Philip Thompson

Philip Thompson is an alumnus of UC Irvine’s M.F.A. Acting program and returned to the faculty in 2001 after several years at The Ohio State University, where he served as head of the M.F.A. in Acting program. At UCI, he has led the M.F.A. program in Acting and the Voice and Speech area.

In 2002, Thompson co-founded Knight-Thompson Speechwork with his mentor, Dudley Knight. The approach now has more than 50 certified teachers working in training programs across the country and around the world. Thompson continues to work extensively as a voice and dialect coach for professional and university productions. Since 1999, he has been a resident voice and text coach at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and he has also coached at South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Opera Pacific, Madison Repertory Theatre, Weathervane Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

He was among the first master teachers of Fitzmaurice Voicework® and has taught in numerous teacher training workshops offered by the Fitzmaurice Institute. Thompson has also served as president of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) and on the board of the University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA).