Viewpoints is a movement-based pedagogical and artistic practice that provides a framework for creating and analyzing performance by exploring spatial relationships, shape, time, emotion, movement mechanics, and the materiality of the actor's body. Rooted in the domains of postmodern theatre and dance composition , the Viewpoints operate as a medium for thinking about and acting upon movement , gesture , and the creative use of space.
53-590: The Six Viewpoints was originally developed in the 1970s by master theater artist and educator Mary Overlie , later conceptualised in her book Standing in Space: The Six Viewpoints Theory & Practice (2016) . Overlie's Viewpoints and practice are seen to contribute greatly to the postmodern movement in theatre, dance, and choreography, grounded in its opposition against modernism's emphasis on hierarchical structure in performance creation, fixed meaning, and linear narratives. A key principle of
106-913: A Transcendental Meditation teacher in 1968. The teachings of Transcendental Meditation would later influence the philosophical foundations of the Six Viewpoints, specifically as a process of refinement for conscious awareness During her years in San Francisco, Overlie danced with the Anne Swearingen Dance Company, the Teresa Dickensen Dance Company, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, and the Jan Lapiner Dance Company. She later performed in works choreographed by Yvonne Rainer and Barbara Dilley , founders of
159-528: A Trip) . With Anne Bogart , Landau has co-authored The Viewpoints Book: A Practical Guide to Viewpoints and Composition . Landau has taught at Yale University and the Yale School of Drama , Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Columbia University. In 2024, Landau directed on Broadway Mother Play by Paula Vogel . In 2025, she will return to direct
212-495: A collective ensemble. The Viewpoints thus encourages the performer to incorporate their own bodily impulses and personal experiences in the act of creation. The Six Viewpoints theory was adapted by directors Anne Bogart and Tina Landau , ultimately resulting in the delineation of nine "physical" and five "vocal" Viewpoints. Bogart and Overlie were on the faculty of the Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU Tisch School of
265-404: A fluid non-hierarchical environment for re-examination. The act of deconstructing performance into its Six Materials invites the performer, director, and artist to engage with the individual materials "allowing these elements to take the lead in a creative dialogue". For Overlie, this shift in attention re-defines art and the role of the artist from a "creator/originator" mindset to what she called
318-648: A member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company , where she has directed numerous productions including The Wheel , The Hot L Baltimore , Tarell Alvin McCraney 's The Brother/Sister Plays and Head of Passes , The Tempest , The Time of Your Life (which later moved to Seattle Rep and A.C.T.), The Diary of Anne Frank , The Cherry Orchard , Theatrical Essays , Time to Burn, Berlin Circle , and The Ballad of Little Jo . She made her Broadway debut directing
371-494: A post-modern perspective on performance. The practice involves deconstructing the physical stage and physical performance into its six Materials of composition: Space, Shape, Time, Emotion, Movement and Story. These six elements have existed historically within a rigid hierarchy which gives prevalence to story and emotion in theatre, and shape and movement in dance. The Six Viewpoints releases the Materials from this fixed construct into
424-481: A revised Broadway production of Floyd Collins at the Vivian Beaumont Stage at Lincoln Center, as part of their 2024-2025 season. She will also direct Redwood on Broadway, a new musical starring Idina Menzel . Landau was named one of the "Out 100 of 2009" by OUT Magazine . Landau was named a 2007 USA Ford Fellow and granted $ 50,000 by United States Artists , an arts advocacy foundation dedicated to
477-401: Is of Jewish background. Landau's early work included site specific productions with New York City's En Garde Arts, including Orestes and The Trojan Women: A Love Story , both by Charles L. Mee , as well as her original play "Stonewall: Night Variations." Floyd Collins , with a book by Landau and a score by Adam Guettel , opened off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 1996. Landau
530-548: The Holly Solomon Gallery , 112 Greene Street, Manhattan. The pieces were performed in the storefront windows of the gallery to audiences on the sidewalk of New York's SoHo neighborhood. Ron Argelander invited her to join him as the first teacher of the Experimental Theater Wing of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University . Sylvère Lotringer interviewed Overlie for Semiotext(e) edition Notes on
