interview with catherine fitzmaurice

Ongoing...FitzmauriceVoiceworkNext Group Introduction:

Come see what's shaking atSeydways! We'll explore the basicelements of FitzmauriceVoicework on April 21st from 10a.m. to 5 p.m.

Explore how this vocal productiontechnique can help you bothon-stage and off. Click here formore information.

Ongoing Fitzmaurice voice classesare taught in association withSeydways Acting Studios (seebelow) in downtown SanFrancisco. Classes are held Fridays,from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Call 510-303-2701 for locationand details.

SeydwaysActing StudiosSeydways Acting Studio is acomprehensive lab committed tothe art and craft of professionalacting. The Seydways ActingStudio trains actors for theprofession who are in engaged indeveloping themselves to theirfullest potential. We believe theprimary life journey of the actor isto explore and expand the rangeof their own being so they canexperience and express themultifaceted nature of our sharedhumanity. Our purpose is to createan authentic, intimate, safeenvironment which will nurture thisexploration.

For more information, click here.

Studio ACTStudio A.C.T. provides the highestquality professional actor trainingfor adults with beginning toadvanced levels of experience. Ourinstructional style is experientialand performance oriented. Ourinstructors are working theaterartists who love to teach, andclass size is kept to a comfortable

Science majors studying voice? The demolition of all vocal systems? HeCatherine Fitzmaurice, whose Fitzmaurice Voicework has literally beeIn our continuing series on The Actors Voice, internationally known vocalabout obstacles to vocal freedom and her populist vision for the future of

Catherine Fitzmaurice doesnt feel well today. Her sonorous voice whichand she has to pause frequently to cough. This would seem like a less thainstructor quickly proves that nothing could be farther from the truth.

Currently in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ms. Fitzmaurice is presiding over her students explore the techniques of Fitzmaurice Voicework, her appractors, voice teachers, and the curious to experiment with many things, bseries of exercises in which students place their bodies in challenging yogand the delivery of text. Secondly, the students learn a process called Rre-structure the ways in which they shape sounds by integrating a physicaproducing sound.

Instructed at Londons Central School of Speech and Drama, Ms. FitzmaurAmerica in the late 1960s. During this time, she began to develop the apsuch as UCLA, Juilliard, The Yale School of Drama and New York UniversitUniversity of Delaware, while calling New York City her home base. Her Vsought-after forms of vocal training, combining solid vocal practice with ethe nation flock to her workshops and seminars, some to discover what alFitzmaurice Voicework instructors.

I sat down with Ms. Fitzmaurice in an empty dance studio to discuss her pcold, she nevertheless discussed her work with great vigor and joy. Equal professor provided insights filled with progressive theory and astonishing often considered an ancillary wing of actor training. Ms. Fitzmaurice, howcenter of the actors work.

BRILLIANT SELECTION: THE CATHERINE FITZMAURICE

ACTING NOW: For those who are unfamiliar with what you do, what is FitDestructuring? What is Restructuring?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: I think that Ive always intended to teach peoyoung actors in training at the Central School, where Id been taught, butmake the noises that I thought the text was capable of drawing out of theenough into what the text might imply. So, the two things that I wanted t

Fitzmaurice Voicework http://www.cynthiabassham.com/fitz_Interview.html

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minimum.

Most importantly, Studio A.C.T. is avital part of the thriving circle ofartists that makes A.C.T. one ofthe nation's most respected artsinstitutions. For more information,click here.

this weird name of Destructuring, which is taking away habit and pattewould re-inform that with something that was both physically efficient an

ACTING NOW: Someone first approaching the work of "Destructuring" wouyoure asking me to get into challenging physical positions while I may behappening? And how is this "Destructuring?"

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Well, the positions that I use are specifically dthe body and, in doing so, they probably also interrupt breath rhythm. Sodirection, placement, and rhythm.

Why do that? Because peoples breathings are so compromised. What breinspiration is an idea and a breath. So when the breathing itself is comprothe expression flowing.

ACTING NOW: What are the obstacles to freedom of breath?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Muscle tension, which is chronic, and habit. Tvery early on to restrict the amount of input from other people or the am

ACTING NOW: Why?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Because its not social behavior; its not allowsimply is not done. So the body gets compromised. One holds in order to impact not only the body but the breathing pattern.

ACTING NOW: So a person, for their whole life, holds something in. They between the ribs] muscles or maybe in their lower back. Youre encouragthat forces them to break those patterns of tension?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE:Yes.

ACTING NOW: And what are the key positions?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Well, basically anything that impacts the breaand internal; the abdomen; the throat; the whole face and jaw; the pelvI teach breathing I point out that breathing is not only air coming in and obody; so you can get what I call a global breath where you can perceivetorso, into the fingers and the toes and face.

