Perilous Mouths blends Shakespeare’s powerful language with the discipline of professional acting training to empower lawyers to communicate with confidence, eloquence, and the charisma of the stage.
What is a “perilous mouth”?
“O perilous mouths
That bear in them one and the self-same tongue
Either of condemnation or approof,
Bidding the law make curtsy to their will,
Hooking both right and wrong to th’appetite,
To follow as it draws.”
Isabella - Measure for Measure (2.4.172-177)
At first glance, this is not a favorable description of an individual bending the law to mean whatever serves our interests. Isabella speaks of the tongue as “perilous” because it has the power of condemnation or approof (approval). A “perilous mouth” holds great power to change and affect. Lawyers must learn to wield the power of their speech, voice, and presence.
Services
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If you have a speech, presentation, oral argument, or trial and want real, practical tips and feedback for improving your delivery, Perilous Mouths is ready to help!
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Perilous Mouths’ flagship training. Participants meet once a week for six-weeks to work on the voice, movement, and presence, which culminates in the final performance of a Shakespearean monologue or soliloquy! Next workshop is planned for Spring 2024.
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Perilous Mouths offers a one-day intensive to work with you and your team to improve on voice, movement, and presence with some text work using Shakespeare’s sonnets.
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From Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, Perilous Mouths will work with you and your team on voice, movement, and presence using a small chunk of memorized text from one of Shakespeare’s plays.
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If you just want to tip your toe into the waters of Perilous Mouths, we’d be happy to provide you and your firm with an introduction to our work and how we can help you. By the end of the hour, you’ll learn impactful strategies to improve confidence and presence and reduce stress and anxiety associated with public speaking.
V.M.
“The workshop is perfect for any type of aspiring attorney regardless of their comfort level public speaking.”
T.A.
“I used to shake when I would speak because I did not think I could do it. Now I know I can.”
M.T.
“I was delighted that I took the time to attend your presentation. Even for a seasoned litigator, such as myself, I found it very worthwhile.”
Meet the team
Ashleigh Stochel is a litigator in Chicago, Illinois and professional actor with a M.F.A from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. As a classically trained actor with over 20 years’ experience, Shakespeare was a significant part of her acting training. Since receiving her M.F.A, Ashleigh was a text coach at Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minnesota and Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. Ashleigh also continues her professional training with workshops in Chicago and New York.
In addition to Perilous Mouths, Ashleigh is an active company member and member of the Board of Trustees at Venture Shakespeare in Asheville, North Carolina.
Our clients
