The Herald Bulletin

Overnight update

Entertainment

If you go

What: “Foolosophies” by Doug Berky
When: 7 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 25, 2012
Where: Doug Berky Theatre at Park Place Community Center, 802 E. Fifth St., Anderson. Enter through west side of building from Central Avenue.
Tickets: $10, adults; $5, students. Reserve tickets at berkys4@sbcglobal.net or 610-7801.

Related Photos

  • Performer Doug Berky rehearsing his show. John P. Cleary

    0215 comm Performer Doug Berky07a.jpg

  • Performer Doug Berky rehearsing his show. John P. Cleary

    0215 comm Performer Doug Berky15a.jpg

  • Performer Doug Berky rehearsing his show. John P. Cleary

    0215 comm Performer Doug Berky04a.jpg

Discussion

February 15, 2012

In Review: Clown prince spreads God's message of hope

Berky to perform 'Foolosophies'

By Melanie D. Hayes The Herald Bulletin

ANDERSON, Ind. — God’s faith in humanity is sometimes demonstrated in ways we humans think are foolish.

Take for example, sending young David to topple a giant or asking an elderly Moses to walk to a mountaintop.

Local performer Doug Berky, a juggler, mime and creator of superbly expressive masks, has pondered those stories and combined them with his talents for the lively one-man show, “Foolosophies.”

The hour-long, family-friendly performance is being presented on Feb. 18 and 25 by Berky at his new studio in Park Place Community Center, 802 E. Fifth St. Shows are at 7 p.m.

The Feb. 11 show sold out its 30 seats. So call ahead and come a few minutes early to marvel at the wondrous masks on his studio walls.

A self-described “professional fool,” Berky draws his audience slowly into his world of physical and spiritual theater. He introduces his skills with rubbery-faced glee. Watch his juggling hands (but watch out for dropped balls) as they reach higher toward the heavens.

With the audience firmly in his grip, Berky tackles Apostle Paul’s concept from letter First Corinthians: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.”

With humor and pathos, Berky evokes memorable images, notably Goliath’s paunchy shield-carrier in a scene underscoring God’s use of a young shepherd to transform hearts and souls, perhaps not unlike using a “professional fool” to develop a novel approach for the story.

In his tender “Give Us This Day,” Berky shows the many faces of humans who can’t see the bigger picture of world hunger. And in his last scene, Berky switches masks as his body takes on the compassionate characteristics of Moses, Corrie ten Boom and Mother Teresa, among others, who have proudly taken on God’s assignments.

By hour’s end, it turns out, of course, that God  doesn’t pick fools to spread the message of hope.

Berky’s no fool either. He’s a clown prince.



Contact Scott L. Miley: 648-4230, scott.miley@heraldbulletin.com

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