Catherine Fitzmaurice

Catherine Fitzmaurice is the originator of Fitzmaurice Voicework, whose purpose "is to support people in finding and using their unique voices — in healthy, clear, and creative ways — while developing greater freedom and presence" and which is taught in acting schools, studios, workshops, and private lessons throughout the United States and the world.[1] The January 2010 issue of American Theatre magazine (published by the Theatre Communications Group) calls Fitzmaurice one of "the great lions of the field of voice work in the U.S." and one of the "visionary innovators in the craft" of voice training for actors.[2] Over the past thirty-five years, she has "become one of the half-dozen most influential voice teachers in the theatre," whose "legacy and enduring influence are secure."[3] The Voice and Speech Trainers Association invited Fitzmaurice to its 2009 National Conference—along with Arthur Lessac, Kristin Linklater, and Patsy Rodenburg—as one of the "foremost vocal teachers of our time."[4]

Biography

Born in India, Fitzmaurice began acting at the age of three.[5][6] At the age of seven, her family moved to England and then Ireland, and she attended English boarding schools in Surrey and Hertfordshire.[7] From age eleven to seventeen, she studied voice, speech, verse-speaking, and acting with Barbara Bunch, who had also taught Cicely Berry as a teenager.[8] Fitzmaurice went on to win a three-year scholarship at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where she earned numerous honors and distinctions. While studying at Central, she also took first place in the English Festival of Spoken Poetry. Upon completion or her training, Fitzmaurice returned to Central in 1965 as a teacher of Voice, Verse-Speaking, and Prose-Reading.[9][10][11][12]

While living in London, Fitzmaurice met her future husband, David Kozubei, who at one point worked as a manager of the "underground wing" of Better Books then on Charing Cross Road.[13] Kozubei introduced Fitzmaurice to the works of Wilhelm Reich, which Fitzmaurice first explored through a group Kozubei had founded "to study Reich’s work in a practical way" (including his own method of muscle tension reduction called "Movements").[14] Fitzmaurice’s curiosity led her to study bioenergetic analysis (or “Bioenergetics”) with Dr. Alexander Lowen and Malcolm Brown, the latter of which she worked with until she relocated to the United States in 1968.[15][16] After taking up residency in Ann Arbor, Michigan – where she earned a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Theatre Studies from the University of Michigan – Fitzmaurice continued to explore Reich’s work with several of Reich's trainees, including Dr. John Pierrakos.[17][18][19] Fitzmaurice began to practice yoga in 1972,[20] and her interest in "body-based disciplines and energy work" soon had her exploring shiatsu, meditation, and healing techniques as well as traditional voice and speech pedagogy.[21] Fitzmaurice also holds Certificates from the International Phonetic Association and from the completion of "several bodywork and healing energy trainings," including certification as a Somatic Therapist.[22]

Throughout all of her investigations, Fitzmaurice was also teaching, primarily for actors and performers. As a teacher both in London and the United States, she "found that some of [her students] were incapable of being fully vocally expressive," primarily due to "inhibition caused by tension, particularly around breathing."[23] Her search for "methods of reducing body tension in faster and more radical ways than the voice work … at the Central School" was what led to her initial interest in Reich and her ongoing exploration of various relaxation techniques.[24] Fitzmaurice's experimentation in combining Reichian bioenergetics with her classical training in voice and speech led to the inception of Fitzmaurice Voicework, which continued to grow and expand with the adaptation of Fitzmaurice's discoveries in yoga, shiatsu, and other psychophysical systems.[25][26][27] Fitzmaurice cites her "five years spent teaching at Oakland University's Academy of Dramatic Art in Michigan" as her "most fertile time" in the development of the Voicework, a time when she was able to synthesize her diverse interests with "nobody overseeing what [she] did."[28] In her early years in the United States, Fitzmaurice also worked as an actor, most notably at the American Conservatory Theater and in the Southern California area.[29]