ACTING NOW: If we defined "Destructuring" as a way to encourage freedopositions and integrating breath and voice with that process, what do we

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: "Restructuring" is the management of a breathoxygen, but is an intended breath with the rhythm of thought. The word breath and idea. So that, instead of breathing in to oxygenate myself anthat I want to express to you.

ACTING NOW: So "Destructuring" is encouraging the body to unite with thand freeing

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Its allowing anything to happen. Anything thainto the forest of Arden.

ACTING NOW: And "Restructuring" is not about removing that sense of fre


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rib-swing while all of that freedom is happening?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Yes, yes, yes so that youre not controlling. Iwhat was told to me, but rather breath management. So, if Im [she spintakes of air] kind of hysterical [she returns to her normal voice] but I nehave that breath pattern quite spontaneously, perhaps, if Im a really goodont hurt myself, I dont try to squeeze too much, or blow too much, or decide how loud it needs to be. So its about choice, as well as spontanei

ACTING NOW: The freedom to have all of the emotions and feelings, whicyouve got a technique to manage it, so that you can have that freedom?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Exactly.

ACTING NOW: Is that why you had to put these techniques together? Becamanage it or else it would just be [Interviewer makes wild, bouncing sou

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Yes, yes, because when you are just taught [Shmade], people injure themselves or theyre not audible or clear; or they interested in variety, but Im also interested in brilliant selection.

ACTING NOW: How long did it take for you to develop this process whicdevelop these fundamental ideas?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Well, I would say the most fertile time was theAcademy of Dramatic Art] in Michigan, because nobody was overseeing wsomatic behaviors such as Alexander or Feldenkrais training. There was aStrong movement! Muscle! Look good! Do it right! Be powerful! Very actrelaxation, reintegration, and the letting go of the need to be right becworking on the voice. We certainly worked with relaxation, but the relaxmeditation, too. I think the meditation things that I did were as importan

ACTING NOW: What is pre-occupying your mind right now, with regards tochallenge!

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Well, Ive been working a lot with energy. Whetouch and an energy relationship.

ACTING NOW: What do you mean? You say you use a simple touch. You me

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Yes. For instance, if I see the upper chest is tilittle bit or try to open it up physically wrench it apart, in the most extradd some energy. The body brings its own energy to the place and that en

ACTING NOW: Are you moving away from physical manipulation because those areas is enough? And what brought you to thinking about energy an

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Well, you see, like other people working with see stuff...(She starts to giggle) Im not sure that you really want to have

ACTING NOW: This is JUST what I want. Keep going.

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Well, I would see someone doing my work andchanged, it would appear to me that this body was maybe giving off heatwas heating up, it was energizing itself, it was exercising itself.


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Now you know if you look at the hood of a car or a hot road, you can see bodies. That interested me a lot. So I started listening to, and reading abso much that I went to the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, which has but what they talk about, and teach, is chakras and what they call Leveand is entirely unusable by me as a theatre trainer. But some of it was ve

So there are certain intuitions or other knowings that Im beginning to trutouching them gentler.

ACTING NOW: Why more gentle?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Because its less effort. And its less invasive, youre working all the time with the substance body and saying, Youvsomeplace else. Its disengaged. But when youre working with energy ttherefore bridging through breath and energy what the material body be the spiritual body, it can be the creative or intellectual person: the mdivides them. The body is too often objectified and I want to bring awareproprioception. You can bring awareness into the body, internally even itrusts oneself, and the mind becomes free together with the body.

ACTING NOW: You start to trust your physical intuition.

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Yes. Yes.

ACTING NOW: In your VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainers Association) bio, your work. What does that mean?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: [It means that I'm interested in] moving away bring what passed for a normal voice into a kind of creative brilliance, whspaces improve, literally. So, if there was a ratio of improvement from avoice, why not work with an injured or almost dysfunctional voice and sebring it to normalcy? Ive worked with people with spasmodic dysphonia, and brought them to normal voice. So why not use these techniques?

ACTING NOW: As youre looking out at the field, what do you find to be tthinking about the voice, of using the voice? Where are we going?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: I think that it deserves to have much wider cuconservatories like the Central School of Speech and Drama, Yale School obring this work into the liberal arts area, to B.A.s who may be Business mpeople as simply information. Its information which very few people havknow that breath is involved with voice!

To answer your question, I see [vocal pedagogy] as moving beyond theatreoffer it as an alternative to yoga, as an alternative to any of the bodyworin this century. Alexander [Technique] has been accepted for a long time.somatic disciplines now. I think that [Fitzmaurice Voicework] really can and because of its focus not only on body, but on breath and managing th

ACTING NOW: Are we moving away, in your opinion, from a right way to

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: I hope we are, yes.