583-641: The Museum of Modern Art . In 1978, Overlie co-founded "The School for Movement Research & Construction", now Movement Research , a non-profit organization that offers dance classes, workshops, residencies and performance opportunities for artists in New York City . Its focus is on improvisation, post-modern dance, and experimentation. About Us [1] Seminal to Overlie's career is an enduring association with Mabou Mines Theater Company. She contributed choreography and staging for director Lee Breuer 's Saint and
SECTION 10
#1732851198832636-543: The SITI company, and Landau with the Steppenwolf Theater Company . Bogart's Viewpoints, a re-conceptualisation of Overlie's Viewpoints, are: It is possible to trace several historical influences on Mary Overlie's Six Viewpoints, and subsequently on Anne Bogart's and Tina Landau's Viewpoints. There is a family resemblance between the non-hierarchical nature of the nine Viewpoints and the spiral or scaffolded nature of
689-696: The SITI Company , on the productions Artouist (1984) and South Pacific (1986). Via these collaborations, she introduced Bogart to the Six Viewpoints, which Bogart later adapted to design the training and directorial work of the SITI Company. From 1984 through 1998, Overlie was working in Europe as an educator, choreographer and performer. She was the director of the Experimental Theater Wing Paris program from 1985 to 1987 and by invitation oversaw
742-683: The Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago where she is an ensemble member. Born in New York City to film and television producers Edie and Ely Landau , Landau moved with her family to Beverly Hills , California, where she graduated from Beverly Hills High School before attending Yale University , where she directed numerous productions as an undergraduate. She later attended the American Repertory Theater Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University . Her family
795-574: The Vocal Viewpoints which include Pitch , Volume , and Timbre . In the book, the authors outline the basics of the Viewpoints training they both espouse, as well as specific methods for applying their expanded practice to both rehearsals and production. For Bogart and Landau, the Viewpoints represent not only a physical technique but also a philosophical, spiritual, and aesthetic approach to many aspects of their work. Bogart references her work with
848-428: The "observer/participant", which centers on "witnessing, and interacting, ... working under the supposition that structure could be discerned rather than imposed". Overlie observed this redefinition of the artist's endeavor to correspond with the artistic shift from modernism to post-modernism. The theory and practice of the Six Viewpoints are organized in two parts: The Materials and The Bridge . When working with
901-427: The "observer/participant," which centers on "witnessing, and interacting, ... working under the supposition that structure could be discerned rather than imposed". Overlie observed this redefinition of the artist's endeavor to correspond with the artistic shift from modernism to post-modernism. The theory and practice of the Six Viewpoints are organized in two parts: The Materials and The Bridge . When working with
954-496: The 2001 revival of Bells Are Ringing with Faith Prince , and in 2009 she returned to Broadway with the Steppenwolf production of Tracy Letts ' Superior Donuts . In February 2015 Nickelodeon announced that she had been tapped to co-adapt and direct SpongeBob SquarePants, The Broadway Musical , a stage adaptation of SpongeBob SquarePants . The show opened on Broadway on December 4, 2017. For SpongeBob SquarePants , Landau
1007-568: The American Dancer with Carmen Beauchat, Cynthia Hedstrom, Judy Padow, Rachel Lew and Suzanne Harris from 1970 to 1975. The company performed at The Whitney Museum, 112 Greene St. Gallery, Ornette Coleman's Artist's House, Paula Cooper Gallery , Bennington College, Oberlin College and other venues. In 1972, Overlie began experimenting with the early explorations of Steve Paxton , founder of Contact Improvisation . From 1975 to 1979, Overlie danced with
1060-929: The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. For Overlie, Montana's raw and minimal landscape combined with her relationship to Robert and Gennie DeWeese inspired her inquiry into the materials of performance. The question "what are dance and theater made of?", would over the years develop into the Six Viewpoints, Overlie's technical language to discuss the artistic form of performance parallel to the specific language used to describe painting. Overlie began her dance training in ballet and improvisation with teacher Harvey Jung (former member of New York Opera Ballet Company) in Robert DeWeese's studio on Main Street in Bozeman. Throughout her teens, Overlie studied theater, dance, and visual art and immersed herself in
1113-414: The Arts in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during which Bogart was influenced by Overlie's innovations. Overlie's Six Viewpoints are considered to be a methodology to examine, analyze, and create performance in non-hierarchised and deconstructed way, whilst Bogart's Viewpoints are considered practical in creating staging with actors. The Six Viewpoints is a philosophical and practical approach to articulate
