Noelia Berkes - the power of creativity
Noelia Berkes is an actress and acting coach in New York City. She is the owner of Noelia Berkes Coaching. Below is her story.
equilibreyaum: Hi Noelia! Tell me a little about your background. Are you originally from New York? How long have you been acting?
Noelia Berkes: I grew up in Denver, Colorado, and have been acting for as long as I can remember. I was an energetic child, and my parents quickly discovered that theatre was a great outlet for me. I performed with the local childrens' theatres as young as 3 years old, and then went to Pomona High School, which was outside my school district, but had a strong arts program. I studied at the University of Wyoming, where I got my BFA in Theatre and Dance and a BA in Psychology. After college, I had a summer internship in theatre management at Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, and then a 9-month acting apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville. I moved to New York in the summer of 2013 and have been here ever since.
eqb: What makes you so passionate about acting?
NB: I believe that creativity, in whatever form, is the most powerful force on earth. It encourages growth, empathy, change, and gives a voice to those who might otherwise not have it. Theatre shows us the best and worst of what it means to be human: seeing theatre can unite us, bring us collective joy, be a mirror to us, spark discussion, and can even change our perspectives. I find this profound, both as a theatre maker, and a theatre watcher. I love acting in particular because it allows me to walk a mile in the shoes of someone else. When I am acting, I am feeling and experiencing what the character is feeling and experiencing: joy, pain, love, longing, despair... the list goes on. Acting makes me more empathetic and in touch with my own feelings, and the feelings of others.
eqb: When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in acting?
NB: I've always been a theatre kid, but I got really serious about it as a career when I decided to attend an arts high school. I haven't looked back since!
eqb: You're formally trained in Stanislavksi with an emphasis on Shakespeare and classical work. Can you explain what this means and what it took to achieve this?
NB: The Stanislavski Method (founded in the early 20th century by Konstantin Stanislavski) is the basis of most modern acting methodologies today. The two basic principles are the "given circumstances" and the "magic if." The given circumstances are all of the known facts about what your character is experiencing moment-to-moment: who am I, where am I, what time of day/month/year is it, what do I want, how will I get it, what is in my way, etc. Having identified all of these things, the "magic if" is "If I, the actor, was faced with this set of given circumstances, how would I act?"
Shakespeare and any work written pre-1900 usually has an extra challenge, because you're dealing with heightened text, different social norms and customs, and often, poetry. Learning how to integrate all of these things into your acting performance is a long process, and requires training.
Since my high school had prepared me with a strong acting foundation, I decided to focus on Shakespeare and classical work in college (the University of Wyoming had an emphasis option). This meant taking 4-5 hours of theatre class (including theatre history, dramaturgy, dialect, stage combat) per day, in addition to my Psychology classes. After class, I would be in rehearsal or performance until late, and then rinse and repeat! I think there's a stigma that theatre is an easy degree to get, but it really takes a lot of dedication and commitment.
eqb: You met your husband and fellow talented actor, Brik Berkes, at the fabulous Alabama Shakespeare Festival! You've starred in quite a few projects together, what's it like acting with your husband?
NB: It's the best, honestly. A life in the arts is difficult- you're constantly traveling, hustling for the next project, and facing endless rejections. Being married to someone who fully understands and embraces the same lifestyle is wonderful. We recently got to play opposite each other in a play called The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, and over the course of the show, we fell in love and then had a messy break up. I think both of us were a little nervous going into this project: we'd have to break up night after night in front of an audience. But the experience brought us closer than ever. As actors, it's important to have trust and intimacy in any production- this is what translates to a good performance. To be on stage with the person I trust most in life is a magical experience, regardless of the content of the play. I hope we get to do more projects together!
“I love theatre because it brings people together, and is an art form that includes everyone. I don’t think it’s prudent to call yourself a theatre maker and to ignore that our nation values one skin color over every other.”
eqb: What is one project that you've always wanted to be a part of and why? If it doesn't exist yet, tell me why it interests you.
NB: As an actor, I would love to go on an international tour. I have had the great fortune to do many tours within the United States, and it's the best: you are engaging with new communities and exploring new cities. I have always loved international travel, and getting to explore different cultures and places around the world while performing sounds like paradise. As an educator, I would love to head a program that uses Shakespeare to examine social issues within our country today. The learning would be two-fold: learning about Shakespeare academically and in performance, and then translating that into a larger dialogue about what is happening in our country, and how one can inform and enhance the other. Some of the most passionate artists I know are in their teens, and giving them an outlet to explore these things feels really exciting to me.
eqb: You recently launched Noelia Berkes Coaching where you coach aspiring actors. Tell me more about this, what inspired you to teach your craft?
