David Ley

Education

MFA in Theatre Performance, York University 1996

Diploma, Studio 58 Acting Program, Vancouver Community College

Major Career Developments

Professor, Drama Department, University of Alberta, 1998 - present.

Internationally recognized for the creation of The Vibrant Voice Technique

Ten Seasons as a voice coach at the Stratford Festival.

Thirty-year career as an actor on Stages across Canada including: the Vancouver Playhouse, The Citadel Theatre, and the Globe Theatre in Regina

Featured as a dialect coach in two CBC documentaries on Canadian speech and has worked as a dialect coach for numerous theatres in Edmonton including: the Citadel Theatre, Theatre Network, Shadow Theatre, and Theatre Yes.

Numerous film and TV projects, including an Alberta Motion Picture Industry Award nomination for best actor in the Canadian First World War film Passchendaele

Recent Credits

Presenter, one hour workshop titled Seuss up Your Shakespeare. Voice and Speech Teacher's Associations Annual Conference, titled: Voicing the Future. Reinventing Tradition. London, England, 2014.

Annually invited guest instructor, Stratford Festival Birmingham Conservatory Professional Development Program, invited by Martha Henry to lead voice classes for company members. 2009- present.

Interviews about the Vibrant Voice Technique in print: Toronto Star, Edmonton Journal, Philadelphia Daily News, Folio, Gateway, Charlatan (Carleton University paper). Spin-off print articles based on existing interviews in: Guardian UK, Huffington Post, Metronews International, and others, reaching as far as the Zimbabwe Star. Video interview discussing the Vibrant Voice Technique with leading actors from the Stratford Festival posted online on the Globe and Mail website. Radio Interviews on: CBC Daybreak Alberta (rebroadcast nationally), CBC Edmonton morning show, Radio CW39 Newsfix, Triple J Radio (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), Playboy Radio (US National), interview with Torun Kirby Torbo, Norwegian Broadcasting Company. Significant online coverage including: redOrbit, Gizmodo, Cosmopolitan online, Limelight magazine (covering classical music in Australia). Television Interviews on: The Doctor's Show on CBS (broadcast internationally), Alberta Primetime, CBC Edmonton Evening News, CTV Edmonton Evening News

New Trail magazine Interview and video focusing on dialect training. Follow up print interview in Metro news.

Workshop presentations of the Vibrant Voice Technique at the 25th annual Voice and Speech Teachers Association conference in Washington DC, 2012 and at the Voice Foundation's annual International Care of the Voice Symposium in Philadelphia, 2013.

Selected Recent Acting Credits

Blackpool and Parrish by David Belke directed by Troy O'Donnel Edmonton International Fringe Festival, 2015.

The Ugly One by Marius Von Mayenburg directed by Kevin Sutley, Kill Your Television Theatre, 2015.

Blackstone, 2 episodes, directed by Ron E. Scott, Prairie Dog Film and Television 2015.

The Frozen Water Fortunes, premiere of a new play by David Belke directed by Jim DeFelice, Edmonton International Fringe Festival, 2013.

Beowulf The King by Blake Turner directed by Michael Clark and Blake Turner for Workshop West Theatre, 2012.

The Brazilian by Henri Meilhac, Ludovic Halévy directed by Micheline Chevrier and Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Jeffrey Hatcher directed by Dean Patrick Fleming for Theatre Lac Brome, 2011.

An Almost Perfect Thing by Nicole Moeller directed by Michael Clark for Workshop West Theatre, 2011.

Recent Graduate Supervision

Chaslee Schweitzer, MFA Theatre Voice Pedagogy co-supervisor in progress.
Tatiana Duque Valencia, MFA Theatre Practice, completed 2013.
Alyson Connolly, MFA Theatre Voice Pedagogy, completed 2014.
Jerry Etienne, MFA Theatre Voice Pedagogy (supervisor), completed 2010.
Shannon Marentette, MFA Theatre Voice Pedagogy, (co-supervisor) 2008.
Heidi Verwey, MFA Theatre Voice Pedagogy (supervisor), completed 2008.