ACTING NOW: But, as you look around, is that what youre actually seein


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CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Yes it is what Im seeing. It definitely is. I am always been about, What sound are you making? Make the Sound! Anoththeyre listening to sound and they have good intuition, but Im more inteletting the sound be the result. If youre going always for results and you with, you can injure people.

ACTING NOW: What are some of the biggest vocal challenges you hear frowork?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Everybody, I think, starts by thinking that the way, it does in the same way that music comes from the piano. But it doplays it, right? Its completely silent. The person who has to climb inside mindset I have to change. [We need to] do the necessary work with the byou develop a kinesthetic relationship with your voice, rather than an aud

ACTING NOW: Thats important for your work. Its not just a way of know

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: You have to do it. You cant write about it, or

ACTING NOW: I think thats key for our readers, to know that they really with your work, or that they actually work with you, so that they can getDOING.

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: It has to be. To make sound is a physical, in thwhat Im talking about you have to be willing to do that.

ACTING NOW: You have to be willing to experiment with the concept of bexciting the vibrations in your body.

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Thats right, yes. And the breath is also relatesudden, excited intake of air], "Ive got something to tell you!"

ACTING NOW: The inspiration?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: The inspiration, yes.

ACTING NOW: How long, in your opinion, does it take someone to go fromworkshop like the one youre teaching here at UNM to the moment whe

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: It totally varies, yes. And, you see, in this woryears or more, as students; Ive also got people who dont have a clue whplace, where people are actually beginning to let go. I had people crying,

ACTING NOW: Why?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: It takes a while to really believe that there is that permission. It takes a while for the group to get to know one anotheis a very specialized situation, teaching a voice workshop to adults

ACTING NOW: All day long.

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: All day long, yes. Its six hours, six and a half teachers who didnt have the knowledge of my work, but theyve come tokind of system.


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I hate the whole idea of systems, which is why I resisted writing and why Voice, which is what other people are doing, but they do it a different wawith me asked me to do the same, so I finally agreed to put my name on them legitimacy and coherence and a voice in the world: [She affects a vvoice] I think all of these systems, within the next generation or two, wilworld.

ACTING NOW: Whats your advice to a student who is just getting interes

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Well, I would advise them to touch base with aI think people have different needs, have different bodies, have differentthings so whatever works for them is fine by me, but I would still like thefocus of breath management to be current and common knowledge. I thin

ACTING NOW: Conceptual ideas aside, how about some practical stuff forday? Or, Hey, avoid this pitfall. Hey, try this, it took me ten years to

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: I would say that they have to listen in to themthemselves or force anything. Also, to follow curiosity. Curiosity is desire

ACTING NOW: Would you say that the best advice is to get fascinated wit

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Yes.

ACTING NOW: Your fascination was with breath and with the body, Im as

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: I was totally fascinated by breath because I sabehaviors, vocal as well as physical. [Breath is] life literally! If you inhibdelicious to me, and it is still so delicious to me that I will just seek out a

ACTING NOW: Why has breath been ignored for so long?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: People are fascinated by the result of the breaThe sound makes you feel good, especially when youre listening to it. [Itknow how to do it, when youre a good singer or speaker. Its an art objecthey dont really want to be bothered or take the time to learn the proce

I think the process is interesting as a human development, whether yourself-empowerment or become a better actor. It doesnt matter if you donsinging or speaking. You can still sing or speak your joy. You can share. Anyou listen to me and Im speaking to you. Were sharing the air, the alwaycan go so mystical about it, but its also an extremely practical thing.

ACTING NOW: Final thoughts or words to a young actor who might be reaget ignited about voice?

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Well, I dont know whether its so anymore, bdismissive of voice. You could be an actor but you didnt have to have a vfor is when the voice and the creative juices flow together, so that an imthat the vocal behavior, the vocal gesture, is as important and interestingbehavior on stages nowadays where people are working to try to expresstheyre hurting themselves. And were left with the sound of this person

ACTING NOW: Cannibalizing the voice.


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CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Cannibalizing is a great word! Cannibalizing theasy and come from so deep and manifest so far, if they allowed themselinto sound turning into the expression of an idea. Its fun. (She giggles) Itstyles of language and so many different behaviors: psychological, physioIts fun.

ACTING NOW: Catherine Fitzmaurice, a real pleasure.

CATHERINE FITZMAURICE: Thank you, Gene

About the founder, Catherine Fitzmaurice

Catherine Fitzmaurice studied at the Central School of Speech and Dramaand prizewinner. During the last thirty-five years, she has adapted body-bcombined with classical techniques to form Fitzmaurice Voicework.

Now based in New York, she has taught voice all over the world, includingSpeech and Drama, and the Moscow Art Theatre. Ms. Fitzmaurice is curreregarding this technique, please visit her website.

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