US Accent w/ Robert Maxwell

An online six week U.S Accent Series for Professional Working Actors

Course Outline | Course Outcomes | Session Details | Apply Now

Course Overview

This six-week series will delve into the minutiae of the so-called General American accent. As actors we need to engage viscerally with our character’s accent rather than simply relying on prescriptive sound shifts and mimicry. In this series we will learn how to do this. We’ll look at resonance, oral posture and lexical sets, and we’ll discover how melody, rhythm and an engagement with different energetic sources in the body can mine and shape point of view. It is this visceralised point of view that will allow the actor to transform into character rather than merely putting the accent on.

Testimonials About Robert

Rob is a curious, intelligent, kind and creative teacher. The exercises he employs are practical, effective and highly useful for anyone to develop their voice, acquire a new dialect, or deepen their psycho-visceral connection to text and language. Beth McGuire : Director of Speech and Dialects – Yale School of Drama

Rob is a committed and highly effective teacher, who cares deeply about voice and text work. He is exceedingly well organised and is able to make profound connections for students between practical work and professional needs. Katerina Moraitis : Head of Voice – NIDA

Rob is thoughtful, and engaging, he teaches with skill and precision, and the feedback he offers is succinct and insightful. Tess Dignan : Head Of Voice -Shakespeares Globe

Course Outline
The series will cover key components of accent and dialect acquisition to equip the actor with the tools needed to embody a General American accent. These techniques can then be applied to other accents or dialects the actor may need to acquire down the track. They include;

  • Oral posture: the physical setting of the accent.
  • Resonance: the source and path of vibration.
  • Focus of Articulation: consonant energy and the muscles of speech.
  • Lexical sets: identifying vowel placement and movement of diphthongs.  
  • Prosodic Features: melody, rhythm, intonation & pitch.
  • Chakras: the energetic sources that inform point of view.
  • Scene work & monologues: application of tools to text and language.

Course Outcomes

Actors will walk away from the series with the skills required to physically and energetically transform into a character speaking in a General American accent. These skills include;
  • Ability to physically move into a different oral posture.
  • Ability to shift into a new path of resonance. 
  • Awareness of the physicality of vowels and consonants and how to adjust our own habitual patterns to create American sounds.
  • Knowledge of lexical sets and how to use them when acquiring any accent.
  • Ability to mimic American samples with physical and visceral awareness.
  • Ability to use chakras to shift into a different energetic point of view.
  • A deeper awareness of the nuances and musicality of the General American accent.

Session Details

When: 6 x Thursday Evenings

Dates: 19th February – 26th March 2026

Cost: $320.00 incl GST

Time: 6pm – 8pm (AEST – Sydney time)

Format: Online using Zoom

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Session Details

About Robert Maxwell
Rob is a voice, dialect, and acting teacher based in Melbourne. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Voice from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and is a graduate of the Atlantic Acting School in New York City. Rob has taught at leading conservatoires around the world, including Yale School of Drama and Carnegie Mellon University. In Australia, he has worked with institutions such as NIDA, 16th Street Actors Studio, Actors Centre Australia, Sydney Actors School, JMC Academy, Australian Theatre for Young People, and the Hub.

Rob is the only certified Lucid Body acting instructor based in Australia. He is passionate about guiding actors towards a deeper psycho-physical understanding of self and character. His approach draws on a rich blend of techniques that encourage a holistic integration of voice, dialect, psychology, movement, and imagination.

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Further Questions

The HubStudio prides itself on helping professional actors to facilitate their training journey. If you would like more information about this course, or more importantly which courses would suit you best, then please email or call us to discuss your training goals.