SECTION 20
#17328511988321166-668: The Dalcroze Subjects in Dalcroze Eurhythmics. This practice was disseminated in New York City's dance and theatre scenes by Elsa Findlay in the early- to mid-twentieth century. Elsa Findlay was a graduate of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze's Hellerau Institute in Germany prior to the First World War. Martha Graham studied with Findlay, and Overlie acknowledges the impact of her own studies with Graham. Overlie also studied with José Limón who
1219-556: The Football Players (1974), David Warrilow 's The Lost Ones (1979), written for him by Samuel Beckett and presented at The Public Theater , and Red Beads (2000) presented at Mass MoCA . Her work with Mabou Mines also included collaborations with director JoAnne Akalaitis on the theatrical productions Cascando (1977), Dressed Like an Egg (1978), and Dead End Kids (1983) at The Public Theater. Other notable stage collaborations included those with Anne Bogart , founder of
1272-674: The Grand Union. In 1969, Dilley invited Overlie to make a performance for the Whitney Museum in New York City as a part of her improvisational dance company, Natural History of the American Dancer. Overlie arrived in SoHo in January 1970 while assisting Yvonne Rainer in her research and workshop tour in preparation for Rainer's film Lulu . Overlie continued as a member of the Natural History of
1325-700: The Holly Solomon Gallery, The Kitchen Center for Music, Video and Dance, St. Mark's Danspace , Dance Theater Workshop , The Museum of Modern Art and numerous lofts in New York. Overlie received two Bessie Achievement Awards, the first for creating the Studies Project, shared with Wendell Beavers, and the latter for her life-time contribution to dance. She collaborated with Lee Breuer , JoAnne Akalaitis , David Warrilow , Ruth Maleczech , Anne Bogart , Yvonne Rainer , and Barbara Dilley . Mary Overlie
1378-476: The Judy Padow Dance Company before she started her own company and work as a soloist. In 1974, Overlie cofounded Danspace Project , a dance-presenting organization, at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery with New York School poet Larry Fagin [9] and choreographer Barbara Dilley. In 1977, Overlie choreographed and performed Window Pieces , Glassed Imaginations and Glassed Imaginations II at
1431-447: The Materials from this fixed construct into a fluid non-hierarchical environment for re-examination. The act of deconstructing performance into its six materials invites the performer, director, artist to engage with the individual materials "allowing these elements to take the lead in a creative dialogue". For Overlie, this shift in attention re-defines art and the role of the artist from a "creator/originator" mindset to what she called
1484-536: The Montana arts community until in 1962 she moved to Berkeley, California by way of freight train. In the Bay Area of California and at Connecticut College , Overlie studied Martha Graham technique with David Wood, Merce Cunningham technique with Margaret Jenkins, and José Limón technique with Anne Swearingen and Betty Jones. Additionally, Overlie studied Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , becoming
1537-515: The Netherlands. Overlie continued to perform in New York in an improvisation ensemble alongside Wendell Beavers and Paul Langland. They performed their work at Danspace, St. Mark's Church, New York Judson Church, Columbia University, Simone Forti Studio, Francis Alenikoff Studio, and Eden's Expressway among others from 1987 to 2001. Some of their works include: No Angels, No Apes (1993), Wallpaper (1999) and Rooms and Buildings (2001). Overlie
1590-850: The Schizo-Culture Issue (1979) alongside Jack Smith , Philip Glass , Michel Foucault , Gilles Deleuze , Robert Wilson , John Cage and other leading philosophers and artists "that had already devoted their thought to the perpetual collapsing of borders." This interview posited Overlie as notable exponent of post-modernism. The Mary Overlie Dance Company (founded 1978), included original members Paul Langland, Wendell Beavers, and Nina Martin. The company performed Overlie's choreographies, some notable works include: Painter's Dream (1978), Hero (1979) partially scored by Laurie Anderson , History (1983) and Wallpaper (1983), all performed at The Kitchen . Adam and Eve (1983) presented at Dance Theater Workshop , and The Figure (1979) performed at
1643-721: The Signature, Dream True , Mary Rose , Miracle Brothers and Wig Out! , all at the Vineyard Theater , as well as In the Red and Brown Water , Space , and Saturn Returns all at The Public Theater . Landau's many other regional credits include Antony and Cleopatra at Hartford Stage, A Midsummer Night's Dream at the McCarter Theater and Paper Mill Playhouse, Of Thee I Sing at Papermill, The Cure at Troy at Seattle Rep, Zack Zadek's Deathless at Goodspeed Musicals , and
Viewpoints - Misplaced Pages Continue
