Speech 101: One-Week Speech Intensives


We have speech to thank for much that lives in our feeling of egohood, in our feeling of being a personality. Our feelings can rise to a mood almost of prayer: I hear the language around me being spoken and through the speech the power of the ‘I’ flows into me!
— Rudolf Steiner, "Practical Advice to Teachers"

About Speech 101

These one-week intensive blocks will offer an introduction to the artistic forming of speech through Rudolf Steiner’s exercises in articulation and breathing.

Any block may be taken separately, and all blocks are appropriate for any level of experience, but taken together in sequence, the blocks are cumulative and provide a foundation for more advanced study. This series can be considered the beginning of a training in the art of Creative Speech.

Class days run from 9:00am to 5:00pm, with a generous break for lunch. Each day includes two speech classes plus one eurythmy class and/or one Greek gymnastics class. Each week will allow time for conversation and reflection. During speech lessons we will work with Rudolf Steiner's foundational speech exercises and with poetic texts through which we will explore the capacities that the exercises promote. Eurythmy classes will work with the nature of the sounds of speech, with rhythm, and with breathing. Greek gymnastics will focus on finding a balance between heaven and earth, past and future, self and other – the basis in movement for speech.

New! Speech 102

Past attendees of Speech 101 intensives are invited to deepen their work by attending Speech 102 weekends and intensives. For more information, and to register, please email info@steinerspeecharts.org.

Upcoming Speech 101 and 102 weekends and intensives:

  • December 1-3, 2023 - Art of Acting classes with Laurie Portocarrero paired with advanced speech classes with Jennifer Kleinbach

  • February 17-21, 2024 - beginners and experienced students double-tracked in classes with Barbara Renold and Jennifer Kleinbach

  • April 12-14, 2024 - beginners and experienced students double-tracked in classes with Barbara Renold and Jennifer Kleinbach

  • one week in mid-October, 2024

  • one week in early December, 2024

  • one week in mid-February, 2025


The Faculty

Barbara Renold

Barbara Renold is the co-founder of the Steiner School of Speech Arts. She trained in Speech and Drama at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland, and the Harkness Studio in Sydney, Australia. As the speech and drama teacher at Sunbridge College (1983-2007), she directed many student productions and gave speech lessons to students in all programs of the college. Barbara has directed two full cycles of Rudolf Steiner’s mystery dramas (1987-98 and 2006-14). This work culminated in the August 2014 Mystery Drama Festival at the Threefold community in Spring Valley, NY, in which all four dramas were presented by one cast, in one conference, for the first time in the English-speaking world. Barbara holds a BA in math from Douglas College and two MA’s in elementary education.

 

Jennifer Kleinbach

Jennifer Kleinbach teaches speech in the Threefold community for the School of Eurythmy, Sunbridge Institute, the Fiber Craft Studio, and the Steiner School of Speech Arts. She directs community speech ensembles for local festival performances, performs solo and as the speaker for Eurythmy Spring Valley’s student and professional ensembles. Jennifer received her Speech Formation diploma from the Speech School of North America and her Eurythmy diploma from the School of Eurythmy in Spring Valley, NY. She has toured with Eurythmy Spring Valley’s stage ensemble as a eurythmist (2000-5) and speaker, and performed under Barbara Renold’s direction in Threefold community productions of Rudolf Steiner’s mystery dramas (2007, 2012-14). Jennifer holds certificates in Foundation Year and Goethean Studies from Rudolf Steiner College, a BA in classical languages from Haverford College, and an MA in medieval studies from the University of Notre Dame.


Weekend and week-long intensives scheduled for:

Fri-Sun, April 12-14, 2024

mid-October, 2024, week-long

early December, 2024, week-long

mid-February, 2025, week-long

Schedule: Most blocks start in the late afternoon of the first day listed and end at lunchtime on the last day. Class days in between are from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Any block may be taken separately, and all blocks are appropriate for any level of experience. Join our email list to receive early announcements of upcoming intensives.

Tuition: $800 per week or $300 per weekend, including a $50 non-refundable application fee. Registration deadline is 14 days before the beginning of each block. We are committed to making these workshops accessible to every interested person; to request information about sliding scale payments, email barbararenold@yahoo.com.

Location: The intensives are held on the campus of Threefold Educational Foundation in Chestnut Ridge, NY, about 30 miles northwest of New York City. Visit this page for information about the Threefold community, this page for short-term housing information, and this page for directions.

Information: Do you have questions about the intensives? Please email info@steinerspeecharts.org to start a conversation.

To register: Visit this page to register and pay online, or click here to access a registration form (PDF).