“Louis Colaianni takes a subject which some people consider as dry as toast and turns in into a sensuous, full body experience. A way of radically rethinking what goes on when you talk. Guaranteed to produce student involvement.”
— Dramatics magazine
“Anderson and Colaianni, by inviting rather than prescribing, by exploring rather than standardizing, by playing rather than fixing, and encouraging rather than judging, allow the speaker to engage creativity, imagination and joy in Bringing Speech To Life.”
— Bonnie N Raphael, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
In the first step, Test Your Understanding, readers learn the value of looking up words in the Oxford English Dictionary and paraphrase passages to ensure that they truly understand the words they are speaking. The second step, Stress for Meaning, presents essential tools for speaking Shakespeare effectively, including iambic pentameter and correct rhythm, and explains how to syncopate for meaning. The final step, Celebrate the Poetry, honors the poetry of Shakespeare through a discussion of the use of punctuation, repeated sounds, and connecting key words and phrases. Exercises bring all the elements of these steps together.
" ... Along-awaited updating of pronouncing guidelinesfor the most prevailing dramatic texts of the western world. It is an essential resource for the most seasoned veteran to the greenest amateur director or actor who has any inkling of producing or acting in a Shakespeare play, not to mention every American university professor of theatre or dramatic literature. It is a definite must for any vocal coach practicing in this country. The organization of the text not only makes it a handy pronouncing reference, but a useful learning tool as well. Perhaps the best feature of the text is the 'Detailed explanation of the Phonetic Symbols' which follows the dictionary listings. This provides a detailed beginner's guide to the International Phonetic Alphabet."
– Krista Scott for The Voice and Speech Review,