Fearlessness . . .

I remember my last stage managing job with Frog & Peach, September/October 2003, on our production of King John, a very good actress playing the role of 'Blanche' had to leave the show unexpectedly in the middle of a four week run. We had all worked very hard to get the show up, but these things happen, especially in an equity showcase, and I thought, "well, two weeks is better than nothing," but then on a Monday morning, Lynnea, the director, called me and said, incredibly, she had found an actress who agreed to take over the role of 'Blanche.'

At the time, she was (at least to me) completely unknown, but what impressed me most about Catalina as a person was that not only was she brave enough to step into a crucial role, in the middle of an off-Off Broadway run, with only 4-5 days to prepare, but that this was Shakespeare -- tough enough for a native English speaker let alone someone born and raised in Columbia. Yet Catalina pulled it off, and you could sense an enormous amount of bravery beneath a surprisingly unassuming exterior.

As much talent as I think great acting takes, I'm convinced it also takes at least an equal amount of courage (and faith).