Judith Reagan

As a teacher and coach with more than twenty years’ experience at the University of Virginia as Associate Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and in the Department of Drama, Judith Reagan has coached oral presentation for faculty and students at UVA, JMU, Tulane, Cornell and Georgetown and has worked with legal, medical, engineering, and business professionals.

She’s taught at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, the Virginia Municipal League, the Virginia Association of Government Archives & Records Administrators and TEDx Charlottesville. She is interested in cultural aspects of language and communication and is delighted when participants in sessions include those for whom English is their second (or fifth!) language. She enjoys sharing techniques actors use to help those in other professions develop a more intentional, confident approach to public presentation.  As fear of public speaking is acute for many, how actors handle stage fright is a topic of keen interest! Crafting a personal plan for effective preparation and delivery can disarm anxiety so in Judith’s sessions are active, on their feet, learning exercises that develop vocal and physical flexibility and stamina and a calm state of mind. Exercises are fun and obviously effective, motivating many participants to use them regularly, incorporating them into their real and busy lives. Rather than simply better understanding concepts related to speaking, attendees can emerge with a practical, customized plan for improvement.

Judith is a longtime member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA. In Virginia she has performed at Theatre Virginia, Heritage Rep, ShenanArts and Wayside, and has worked onstage in NYC, Washington DC, and at regional and summer stock theatres in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Television credits include a national commercial, appearances on daytime drama, and five years as a weather reporter for Charlottesville’s NBC affiliate.