VCU news

By Leila Ugincius

Like most people, Morgan Meadows doesn’t like the sound of her own voice. Fortunately, the audio producers at Studio Center Total Production do.

Earlier this year, Studio Center, a Virginia Beach-based production company, launched a nationwide competition for the Next Great Voice Talent. Meadows, 22, a rising senior in the VCU School of the Arts Department of Theatre, beat out 800 contestants to win the $100,000 voice-over contract.

“We feel Morgan will indeed be going places in the world of voice-overs,” said Chris Wilson, marketing director at Studio Center. “Given her acting experience, it would not surprise us if Morgan also joins our on-camera roster in the future.”

Meadows, who has been interested in performing her whole life, thought “why not” when her fellow VCU Theatre classmates went to try out.

“I had absolutely nothing to lose,” she said. “We went to the big two-day open call in Richmond. These open calls were also held in Virginia Beach, Santa Monica, Las Vegas and New York. I knew the competition would be steep, but I felt really good about my audition.

“I went in, did my work, walked out and hoped for the best! When I found out I made it through the Richmond round, I was shocked and so grateful. As time went on and I kept getting farther and farther — up until finals, which were the top eleven of the competition — I just kept thanking my lucky stars.”

Meadows cultivated her love of performing in high school in Charlottesville.

“I went to a high school with an incredible theater program, and the residing drama teacher and director there really knew how to inspire kids and throw a show together,” she said. ”I know that's where my true passion for theater and my drive to do it started.”

Meadows did 14 shows in her four years of high school, was on the improv team and participated in the chorus program as well.

“I couldn't get enough of it,” she said. “I decided to major in theater, and VCU was my first choice. The program here is incredible, and they take your training very seriously. You audition, and, if you are accepted, you start a four-year conservatory-style track towards becoming the best ’you’ you can be. The goal is to prepare you for your professional goals as an actor, and I know I wouldn't have the success I've just had if it weren't for my training at VCU.”

So far at Studio Center, Meadows has been doing commercial work, using her regular speaking voice to represent various clients.

“Of course, inflection and emotion change depending on what commercial I'm doing,” Meadows said. “You definitely have to be versatile. But I do have many character voices I have been hoping to showcase through Studio Center. …. It's just a quirk of my personality, something silly that I do. But I have a real knack for it and I would absolutely love to pursue animated VO with it.”

Meadows still doesn’t like to listen to a recording of her own voice, but this experience has made it easier for her.

“It's the same as watching videos of my performances — it's always a little weird,” she said. “The production quality of my demo and my voice work is incredible because of the audio engineers, so that makes it much easier to listen to.”

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