by Jake Fain
Staff Writer
Stage actor Doug Berky put on a free show on campus earlier this month in W.D. Powell Theater.
Berky often performs alone, only bringing in additional actors when it is necessary to operate with multiple characters at a single time.
During performances, Berky creates an environment similar to a small circus act.
He often interacts with the audience and sometimes allows them to assist him with performances.
Berky said he always has been fond of athletics and wanted to find a way to incorporate athletics into theater work, so he often juggles and rides a unicycle during performances, sometimes simultaneously.
He said he was inspired to include athletics after watching a performance by the late Marcel Marceau, famed French actor and mime.
Berky first majored in social work at Oregon State University but discovered dramatic arts after performing in several of OSU’s productions.
He eventually pursued dramatic arts at a school formerly known as Dell’Arte School of Mime and Comedy in Blue Lake, Calif.
He eventually became a stage actor with studies in masks and miming.
Chosen themes, especially in children’s productions, include cultural arts and family, which allows Berky to more easily implement his Christian faith into his shows, which he also performs in church venues.