About Judith Shahn

Academic
​Judith Shahn retired in 2016 as Senior Lecturer Emeritus from the University of Washington's School of Drama , where, in 1990, she started teaching Speaking Voice, Speech, Dialects and Shakespeare Text in the Professional Actor Training Program.

Other courses at the University of Washington included:

• University of Washington School of Business : Teaching classes and workshops in Presentation Training and Communication Skills to MBA’s.
• University of Washington School of Law:  Workshops in Persuasive Speaking. Judith is now on the faculty of the School of Law.

Presentation and Public Speaking Consultant
​For thirty years, Judith Shahn has worked with businesses, as well as individuals from a diversity of professions on maximizing communication skills for Presentations and Public Speaking. Clients include:

• CEO’s
• ​Trial Attorneys
• Business Managers
• Information Technology Specialists
• Health Care Industry
• Accounting
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Sales
• Financial Investors

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Professional Theatre
BFA in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University.
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​Judith Shahn began her career as an actor in New York and Seattle. For the past 30 years, she’s worked as an actor, a professional Dialect Coach and Vocal Coach for The Seattle Repertory Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, Intiman Theatre, The Fifth Avenue, Seattle Children's Theatre and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She’s a member of SAG-AFTRA :Screen Actors Guild / The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and Actors Equity Association (AEA).
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Specialized Voice Training
​Judith Shahn is a Designated Linklater Voice teacher, one of a hundred or so worldwide, trained by Kristin Linklater, Master teacher in the speaking voice, whose training revolutionized American Theatre. Kristin is author of Freeing the Natural Voice and Freeing Shakespeare's Voice. For more information on her method, visit her website.

A longtime member of The Voice and Speech Trainer's Association (VASTA), Judith is a past board member and has presented at VASTA conferences. Her article, A New Dialect Curriculum, was published in The Voice and Speech Review. 

Voiceover Announcer
​Judith has used her vocal skills as an announcer and narrator for corporations such as Boeing and Microsoft and for numerous businesses as a radio and television commercial voice. Listen to her demo reel.

Recording Artist
Judith has used another aspect of her vocal work with her love for ensemble singing. Having “gathered” songs from singers and teachers from around the world, She recorded an instructional CD entitled SING TOGETHER. Judith has led singing at conferences and workshops internationally.

Photo by Joanna Degeneres

The Cradle Will Rock | Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton | UW Drama