American Accent Workshop: General American & New York (Exclusively for ACTRA Members & Apprentices)

Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024 (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Location: Film Training Manitoba Office (204-245 McDermot Ave.)
Registration: $40.00 (ACTRA Members & Apprentices only!)
*Please fill out the form below to register!

This workshop is now sold out!

About the Workshop:

An actor’s ability to confidently perform with an American accent is a key skill for landing roles in the film industry. In this 4-hour workshop, we’ll focus on helping you develop the General American accent, the most widely used accent in the industry. This workshop is structured to allow you to build confidence in your accent work while gaining practical skills you can use for auditions or on set.

What You’ll Learn:

  • General American Accent: Understand the essential differences between Canadian and General American speech.
  • Pronunciation & Ear Training: Fine-tune your pronunciation and develop your ear for subtle shifts in sound.
  • Targeted Practice & Feedback: Time for individual practice and personalized feedback to guide your progress.
  • New York Accent: If time permits, we’ll introduce the New York accent, a valuable tool for supporting roles and day players, especially in urban settings. 

In addition to the in-class exercises and feedback, all participants will receive dialect breakdowns and audio files to continue practicing after the workshop, helping you move forward on the road to mastery. You are encouraged to bring a monologue or sides, but it’s not a requirement. This workshop is suitable for actors of all experience levels and especially for those seeking clarity and additional practice on General American. 

By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with additional tools and confidence to take into the audition room or onto set.

About the Instructor:

Tom Soares is an actor, voice, and dialect coach and has an MFA in Acting specializing in voice from York University. He has taught introductory to advanced courses in performance and voice for the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Winnipeg, where he has worked since 2011.

Recent coaching credits include: Normal (Bonus Productions Canada, QWGMire, Aperture), The Long Walk (Lionsgate), The Recipe (Theatre Projects Manitoba & Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), and Little Women (RMTC). Upcoming coaching credits include Murder for Two (RMTC).

Cancellation Policy
Participants must cancel up to 4 full business days prior to the course start date to receive an 80% refund. No refund will be given to participants who cancel within 4 full business days before the course start date, or if they do not attend the course.


Film Training Manitoba reserves the right to cancel, or postpone, any course where a minimum registration level has not been met. Participants registered for a course that is canceled will receive a full refund.


FTM is a non-for-profit charity and member of the Province of Manitoba’s Sector Council program funded through the Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources. FTM builds a highly skilled and adaptable film industry workforce to support the activities of Manitoba production companies. FTM collaborates and partners with members of the film industry to identify training needs to support workforce development.

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