UNG professor brings 'Selma' experience to classroom

DAHLONEGA - Elisa Carlson, associate professor of theater at the University of North Georgia (UNG), was excited to be hired for the film "Selma," but heartbroken to learn her students were unfamiliar with the city's historical significance.<br /> <br /> "That helped me realize how important it was for this story to be told again and in a dramatic way that would grab people emotionally," she said. "Everybody making the film felt a great sense of responsibility because we were telling a really important part of history and everyone came into that with a great deal of respect."<br /> <br /> The film, which has garnered 27 awards and 71 nominations, depicts the events in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for voting rights for blacks, including a violent clash between protesters and law enforcement later dubbed "Bloody Sunday."<br /> <br /> As on-set dialect coach for the 40-plus actors with speaking parts, Carlson spent 12-hour days listening intently during filming and coaching actors between takes.<br /> <br /> "I definitely feel that doing this kind of work means that what I'm teaching students in the classroom is practical, not just a theoretical knowledge of what they need to know to be successful as artists," she said.<br /> <br /> The outside experiences of their professors and the working professionals the university brings in provide unique opportunities for UNG students, said Jim Hammond, head of the university's Department of Theater.<br /> <br /> "Not only does Elisa's professional theatre and film work sharpen her coaching skills, but the contacts she provides for our students are vital to their transition into the profession after graduation," he said.<br /> <br /> During Selma, Carlson worked with the lead actors to "nudge" their pronunciations and rhythms to capture the spirit of the historic figures they portrayed, not imitate them exactly.<br /> <br /> "These aren't just dialects, these are iconic voices. People remember the sound of these voices," she said.<br /> <br /> Director Ava DuVernay was a stickler for authenticity in every aspect, Carlson said.<br /> <br /> "We had to listen to a lot of historic recordings because we've actually shifted a lot in how we sound in 50 years," she said. "It's not an exterior thing