In addition to teaching at the Central School and Oakland University, Fitzmaurice has taught at the Juilliard School's Drama Division, Yale School of Drama, Harvard University, New York University, Circle in the Square Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, the University of Southern California, the University of California, Los Angeles, the Moscow Art Theatre, the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, the Guthrie Theatre, and the Lincoln Center.[30][31] Fitzmaurice continues to teach workshops, intensives, and teacher certifications across the world while maintaining a regular presence in both Los Angeles and New York City.[32][33] She has been invited to lecture and conduct workshops in numerous venues across the world, including: the Roy Hart Center in France; the Performance Breath Conference at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London; the Purnati Arts Centre in Bali; the Congreso de Voz in Chile; and the annual conferences of both the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and the Voice and Speech Trainers Association.[34] Fitzmaurice Voicework is taught at over one hundred colleges, universities, and studios worldwide by certified teachers, all of whom must complete a multi-week Certification Program taught by Fitzmaurice on a semi-annual basis in New York City and Los Angeles.[35] One of Fitzmaurice’s two sons, Saul Kotzubei, is among the thirteen Master Teachers with up to thirty years’ experience in teaching the Voicework, and he currently teaches and leads workshops in the Los Angeles area and oversees the Fitzmaurice Institute.[36][37] Her younger son, Jacob Kotzubei, is a private equity professional.

References

Notes
  1. The Fitzmaurice Institute, "About Fitzmaurice Voicework," The Fitzmaurice Institute, www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org/fitzmaurice-voicework (2017).
  2. Randy Gener, "Pillars of Voice Work," American Theatre, January 2010, 33.
  3. Paul Meier, "Tremor into Action: An Interview," American Theatre, January 2010, 39.
  4. Voice and Speech Trainers Association, brochure for Original Voices: Vocal Methodologies from the Source from the 2009 Conference (Pace University, New York City, 2009)."Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2010-04-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Meier, "Tremor into Action," 39.
  6. Michael Morgan, Constructing the Holistic Actor: Fitzmaurice Voicework (Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2008), 4.
  7. Meier, "Tremor into Action," 39.
  8. Jeff Morrison, Saul Kotzubei, & Tyler Seiple, "Vocal Traditions: Fitzmaurice Voicework," Voice and Speech Review, Vol. 11, #3, 2017, pp. 339-347,
  9. Morrison et al., "Vocal Traditions."
  10. Meier, "Tremor into Action," 39.
  11. Morgan, Constructing, 4.
  12. Catherine Fitzmaurice, "Breathing is Meaning," in The Vocal Vision, ed. Marian Hampton and Barbara Acker (New York: Applause Books, 1997), 249.
  13. Meier, "Tremor into Action," 39.
  14. Fitzmaurice, "Breathing is Meaning," 250.
  15. Fitzmaurice, "Breathing is Meaning," 250.
  16. Morgan, Constructing, 4.
  17. Meier, "Tremor into Action," 39.
  18. Marian Hampton and Barbara Acker, ed., The Vocal Vision (New York: Applause Books, 1997), 263.
  19. Fitzmaurice, "Breathing is Meaning," 250.
  20. Fitzmaurice, "Breathing is Meaning," 250.
  21. Morrison et al., "Vocal Traditions."
  22. The Fitzmaurice Institute, "Catherine Fitzmaurice, the Founder of Fitzmaurice Voicework," The Fitzmaurice Institute, www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org/the-founder (2017)
  23. Morrison et al., "Vocal Traditions."
  24. Fitzmaurice, "Breathing is Meaning," 250.
  25. Morrison et al., "Vocal Traditions."
  26. Morgan, Constructing, 4.
  27. Catherine Fitzmaurice, "Breathing Matters,"Voice and Speech Review, Vol. 9, #1, 2015, pp. 61-70,
  28. Eugene J. Douglas, "Brilliant Selection: The Catherine Fitzmaurice Interview," Actingnow.com, April 2004, www.fitzmauricevoice.com/writings/pdfs/douglasinterview.pdf Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  29. Hampton and Acker, The Vocal Vision, 264.
  30. Hampton and Acker, The Vocal Vision, 263.
  31. Fitzmaurice, "Overview."
  32. The Fitzmaurice Institute, "Catherine Fitzmaurice."
  33. The Fitzmaurice Institute, "Workshops," The Fitzmaurice Institute, www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org/workshops(2018).
  34. The Fitzmaurice Institute, "Catherine Fitzmaurice."
  35. The Fitzmaurice Institute, "About Fitzmaurice Voicework"
  36. Meier, "Tremor into Action," 39.
  37. Saul Kotzubei, "Bios," Voice Training with Saul Kotzubei, www.voicecoachla.com/pages/bios.htm Archived 2010-01-12 at the Wayback Machine (2005).

