When I started my senior year of high school, I knew the inevitable college theater audition season was on the horizon. I had worked professionally in my hometown of Philadelphia but I felt completely unsure about my talent and what material was right for me for these intimidating and competitive college auditions. I was very anxious about being able to showcase my acting talents with just two 2-minute monologues. After meeting with acting coach Lisbeth Bartlett for the first time, she blew me away. Her passion for acting and her dedication to her students was immediately apparent. She was just the mentor I needed. She made me feel like I was in a comfortable place to take risks and even fail sometimes; better yet, she made me feel safe enough to excel beyond anything I could have imagined for myself.

Within a few weeks of exploring dozens of plays and characters, we found four really solid audition pieces – two contemporary and two classical—that suited me perfectly. In fact, I still use these monologues to this day! I remember specifically one particularly life-changing coaching session with Lisbeth. We were both in tears after I finally “got” a particular challenging monologue I loved dearly and has been struggling with, and performed it to perfection, achieving a sense of completion. We both cried tears of joy. Never before had I felt that level of reassurance and confidence. I knew in that moment I could succeed in following and achieving my dreams of becoming a professional actor. Not only did Lisbeth provide me with the skills to hone my craft, she gave me a sense of confidence I didn’t know was in me. I will always the excitement and joy of these sessions. Lisbeth has continued to passionately support me and my development as an actor since I left to attend Roosevelt University and began to work professionally in Chicago. I would HIGHLY recommend Lisbeth to any aspiring actor I know. I will continue to coach with Lisbeth throughout my professional career.