Our mission is to develop free and truthful expression in which the inner life connects with living language to expand the power of communication. Steiner School of Speech Arts is an innovative initiative offering an in depth overview foundation year as well as a full four year training in speech arts. We also host a variety of inspiring weekend workshops throughout the year. Steiner School of Speech Arts is a part of the Threefold Educational Foundation within the intimate and engaging community of Chestnut Ridge, NY.

Building on the pioneering methods developed by Dr. Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner-von Sivers, our approach integrates the profound experience of the spoken word with the evolving relevance of communication in contemporary life.

Core Faculty

Barbara Renold trained in Speech and Drama at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland (1978-81) and the Harkness Studio in Sydney, Australia (1982-83). As speech and drama teacher at Sunbridge College (1983-2007), she directed student productions of the Oberufer Christmas Plays and several Shakespeare plays, as well as giving speech lessons. Barbara has directed two complete cycles of Rudolf Steiner’s four mystery dramas (1987-1998 and 2006-2014), culminating in the historic Threefold Mystery Drama Festival of August 2014, where all four plays were presented by one cast, in one conference, for the first time in the English-speaking world. Barbara holds a BA in math from Douglas College and two MAs in elementary education, one of which is in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). She also holds Creative Speech diplomas from the Goetheanum and the Harkness Studio. A co-founder of the Steiner School of Speech Arts, Barbara also teaches creative speech at Eurythmy Spring Valley's School of Eurythmy and directs community theater productions in the Threefold community, where she has lived since 1986.

Jennifer Kleinbach received her Speech Formation diploma from the Speech School of North America and her Eurythmy diploma from the School of Eurythmy in Spring Valley, NY. She has toured with Eurythmy Spring Valley’s stage ensemble as a eurythmist (2000-5) and speaker, and performed under Barbara Renold’s direction in Threefold community productions of Rudolf Steiner’s four mystery dramas (2007, 2012-14). She teaches speech in the Threefold community for the School of Eurythmy, Sunbridge Institute, and the Fiber Craft Studio. A co-founder of the Steiner School of Speech Arts, Jennifer directs community speech ensembles for local festival performances, and performs solo and as the speaker for Eurythmy Spring Valley’s student and professional ensembles. Jennifer holds certificates in Foundation Year and Goethean Studies from Rudolf Steiner College, a BA in classical languages from Haverford College, and an MA in medieval studies from the University of Notre Dame.

Helen Lubin founded Speech Arts in Waldorf Schools in North America to further speech work as an integral part of Waldorf education. Over the past thirty years, she has paid some 250 "school speech visits" to more than sixty North American Waldorf schools, working with classes, teachers, individual students, administrators, and parents. Helen holds BS degrees in special educational studies and speech pathology and audiology, and an MA in human development. She completed the Camphill Seminar in Curative Education and has ten years’ experience in that field, including as class teacher. She has played the role of Maria in Rudolf Steiner’s four mystery dramas; is a certified TESOL instructor; and also works as a freelance editor/translator.