1696-403: The Viewpoints practice is horizontalism , a distinct focus on a non-hierarchical organisation of the performance elements, meaning shared engagement with elements like space, body, text, time, shape, and emotion. The practice subsequently constitutes a shared agency of creation amongst performers and creators in working through the individual body and its surrounding material environment as part of
1749-824: The Viewpoints was held in New York, sponsored by New York University, Pace University and Stage Directors and Choreographer Foundation. Overlie founded the Six Viewpoints Studio at Tisch School for the Arts in 2006 and continued teaching at The Experimental Theater Wing until 2015 when she retired and moved to Bozeman, Montana . After twenty years of working on the manuscript for the Six Viewpoints, Overlie completed and self-published Standing in Space: Six Viewpoints Theory and Practice in 2016. She resided in Bozeman, Montana , taught workshops in America and Europe and
1802-434: The artist begins to learn of performance through the essential languages as an independent intelligence (Overlie). The six materials of composition, referred to with the acronym SSTEMS, are: The Bridge is a sequence of nine laboratories that function as philosophical and pedagogical frameworks in which to engage with the materials. The Bridge presents the origins of the Viewpoints' approach to art and introduces into practice
1855-433: The artist begins to learn of performance through the essential languages as an independent intelligence (Overlie). The Six Materials of composition, referred to with the acronym SSTEMS, are: The Bridge is a sequence of nine laboratories that function as philosophical and pedagogical frameworks in which to engage with the Materials. The Bridge presents the origins of the Viewpoints' approach to art and introduces into practice
1908-406: The artist is invited to read and be educated by the lexicon of daily experience. The information of space, the experience of time, the familiarity of shapes, the qualities and rules of kinetics in movement, the ways of logic, how stories are formed, the states of being and emotional exchanges that constitute the process of communication between living creatures ... Working directly with these materials
1961-406: The artist is invited to read and be educated by the lexicon of daily experience. The information of space, the experience of time, the familiarity of shapes, the qualities and rules of kinetics in movement, the ways of logic, how stories are formed, the states of being and emotional exchanges that constitute the process of communication between living creatures ... Working directly with these materials
2014-546: The core curriculum of the Experimental Theater Wing within Tisch School of the Arts at New York University since its inception (1978). Overlie was the co-founder of several long lasting art institutions such as Danspace Project , the Studies Project, Movement Research , and the Experimental Theater Wing at New York University . Her choreography, both solo and for Mary Overlie Dance Company (1978-1986), has toured extensively through Europe and has been performed in New York at
2067-642: The creation of the Pro Series Internationale Tanz Wochen Wien in Vienna, Austria (1989) where she met and organized workshops taught by Susanne Linke , Karine Saporta , Ismael Ivo, and Merce Cunningham among others. The Pro Series, now called ImPulsTanz Festival, invites world-renowned choreographers to teach workshops and choreograph experimental works in progress on students of the Internationale Tanz Wochen Wien. She
2120-413: The materials, the artist is instructed to turn off the impulse to control or own the material, and is challenged to work very specifically with each material as an independent entity. Overlie recommends the artist to gather as much "useless" data as they can and to take time to explore. The seed of the entire work of The Six Viewpoints is found in the simple act of standing in space. From this perspective
2173-410: The materials, the artist is instructed to turn off the impulse to control or own the material, and is challenged to work very specifically with each material as an independent entity. Overlie recommends the artist to gather as much "useless" data as they can and to take time to explore. The seed of the entire work of The Six Viewpoints is found in the simple act of standing in space. From this perspective
Viewpoints - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-527: The musical Dave at Arena Stage . In addition to Floyd Collins , Landau's writing includes book and lyrics for Dream True and States of Independence , both with scores by Ricky Ian Gordon , the plays Beauty at La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego Critics Best Play), Space at Steppenwolf, the Public, and the Mark Taper Forum (TIME magazine Top Ten), Stonewall: Night Variations , and 1969 (or Howie Takes
