Incarnate Theatre Treasure Hunt! + Interview with Katherine Taub

Welcome to the INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt!

This week, 45 bloggers are celebrating the release of INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows by participating in a treasure hunt with clues, activities, and lots of prizes including signed books and handknit fingerless mitts. You've reached a CLUE blog, which means somewhere on this page is a clue to finding the hidden page and grand prize entry form on Jodi's website. Follow 26 clues to get there!

For more information on the INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt, check out Jodi's post.

(Pictured above: a knitted version of Councilor Sine from the book!)

I have an interview today with Katherine Taub, the voice actress for the audiobook of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows.

1) What brought you to the world of audiobooks? Is Incarnate your first one, or have you done others previously? Is it difficult to make that transition from traditional acting to only using your voice?

Incarnate is my first Audiobook. I somewhat stumbled into the world of Audiobooks by chance. As an actress, I am always open and have my ears-peeled for new and exciting opportunities. A few years back, another actor friend told me about a general audition for an audiobook producer at Deyan Audio. It was there, where I met Bob Deyan, who produced the Incarnate Audiobook. We didn’t work together immediately, but we kept in touch until the right book came my way. As for making the transition from traditional acting to voice acting, it is not so much as difficult as it is different. I love it. I find it somewhat-freeing, although you are more physically confined. At least with the audiobook. Every movement I made was picked up on the microphone. So I had to sit very still. But there is also a freedom to just play – and I found myself using my face a lot to help emphasize the various characters. But because there is no camera, you don’t have to worry about looking silly or anything else for that matter. (No “hair & make-up” is always nice!)

2) What is the recording experience like? How long did it take to record Incarnate? Any funny anecdotes?

I had a ton of fun recording Incarnate! I recorded over about 4, 6 hour days. There was also a big learning curve as this was my first book. I learned that I had more control in the recording booth than I originally thought. If I didn’t like how I read something, I had the freedom to stop and re-do it. If I made a mistake, you just go back and pick it up again. I felt very supported by the directors and producer, who were all so nice and helpful. We were a team.

There were lots of funny mis-steps. Words that would just come out wrong or I would transpose letters. Towards the beginning of the book when Ana & Sam are near the cemetery, she refers to the copse. And I was convinced it read corpse. We got a chuckle out of that one. Hey, she was at the cemetery after-all!

3) How do you prepare for the recording and get into the mindset and voice of multiple characters?

I prepared by first reading the book very carefully, in its entirety, getting lost in the story. I tend to read books & scripts as if I am the characters living in their world. I think it is my imagination that fuels me as an actor. So I jumped in that way. Then I made a list of all of the characters. I sat down with that list and just started thinking like the different characters and improvising from their point of view. Often images, or physical characteristics of who they were would come to me. Like Li, to me she was just a Witch. So that informed how I wanted her to sound. And when I began speaking as her, her sound organically came out. Then I would make notes on that sound to remind me later. I color coded the whole script – with each character being a different color. And when they spoke, and I saw their color, my mind automatically knew who was speaking, which made it easier to jump between characters. Of course, there were times where I had to stop recording and get my bearings on who was speaking and make sure they sounded like they did the day before!

4) When not acting, what do you do in your spare time?

I am very fortunate to live by the beach, and love to take walks there or just spend time outside near the water. I love spending time with my friends and family. I also like to travel, do yoga, ski, try new restaurants, read and see movies. I’m a pretty normal girl!

5) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor (or flavors, if you're so inclined) or, if you don't like jelly beans, your favorite snack?

I’m more of a chocolate, sweets person! In all forms. Especially with caramel!. Rolos, Kitkats, brownies, that type of thing.



My clue for the password is . . . Fourth word: s
Remember, there are no spaces in this password!

Check out these other clue blogs (this is not the whole list):

Fictional Distraction
Stuck In YA Books
Ramblings (of a fiber obsessed transplant Vermonter)