Viewpoints

The Viewpoints Method of actor training is an approach that emphasizes physical awareness, spatial relationships, and ensemble-based creation. It was developed primarily by theater artists Anne Bogart and Tina Landau, drawing on the original concepts of Mary Overlie. Overlie conceived the six Viewpoints as a way to deconstruct movement and performance, and Bogart and Landau expanded them into a dynamic system for actors, directors, and choreographers to explore time and space together.

The method is especially popular in devised theater and ensemble work, fostering creativity, spontaneity, and nonverbal communication between performers.

The Nine Viewpoints

These are broken into two categories: Time-based and Space-based.

Viewpoints of Time:

• Tempo – The speed or pace of a movement or scene.
• Duration – How long a movement or stillness lasts.
• Kinesthetic Response – How one responds physically to a stimulus (another performer, sound, or movement) in the moment.
• Repetition – Repeating elements, including gestures, movements, or phrases.

Viewpoints of Space:

• Shape – The outline or contour that the body makes in space.
• Gesture – Two types: behavioral gestures (everyday actions) and expressive gestures (abstract, emotional expressions).
• Architecture – The relationship between performers and the physical space or objects around them.
• Spatial Relationship – The distance between actors or between an actor and the environment.
• Topography – The path or floor pattern created by movement through the space.