2279-612: The philosophical concepts that are used to disintegrate and then reintegrate performance. The nine laboratories of The Bridge are: As a practice at large, The Six Viewpoints "is dedicated to reading the stage as a force of Nature" *These productions were awarded Obie Awards Reviews: Historical moments/day in the life: Tina Landau Tina Landau (born May 21, 1962) is an American playwright and theatre director . Known for her large-scale, musical, and ensemble-driven work, Landau's productions have appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, most extensively at
2332-644: The philosophical concepts that are used to disintegrate and then reintegrate performance. The nine laboratories of The Bridge are: As a practice at large, The Six Viewpoints "is dedicated to reading the stage as a force of Nature". In their book, The Viewpoints Book: A Practical Guide to Viewpoints and Composition (2005), Anne Bogart and Tina Landau identify the primary Viewpoints as those relating to Time - which are Tempo, Duration, Kinesthetic Response, and Repetition - and those relating to Space - which are Shape, Gesture, Architecture, Spatial Relationship and Topography. In addition, Bogart and Landau have added
2385-409: The support and promotion of America's top living artists. In 2018 she won for Best Director at the 28th NAACP Theatre Awards . Landau received a 2018 Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical for SpongeBob SquarePants at the 72nd Tony Awards . She won awards for Best Direction of a Musical at the 2018 Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards as well. In 2022, Landau
2438-598: Was a resident choreographer at ETW Paris, where she developed Skies over America (1986) and at the European Dance Development Center in Arnhem, Holland, where she developed Country (1992) and Dances for Prepared Bodies (1996). She toured performing her solo-pieces Small Dance (1989), History (1997), and Location of Love (1998), and worked as a freelance teacher in France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Austria, and
2491-468: Was a student of Doris Humphrey. Humphrey was another pupil of Elsa Findlay who made significant contributions to dance-theatre and established Plastique Animee in the USA. Additionally, Suzanne Bing's Musique Corporelle contains a series of nine musical elements for actor training that bear a strong family resemblance to the nine Viewpoints. Mary Overlie Mary Overlie (January 15, 1946 – June 5, 2020)
2544-399: Was an American choreographer, dancer, theater artist, professor, author, and the originator of the Six Viewpoints technique for theater and dance. The Six Viewpoints technique is both a philosophical articulation of postmodern performance and a teaching system addressing directing, choreographing, dancing, acting, improvisation, and performance analysis. The Six Viewpoints has been taught in
2597-461: Was awarded the 1999 Bessie Achievement Award, for her lifetime contribution to dance, "For a pallet-and-knife architecture of the choreographic canvas, a Sustained Achievement in luminous formalism concerning the body's place in time and space, a stillness drawn by the eye around the moving form, as elegantly represented in Small Dance / Locations of Love ". In January 1998, a national conference on
2650-522: Was born in Eastern Montana. She moved to Bozeman at the age of six, where she came under the influence of Gennie DeWeese (d. 2007), and Robert DeWeese (d.1990). As modernist painters, Gennie and Robert DeWeese were notable and influential members of the development of the Montana contemporary arts community, which included potters Rudy Autio and Peter Voulkos , sculptors James Reineking and Deborah Butterfield , and writer Robert Pirsig of Zen and
2703-670: Was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical, and the production won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical. A later version of the show played at San Diego's Old Globe Theater , The Goodman Theater in Chicago, and The Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia (where it was originally commissioned and produced.) In 1997, she became
SECTION 50
#17328511988322756-572: Was nominated for the 2018 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical at the 72nd Tony Awards . She won Best Director of a Musical at both the 2018 Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards , and the production won for Best Musical in both awards as well. Landau's other New York City directing credits include Old Hats (with Bill Irwin and David Shiner) at the Signature Theater, Paula Vogel 's A Civil War Christmas at New York Theatre Workshop, Charles L. Mee ’s Iphigenia 2.0 at
2809-525: Was organizing an advanced Six Viewpoints School. The Six Viewpoints is a philosophical and practical approach to articulate a post-modern perspective on performance. The practice involves deconstructing the physical stage and physical performance into its six Materials of composition: Space, Shape, Time, Emotion, Movement and Story. These six elements have existed historically within a rigid hierarchy which gives prevalence to story and emotion in theatre, and shape and movement in dance. The Six Viewpoints releases
#831168