NANCY HOUFEK

Nancy Houfek (Head of voice and speech at the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training) has taught and coached actors throughout the United States for over twenty years. With a B.A. from Stanford University, Nancy was awarded her M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and she subsequently remained as an actor, director and coach for nearly a decade. She has also been on the faculties of the University of Washington, S.M.U., The Drama Studio of London and the University of Minnesota, where she headed the professional actor training program. She has coached productions directed by Bill Ball, Allen Fletcher, Ed Hastings, Benny Sato Ambush, Bill T. Jones, Andrei Serban, Robert Woodruff, Liz Diamond and Andrei Belgrader, among others, at A.C.T., the Guthrie Theatre, and the American Repertory Theatre. She has also served as a consultant to television journalists, talk show personalities and other professional voice users, and has given presentations for the Kennedy School of Government and the Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard. Nancy has appeared in over 100 productions with regional theatres throughout the country including A.C.T., Denver Center Theatre Company, California Shakespeare Festival, the Alaska Repertory Theatre, San Jose Repertory, and Seattle's Empty Space. She received a Los Angeles DramaLogue Award for her portrayal of Josie Hogan in the Magic Theatre's production of Moon for the Misbegotten, as well as Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Awards for her work in To Gillian on her 37th Birthday and Quilters. In 1995, she produced and performed her one person show, Letters from Manila, at the Southern Theatre in Minneapolis and in 1996/97 joined the national tour of Shapiro & Smith Dance, culminating in performances at the Joyce Theatre in New York City. She has directed productions in California, Colorado and Minnesota including Coriolanus, King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Woman Beware Women, Twelfth Night, Les Belles Soeurs, and Bus Stop. Ms. Houfek is a Master Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework.

Institute Faculty