an MFA in Voice Studies at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. As a performer, he has had the privilege of working with such companies as the Shakespeare Festival at Tulane in New Orleans, the Harvard French Farce Festival and the Gurnet Theatre Project in Boston, and the Brazen Theatre Company, Classical Actors Ensemble, Umbrella Collective, and Theatre Pro Rata in Minneapolis/St. Paul. As a professional voice consultant, he has provided accent coaching for professional productions in Minneapolis, St. Paul, London, and Cincinnati in addition to privately coaching performers and serving as the resident dialect coach for the Actor’s Workout at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Theaters he has worked with in this capacity include Park Square, Bloomington Civic Theater, Minnesota Jewish Theater, the Chain Reaction Theater Project, Theater Latte Da, and the Know Theatre. As an instructor, Foster is currently a Lecturer of Voice, Speech, and Acting at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance. He has also taught voice at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and more recently at the University of Minnesota Guthrie BFA Acting Program. He is a proud member of VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainers Association) for which he currently serves on the interdisciplinary engagement committee and as the social media content manager. Foster's current research interests include (but are not limited to) departures from habitual speech range, particularly when they manifest in silly or characterized voices, idiolects, and developing voice practices for a variety of professional contexts.
'bout what we can do!
Accent & Dialect Work for Performance
Over the years that I have provided accent and dialect coaching in both the private and the production setting, I have garnered a true joy for discovering new sounds and finding the character's voice in collaboration with the actor. I provide tools and multiple approaches so that the performer can truly own whatever accent or dialect their character possesses and integrate that new voice into the actor's individual character work.
Services that I provide include:
Voice Work
The human voice is a complex mechanism and one of our most exciting and personal modes of expression. We may feel self-conscious or doubtful about what comes out of our mouths on a daily basis, and I am eager to work with speakers in various professions so that they may feel confident in their personal and professional lives in their vocality.
I offer 1:1 coaching, both small and large workshops, and classes that address the following aspects of the human voice:
If you or your organization is interested in finding out more about how we would work together, hit me up!
Accent Modification
To quote that groovy 60's band The Animals, "Oh...please don't let me be misunderstood". In our professional lives, we strive to connect with those that we interact with and sometimes that connection is difficult due to regional differences. Within this field, I strive to work within your accent (because your voice is YOU...and it's awesome) to find what speech options you can gain to thrive at your place of work.
Services include:
If you or someone on your team is in need of this work, please contact me for specific rates and packages!
Over the years that I have provided accent and dialect coaching in both the private and the production setting, I have garnered a true joy for discovering new sounds and finding the character's voice in collaboration with the actor. I provide tools and multiple approaches so that the performer can truly own whatever accent or dialect their character possesses and integrate that new voice into the actor's individual character work.
Services that I provide include:
- Private Coaching (Audition & Production Prep)
- Learning an accent and/or dialect for skills building
- Theatre, Television, and Film Production Coaching
- Theatre, Television, and Film Production Consultation
Voice Work
The human voice is a complex mechanism and one of our most exciting and personal modes of expression. We may feel self-conscious or doubtful about what comes out of our mouths on a daily basis, and I am eager to work with speakers in various professions so that they may feel confident in their personal and professional lives in their vocality.
I offer 1:1 coaching, both small and large workshops, and classes that address the following aspects of the human voice:
- Physical Presence and Use as it Relates to the Voice
- Breath Support
- Resonance
- Articulation
- Text & Spoken Material
- Gender Affirming Voice Work
- Range
- Tone and Other Modes of Vocal Expression
- Unique Aspects of Speech as they Relate to Professional Use
If you or your organization is interested in finding out more about how we would work together, hit me up!
Accent Modification
To quote that groovy 60's band The Animals, "Oh...please don't let me be misunderstood". In our professional lives, we strive to connect with those that we interact with and sometimes that connection is difficult due to regional differences. Within this field, I strive to work within your accent (because your voice is YOU...and it's awesome) to find what speech options you can gain to thrive at your place of work.
Services include:
- Assessment of Current Speech and Articulation
- Personalized Exercises for Sound Shifting
- Ongoing Care Based on Need
If you or someone on your team is in need of this work, please contact me for specific rates and packages!
Kind Words from Folx I've Worked With
"My presentation game has completely changed since I worked with Foster. I go into every meeting with tons of confidence now.
If I had to pinpoint one helpful thing, it was the discussion about tone variance/third tones. Now I often feel like I'm singing my presentations. It's actually fun to share my expertise with clients!"
Valerie Blomberg
Project & Design Manager
"Foster is a joy. Our directors and actors have found him to be a wonderful dialect and vocal coach who is easy to work with and incredibly supportive. As an artistic director, I could not be happier."
Barbara Brooks
Founder & Producing Artistic Director of Six Points Theater
"Foster’s dialect coaching is astonishingly effective. His teaching method, dialect repertoire, and overall dedication to excellence set him apart as one of the top dialect coaches in the Twin Cities."
Karen Bix
Actress
"Foster not only conducted a United Nations of dialects for "Appointment With Death" (American, British, Scottish, Arab, French and Welsh), he gave the actors many tools and tricks to make the dialects come alive. But the most important thing he gave them was confidence."
John Gaspard
Director
If I had to pinpoint one helpful thing, it was the discussion about tone variance/third tones. Now I often feel like I'm singing my presentations. It's actually fun to share my expertise with clients!"
Valerie Blomberg
Project & Design Manager
"Foster is a joy. Our directors and actors have found him to be a wonderful dialect and vocal coach who is easy to work with and incredibly supportive. As an artistic director, I could not be happier."
Barbara Brooks
Founder & Producing Artistic Director of Six Points Theater
"Foster’s dialect coaching is astonishingly effective. His teaching method, dialect repertoire, and overall dedication to excellence set him apart as one of the top dialect coaches in the Twin Cities."
Karen Bix
Actress
"Foster not only conducted a United Nations of dialects for "Appointment With Death" (American, British, Scottish, Arab, French and Welsh), he gave the actors many tools and tricks to make the dialects come alive. But the most important thing he gave them was confidence."
John Gaspard
Director