Hope Mihalap (pronounced MEE-ha-lop) can create the impression of a dour RussIan professor in one instant and the volatile wife of a Greek astronaut in the next.

Her voice can soothe with the genteel charm of a Virginia garden clubber or harangue with the hard-edged rasp of a Macy`s girdle saleswoman.

A descendent of the first Greek family to settle in Virginia, Hope has been "hearing disasters" since childhood. Her extensive repertoire of humorous characters has been compared to Lily Tomlin`s, and they are true-to-life impressions that come directly from Hope`s first-hand experiences.

She has her own Greek and Southern heritage to draw on, but she also spent a considerable amount of time taking in the accents and mannerisms of the North. She graduated with honors from Vassar College, where she was elected president of the student body, and she spent four years as private secretary to Sir Rudolf Bing, general manager of the New York Metropolitan Opera.

Throughout a long, award-winning speaking career, Hope has been funny without causing offense. "I figure," she says, "the only person it`s safe to make fun of is yourself. If I decide to sue myself for libel, I`m sure there are more than enough lawyers chomping at the bit."

Though she captures her audiences with entertainment, she leaves them with valuable insights into communication and good relationships.

Hope is a writer, a former newspaper columnist, an announcer on public radio, and the voice behind hundreds of commercials heard coast to coast. She speaks good Greek, middling French, restaurant Italian, and guidebook Russian.