It was 2008 and I was 3/4 of the way through Fitzmaurice Voicework training with lots of experienced theatre voice instructors from around the world. As a fellow teacher-in-training coached someone on a Shakespeare monologue, I sat in the corner thinking, “I can’t understand a word she’s saying. See, I’m an imposter.”

I did. I thought I was a fraud because I didn’t understand (and have memorized) every single word that Shakespeare ever wrote!

Right at that moment Catherine Fitzmaurice cut through that crap as if she were reading my mind.

She said, “I don’t have the entire canon in my mind. That makes me better at my job. If I can’t understand what the actor is saying, there’s something off in their performance, not with me. Then we get curious about what it is that’s ‘off’ and work until I can understand. I’m a barometer for a normal audience.”

Finally my “I have to know everything or I’m an imposter” soul sucker let go of the tight grip he had on my throat. That moment allowed me to be brave enough to not always know.

Whatever we know or don’t know, whatever our perspective is, we each bring value.

With passion & love,
Lauri