Michael J. Barnes - Voice Faculty

Michael J. Barnes is an Associate Professor at Wayne State University and serves as the Voice & Speech Specialist for Hilberry Repertory and the Undergraduate acting program. He has been on the faculties of the University of Miami and Temple University, and taught at UC-Irvine, the University of Delaware, and the University of Central Oklahoma.

Regionally, he has served as a voice, speech, dialect, text & acting coach for the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Arena Stage, Wilma Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Studio Theatre (DC), Rep Stage Company, Pearl Theatre, People’s Light and Theatre, Venture Theatre, Everyman Theatre, and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. He has dialect coached the films Master Class (Faye Dunaway), Convicted (Aidan Quinn, Kelly Preston, Connie Nielson, Tim Daly; directed by Academy Award winner Bille August) and Broken Bridges (Kelly Preston, Toby Keith, Burt Reynolds, Tess Harper; directed by Steven Goldman).

He has directed both regionally and in academics—some shows include:  Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Full Monty, Into the Woods, Ragtime, & Pippin. He is a graduate of The National Theatre Conservatory (MFA), the University of Oklahoma (BFA), did post-graduate studies at Cambridge University, and is certified as an Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework.  He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) and serves as their Director of Technology.