1 / 6

Steven Berkoff

Steven Berkoff. Seven states of tension. Berkoff’s work exists at 1, 2 and 6, 7- it is all about extremes. Freezes should be held with great tension and with exaggerated facial expressions ‘Movement is another language’ http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVPSgGHxIxQ&safe=active.

hija
Download Presentation

Steven Berkoff

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Steven Berkoff

  2. Seven states of tension. • Berkoff’s work exists at 1, 2 and 6, 7- it is all about extremes. • Freezes should be held with great tension and with exaggerated facial expressions • ‘Movement is another language’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVPSgGHxIxQ&safe=active

  3. Berkoff’s theatre • The Actor creates the whole environment physically. • All props are mimed or physically embodied by part of the actors anatomy • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX2sKH3l7eM&safe=active • This should make theatre more of a spectacle • Test the level of physical control by using extremes of pace- slow/ fast • “I despise naturalism, a good actor should need no props.” Berkoff • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZQOEZO1n10

  4. Influences • Physical Theatre of Jacques Le Coq • Mime • Creating the environment physically • 7 states of tension • Heightened Gesture • Brecht’s alienation • Plays seek not to recreate real life, but to revel in the spectacle of theatre • At times plays have been episodic and had a political message (Sink The Belgrano) • The notion of Gestus and exaggerated characters/ stereotypes • Greek Theatre • Use of a chorus • Long verse speeches • Directly addressing an audience

  5. So to play a Berkoff character • You should have hyperbolic physicality (clear Gestus- heightened gesture) play up the stereotype. • Play with the rhythm and tempo of the verse, enjoy the flow of the language • Deliver dialogue straight out to the audience- not to the other actor • Create the environment around you physically using mime and sound effects • Play the scene with great tension in your body. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2ePpFxRgDQ&list=FL4_W_gCizNgZauB_gFEZzqg

  6. Major Berkoff plays • ‘Newer Berkoff’* offensive, shocking, character driven plays • East • West • Greek • Kvetch • Decadence • ‘Older Berkoff’ dark, chorus driven plays • The Trial • Metamorphosis * I say ‘newer’ but these plays came out between 1975 and 1986, so they are all about 30 years old! – after this he tended to do 1 man shows in the 90s (Dog, Tell Tale Heart, Shakespeare’s Villains)

More Related