Profile

Alexandra is the full-time Lecturer in Voice for the Department of Performing & Screen Arts at Unitec in Auckland. She teaches First, Second, and Third-year acting students in Voice, Speech, Text, Experiential Anatomy, and Dialects. Alexandra also works as a theatre director, and voice, dialect & communication coach with actors and non-actors at Unitec, and within the wider community. Before her arrival at Unitec in January 2012, Alexandra taught at several acting schools in the UK, including the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, the Academy of Live & Recorded Arts, East 15, the Oxford School of Drama, and Caravanserai Acting School.

Alexandra became a Designated Linklater Voice Teacher in 2011, and achieved her MA in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (UK) in 2009. Previous qualifications include an Advanced Diploma in Acting from AIT Arts (1999- 2001) in South Australia, and a Bachelor of Arts from Flinders University, South Australia, in 2002. Alexandra has trained with Shakespeare & Company (USA), Double Edge Theatre (USA), Song of the Goat (Poland), Anna Helena McLean (France), Augusto Boal (UK), Ros Steen (UK), Cardboard Citizens (UK), and Jeremiah Comey (USA).

Alexandra’s interests include; voice and speech for theatre and film, the integration of voice & movement practices, accents & dialects, the embodiment of classical text, song, Forum theatre, Laban Acting Method, physical theatre, yoga, and inter-cultural approaches to acting training.  

Publications

Byrnes, V., Miller, M., Whitham, AC., Wallace, W., Hawthorne, E., & Ilgenfritz, P. (2023). Tertiary education reforms challenge the Conservatory: Actor Training at Unitec and the Creative Agency of Change (Auckland, Aotearoa/ New Zealand). AusAct Australian Actor Training Conference, Ballarat, Australia & Online.

Whitham, AC., (Dialect Coach) (2023). The Heartbreak Choir. ASB Waterfront Theatre, 14 Feb- 4 March 2023, Auckland Theatre Company.

Whitham, AC., (Author) (2022). Notes from the Classroom ("The Law of Significant Enclosure"). USA, Voice and Speech Trainers Association (Vol. Volume 17 (Issue 1) March 2022).

Whitham, AC., (Co-Author), & Bara, B., (Co Author) (2022). Notes From the Classroom ("The Actor's Process: Conversations"). USA, Voice and Speech Trainers Association (Vol. Volume 17 (Issue 4) December 2022).

Whitham, AC., & Hume, A. (2022). A billabong or puna ngahere of sound? Teaching Linklater Voice in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Australasian Drama Schools Association Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

Byrnes, V., Miller, M., Whitham, AC., Wallace, W., Hawthorne, E., & Ilgenfritz, P. (2022). Values-based Education in the Te Pūkenga Conservatory: Successful Actor Training at Unitec (Auckland, Aotearoa/ New Zealand). MIT-Unitec Research Symposium 2022, Online Virtual Conference.

Wagner, D., & Whitham, A. (2022). Dynamic Pre -Moderation: Collaboration as an Integral Part of the Assessment Design Process. Luis Gómez Chova, University of Valencia, Spain/ Augustín López Martínez, University of Barcelone, Spain/ Joanna Lees, CU Cardinal Herrera University, Spain (Ed.), EDULEARN22 Proceedings- 14th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies.

Whitham, AC., (Kaikaranga) (2022). Karanga/Welcome. The Space Between Us Symposium, 14 April, Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae, Unitec.

Whitham, AC., & Wagner, Dan. (2022). Dynamic Pre-Moderation: Mahi Kotahitanga/ Collaboration as an Integral Part of the Assessment Process. Unitec Learning & Teaching Symposium, Mt Albert, Auckland, NZ & Online.

Whitham, AC., Nathans, L., & Shahn, J. (2021). Sing Together Cultural Exchange: Weaving together and sharing our Song Stories. Voice & Speech Trainers Association Conference, Online Virtual Conference.

Whitham, AC. (2021). Biculturalism, Belonging, and Vocal Pedagogy: Experiments in embedding Mātauranga Māori into the Voice Curriculum at a New Zealand Acting School. Voice & Speech Trainers Association Conference, Online Virtual Conference.

Whitham, AC., (Director) (2020). The Freedom of the City by Brian Friel. Unitec Theatre, 1-2 October, School of Creative Industries.

Alexandra, Whitham., (Director) (2019). Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams. Unitec Theatre, 17-21 September, School of Creative Industries.

Whitham, AC., (Director) (2018). My Name is Rachel Corrie. The Pumphouse and Garnet Station Tiny Theatre, 1st-9th December 2018, Embers Collective & Shape Shift.

Whitham, AC., (Director) (2018). The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Unitec Theatre, 14- 22 September, School of Creative Industries.

Whitham, A.C. (2017). Biculturalism, Belonging, and Vocal Pedagogy: Experiments in Embedding Mātauranga Māori into the Voice Curriculum at a New Zealand Acting School. The Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies (ADSA) Conference 2017, AUT, Auckland.

Whitham, A. C., (Director) (2016). The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. Te Pou Theatre, Shape Shift Collective, February 11th- 14th 2016.

Whitham, A. (2015). Biculturalism and the Voice Curriculum at a New Zealand Acting School: A Conversation with Whaea Lynda. The VASTA Voice (Vol. April 2015 - Volume 10, Issue 2).

Whitham, A. (2014). Voice and the Compass. Unitec Research Symposium 2014, Unitec.

Whitham, A. (2014). 45 minute interactive workshop with peers at the Voice & Speech Trainers Association International Voice Conference in London in August 2014. London, UK, VASTA (Vol. VASTA Conference 2014).