Bibliography
  • Barnes, Michael J. and Bruce R. SMith. "A Report on the January 1995 Fitzmaurice Workshop." In VASTA Newsletter, Vol. 9, no. 2. 1995.
  • Blaise, Cynthia. "A Fitzmaurice Workshop Experience." In VASTA Newsletter, Vol. 13, no. 3. 1999.
  • Douglas, Eugene J. "Brilliant Selection: The Catherine Fitzmaurice Interview." Actingnow.com. April 2004. www.fitzmauricevoice.com/writings/pdfs/douglasinterview.pdf
  • Fitzmaurice, Catherine. "Breathing is Meaning." In The Vocal Vision, edited by Marian Hampton and Barbara Acker, 247-252. New York: Applause Books, 1997. ISBN 978-1-55783-282-5.
  • Fitzmaurice, Catherine. "Breathing Matters." Voice and Speech Review. Vol. 9, #1, 2015. pp. 61–70.
  • Fitzmaurice, Catherine. "Structured Breathing." In VASTA Newsletter, Vol. 17, no. 1. 2003.
  • Fitzmaurice, Catherine. "Zeami Breathing." In Consciousness, Literature and the Arts. Vol. 1, no. 1 (2000); reprinted in The Voice and Speech Review, Vol.1, no. 1 (2000); and in Performing Consciousness, edited by Per Brask and Daniel Meyer-Dinkgrafe (Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009), ISBN 978-1-4438-1634-2.
  • The Fitzmaurice Institute. "About Fitzmaurice Voicework." The Fitzmaurice Institute. www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org/fitzmaurice-voicework, 2017.
  • The Fitzmaurice Institute. "Catherine Fitzmaurice, the Founder of Fitzmaurice Voicework." The Fitzmaurice Institute. www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org/the-founder, 2017.
  • The Fitzmaurice Institute. "Workshops." The Fitzmaurice Institute. www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org/workshops, 2018.
  • Gener, Randy. "Pillars of Voicework." American Theatre, January 2010: 33.
  • Hampton, Marianne, and Barbara Acker, ed. The Vocal Vision. New York: Applause Books, 1997. ISBN 978-1-55783-282-5.
  • Kotzubei, Saul. "Bios." Voice Training with Saul Kotzubei. 2005. www.voicecoachla.com/pages/bios.htm.
  • Meier, Paul. "Tremor into Action: An Interview." American Theatre, January 2010: 38-40.
  • Moody, Julia. "Fitzmaurice Voicework." In Newsletter of the Australian Voice Association, Voiceprint. Issue #27 (April - September 2004).
  • Morgan, Michael. Constructing the Holistic Actor: Fitzmaurice Voicework. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2008. ISBN 978-3-639-08372-9.
  • Morrison, Jeff, Saul Kotzubei, & Tyler Seiple. "Vocal Traditions: Fitzmaurice Voicework." Voice and Speech Review. Vol. 11, #3, 2017. pp. 339–347.
  • Rubin, Lucille, Ruth Epstein, Catherine Fitzmaurice, Pamela Harvey, and Bonnie Raphael. "Common Speaking Voice Problems: Case Studies with Optional Solutions." Transcript of panel appearance at the Voice Foundation Symposium 1990. In The Journal of Voice, Vol. 5, no. 4. 321 -327. 1991.
  • Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). Brochure for Original Voices: Vocal Methodologies from the Source from the 2009 Conference. Hosted at Pace University, New York City. 2009.
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