Toni Zufelt

I have used my accents in theatre productions and surprise people when they discover that I am American and not from the country I am portraying. My current repotoire includes, Puerto Rican, French, Italian, German, Russian, Irish, Scottish, the Queen's English which includes Cockney, middle and high brown and I do southern that includes Texan, Georgian and Mississippi.

I have played Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady", Anita, in "West Side Story", a rooster in "Chicken Little", a drunk in "You Can't Take It With You!" I love to practice my accents by going into new places and using an accent. My best adventure was going into "Le Cirque" in New York City. I went with a friend and from the moment I walked into the door, I began using my British accent. Sitting down at the bar, I asked the bartender for something "naughty" to drink. The bartender brought me a "Pink Squirrel", imagine! Anyway, I began talking to several people at the bar who inquired where I was from. Telling them that I was from London gave them the imepetus to inquire about my life and why I was in the US. I explained that I was only visiting but has so much fun talking with them that by the time I left, (I nursed that one drink all night because who actually drinks a Pink Squirrel). When I left I felt like "Norm" in cheers as they all yelled goodby to me, calling me the "Brit". As I walked out of the bar, I began to talk to my friend in my normal American accent and she got angry. I had a lot of fun that night and do that kind of thing quite often. It helps me hone the accent. I have a high school diploma and one year of college credits under my belt. I sing and used to teach dancing and dance professionally. My theatre background helps as well. I love to write and have written 19 children's books, (a series about Border Collies). I am still looking to get them published. I am also a weaver, but I use the weavings in art form. None I am a meeting planner by trade and am used to talking in front of people and maintaining a good attitude no matter what is going on. In that position I have travelled intenationally on many occasions and discoverd that even if I can't speak the language, I use the accent that goes with the country and people can understand me better. It's all about the cadence of the language. Although I am older, I have a young voice. I am currently in the process of recording children's books that I have written.