Faculty Profile:
Robin Monteith

Robin L. Monteith was hired as professor of theatre at Greensboro College in August. A Charlotte native, Monteith previously worked at Central Michigan University as an assistant professor and taught classes in auditions, introduction to acting, voice for the actor, fundamentals of interpretative reading, voice and diction and independent studies. She also worked at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as an instructor and teaching

Monteith has experience in acting, directing/assistant directing and vocal coaching and directing. In North Carolina, she has worked with companies such as Burning Coal, Highlands Playhouse, UNCG Summer Repertory Theatre and The Broach. She has worked on a variety of productions including "Love's Labours Lost," "Taming of the Shrew," "Funny Money," "The Three Sisters," "Fool for Love" and "Babes in Arms." As a director, Monteith worked on different types of theatre including plays such as "Extremities;" "Joined at the Head: and "Look Homeward, Angel."

This fall at Greensboro College, Monteith vocal coached and taught dialect to the actors in "The Diary of Anne Frank," and in October she directed "Our Town." In May 2001 she will direct "Pride's Crossing," by Tina Howe, for Flying Machine Theatre Company, a semiprofessional theatre company in Raleigh. In the past, Monteith did community service with Key Players, Duke Medical Center and the United Way.

She attends workshops and conferences across the country, and has presented professional workshops titled "Voice for the Actor," "Celebrating the Voice" and "Introduction to Meisner." Monteith is a member of the North Carolina Theatre Conference and the Voice and Speech Trainers Association, and she adjudicates for the American College Theatre Festival.

At Greensboro College, Monteith focuses on each student's individual goals and talents so they are well prepared to compete in the theatre profession. She is teaching voice, advanced acting classes IV-VI and play analysis. She hopes to teach Shakespeare, auditions and physical acting courses that will help prepare students for professional theatre apprenticeships and graduate school. As an acting teacher, Monteith sees her students work hard to tackle the challenges of audition insecurity, nervous tension and difficult roles with inspiring courage and joy. For this reason she plans to continue acting and directing professionally when she is able so she can bring the understanding of experience to the table throughout her career. "To really understand where my students are coming from, I need to keep taking risks in my own work," said Monteith. She also plans to present workshops and increase her activity in academic associations including the Voice and Speech Trainers Association.