Educational Media Reviews Online

This is a wonderful documentary about the work of the influential teacher Cecily Berry, the Voice Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Berry is the author of one of the seminal books on voice, The Actor and the Text, and she has also traveled throughout the world to share her vocal training techniques with instructors and performers. The documentary shows Berry working with actors in all parts of the globe including Korea, Russia, Brazil and the United States.

Berry is interested in helping an actor connect with a dramatic text through the body. She speaks of “the physicality and muscularity of language” and she uses very physical exercises to open an actor to the true meaning of the text. The documentary allows the viewer to “drop in” on some workshops conducted by Berry and to experience the variety of unusual techniques she uses to help actors in their exploration. The documentary also features many interviews with professional actors who have benefited from Berry’s techniques. These actors all attest to the remarkable results Berry can draw from actors in a relatively short time. It also inter-cuts brief scenes from RSC productions featuring these performers.

This DVD is a must-have for any performing arts library. It is also highly recommended for other academic libraries and for high schools that have a strong performing arts program.