She holds a PhD in Performance Practice, Drama and an MFA in Staging Shakespeare from the University of Exeter, where she worked with Shakespeare¹s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She also holds an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College. Valerie is a professional actor and director whose work has reached audiences in over twenty countries. As a voice and speech coach, Valerie has worked in theatre, film, and television coaching Academy, BAFTA, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award nominees. The British Council recently named her a finalist for the Education UK Alumni Award for Professional Achievement. Her book, Unearthing Shakespeare: embodied performance and the Globe will be released by Routledge in 2017.