NB: I have always had a passion for education. I've had the good fortune to be taught by a great number of smart and passionate individuals. Just as they have given so much to me, I want to give to others. I have taught in many capacities: group acting classes and summer camps, tutoring academia, directing shows, and of course, coaching a number of students I've met over the years. The Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on the arts, but one thing I've appreciated is how well everyone is communicating and connecting virtually. Once I realized that I could teach students from anywhere, I decided to take this side passion and make it my focus.
eqb: How do your coaching services work? Can anyone sign up?
NB: I am a firm believer that anyone can be a good actor. Most people simply need the confidence to know that they can, and once they have that confidence, then we can hone the specific skills around character and text work. I coach anyone age 6 and older. I love little kids, but younger than 6, their focus (as it should be) is usually on play and creative enjoyment, rather than a specific desire to be a better actor. I coach students who are brand new to theatre through working professionals, and all levels in between. For each new student, we sit down for a free 15 minute consultation (either virtually or in person). During this time, we get to know each other a little bit, and discuss goals and tentative lesson plans, before scheduling our first lesson.
eqb: What would you say has been the most rewarding/difficult parts about coaching?
NB: Seeing my students succeed is the best part of coaching, by far. There is nothing like hearing that a student got a callback, or booked a job, or has grown more confident in themselves. To know that I have been a small part of that is the best feeling in the world. The only difficulty I face when coaching is watching my students get frustrated. Acting takes practice, and I see students getting down on themselves when they don't feel they are progressing fast enough. When that happens, I have them take a step back and look at all the progress that has been made already. We can be so hard on ourselves, but it's good to recognize how far we have come.
eqb: What's the most common fear your students share with you (stage fright, forgetting lines etc.)? How do you help them through this?
NB: The most common fear among my amateur students is that they won't be good at it. It's something new for them, and they're worried they'll fail. I have yet to find a student for which this is true. Anyone can be a good actor. It takes the desire to try and the resolve to practice, but anyone can do it. Once I've helped the student find confidence, the rest takes care of itself. The most common fear among my professional students is less of a fear, and more of a desire to control and perfect every aspect of their craft. This is common - artists tend to be perfectionist about their work. For these students, we work more on mindset: if you prepare each piece to its full extent, your work will reflect that. A career in theatre is difficult one, and learning how to handle criticism and rejection, and how to embrace praise and progress is imperative.
“I am a firm believer that anyone can be a good actor. Most people simply need the confidence to know that they can, and once they have that confidence, then we can hone the specific skills around character and text work.”
eqb: You also teach masterclasses and workshops, what do you love most about this?
NB: I think teaching masterclasses and workshops combine my two passions: acting and education. I get to be in front of an audience, but I am actively interacting with them and we are learning from each other. I think it's helpful for students to discuss and practice what they've learned with each other afterwards, and to hear the questions their peers have. I love the energy in the room when everyone is learning together.
eqb: As an actress in New York City, how has the never-ending COVID-19 pandemic affected you?
NB: It's been a little weird, to be honest. Most of my TV/Film auditions were self-taped in my home studio before the pandemic, but doing theatre auditions on camera always feels a little weird: you're trying to squish a performance meant for the stage into the subtlety of film, and it never feels quite right to me. Theatre won't be coming back for awhile, so there's definitely been a little bit of existential dread, but there are some wonderful things have come out of this: I've had the opportunity to connect with so many artists virtually, to put together online play readings, virtual cabarets, etc. I'd rather have live theatre back, but for the time being, these opportunities have been a much-needed artistic outlet.
eqb: How do see the arts changing after the pandemic?
NB: COVID-19 has affected everyone, but I think that group arts have taken an especially hard hit. I've seen some interesting models from theatre in Germany with audience floor plans that are in line with social distancing guidelines. I think we won't be able to fully engage as we used to until there is a vaccine.
I think once that happens, the arts will explode. Everyone will be so hungry for arts and culture that once we can fully engage again, it will be a very exciting time. I have noticed that many people are permanently leaving NYC in light of the pandemic, and I'm hearing the same things are happening in Los Angeles, so I think there will be a growth in regional and grassroots theatre across the country.
eqb: Thank you for sharing your story, Noelia. Anything else you'd like to share?
NB: I love theatre because it brings people together, and is an art form that includes everyone. I don't think it's prudent to call yourself a theatre maker and to ignore that our nation values one skin color over every other. Therefore, for the month of June, in support of #BlackLivesMatter, I am donating 50% of all my proceeds to the Black Visions Collective. I plan on donating 10% of my profits to various BIPOC organizations through the end of the year and each month will be something different. For July, I'll be donating to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
For more about Noelia and her acting courses, please visit Noelia Berkes Coaching.
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