tHE ART OF Teaching

 

«A script is an invitation to let life in. This is a mantra that Greta preaches and teaches. And this is something that I have brought with me since I had the pleasure of working with her for the first time. Greta’s great insights into human nature, her methodologies and her approach to the working relationship between actors and directors brings truth to the art we all love. Working with her, I’ve felt myself growing tremendously both professionally and personally – if it even makes sense to distinguish the two.» 

 

Janus Metz, Director (Armadillo, Borg vs. McEnroe, True Detective,

Heartbound, ZeroZeroZero, All the old knives)

 

At the core of my education work are my international workshops and masterclasses I created since 2008, which offer an insight into my working processes, and from which new stage as well as film-work is developed.

Specific exercises, also used by my artists´ company Superbohemians in the rehearsal room, have become the cornerstone of my unique method, and are reflected in my practice-oriented scene work. This series of exercises focuses on developing new and refining already existing acting techniques world-spanning from east to west, which are optimizing the actors’ artistic abilities beyond classical techniques and terms.

 

Lecture demonstrations, symposions and numerous workshops have been taking place in 5 european countries with actors and directors from different backgrounds in theatre and film. The classes focus mainly on teaching high-quality craftsmanship and artistic skills for professional film- and stage actors and directors, to enable them to master the challenges the artist nowadays faces - with a degree of ease.

 

In a cooperation with the Museum für Kommunikation Berlin, I have since 2008 been developing and teaching special workshops for children and young people from various schools in Berlin - with exercises designed to nurture courage, self-consciousness, media competence and confidence by experiencing initial appearences on stage and in a safe laboratory environment. Always with a strong focus on the aspect of powerful self-creation in our life.

 

The formation of the Superbohemians results directly from my longstanding research on new approaches to scenework by merging of old and new, eastern (russian) and western techniques combined with my divised techniques for stage and screen.

 

Based on my wish to spread a new and easy-to-adapt language for the professional artist, in order to share the process of finding beauty together and create outstanding, memorable performances. Here are two examples of scenework, the latter filmed by director Ingvild Søderlind during my masterclass "Working with actors" at the National Danish Film School in Copenhagen.

 

(Actors: Katrine Bach, Erik Viinberg, Sune Kofoed).

 

For over 10 years Greta has been a pioneer with her universal learning concepts for actors and directors, not only in Berlin, but also throughout Europe, where she enjoys a high reputation with her master classes. The experience shows: Gretas pupils have learned to move elegantly, professionally and charmingly on the international stage of the film, television and theatre industry: They shoot in Hollywood, in Asia or at the North Pole, they advise business bosses, NGOs or politicians, or found interesting companies themselves. They play theatre in Africa, across the globe, even on ships, or they show their best pictures in galleries of european capitals. Some also become excellent teachers themselves.

They go out into the world and make it their world. Because they know what they can do, have a strong work ethic, are goal-oriented out of an awareness of their own artistic core, which they have discovered and developed with Greta. So they know how to pitch themselves, how to manage an interview or a casting, and give an artistic statement that is memorable. Greta's students know the difference between "personal" and "private", they create an interpersonal space in which one likes to meet them again. They are integrated into international film teams and stage ensembles, they know how to create a lively composition.

They also know that they have learned to work beyond all techniques, that they are human beings in their main profession, and that they communicate this to other people.  They have cultivated themselves, they have learned that the world must first be seen before you want to be looked at yourself. They read books, go to exhibitions in museums, they go to galleries, to the cinema, to festivals of all kinds, they go to the theatre, and they are interested, human and politically interested.

Simply put, they are educated, interesting personalities, responsible citizens with an artistic and social vision, who, in addition to their work in the arts, also apply them to the social, scientific and human aspects of life in our society and shape them responsibly.