alessandra berton

© photo by alessandra berton

What is strength?
I think most of the problems that we have, come from this specific definition. The continued balance from strength and weakness will always make us feel low and incapable to have real success in our life.

Once, a psychologist explained to me that strong people are the ones who can accept their weaknesses and they just fight for them. But usually “strong” is used to educate a woman or a man to be exactly what they are supposed to be on the base of their gender. “Don’t you cry, be strong”.

A strong man, in the “gender rules”, never cries, never shows a psychological problem but he has to be capable to move heavy loads, to earn money, to have a lot of women, to have many powerful friends.

A strong woman can basically do everything, if she is still pretty. She just can’t complain herself, she can’t move heavy loads, she has to love one man for the rest of her life, she has to show that she likes sex but just with the one man she loves, to have children, to smile, to cry, to be a good mom, she can also have a job if it lets her be there for her family and still be pretty.

I’m an Italian actress and an acting coach and I’m good at my job, but when I do an audition I’m always judged on the base of my look. “I can believe you are an actress! That’s why you’re so beautiful!” it just happened to me yesterday evening. Well no, honey: I’m beautiful thanks to my parents I guess, but I’m an actress because I’m good in it and I earned it by studying in a professional Academy, as most of the Italian actors we see on tv that are not so beautiful but they’re lucky that they were born with a penis.

Yes, I’m complaining myself, but I’m still pretty and with a big smile on my face.

But I do think that men have the biggest problem. They can’t be sad. Basically we are asking them to live a half life, to be half themselves. They can’t show weakness, in this way they can’t accept it and be strong for real. They can’t accept a part of their feeling, a part of their thoughts, a part of their being alive. I think that’s important as the need to have the same opportunity for both males and females.
We are not the same. We have differences in our bodies and our physical strength, but not in the psychological one. I think that strong is everyone who is fighting every day for something that it’s unfair or for resolving problems. I think everyone is strong.
And I do think that we should stop using this word just to defying people with the only purpose to limit human beings in judgments that contain their thoughts and feelings. So: “Be strong, let’s cry”.

Alessandra Berton.jpg — alessandra berton

*Actress*
Born in Rome on December 18, 1990, at the age of three I was on stage for the first time. I graduated from the Professional Academy of Dramatic Art "Fonderia Delle Arti" by Giampiero Ingrassia and I have always been passionate about body language and verbal language. From the study of the characters, their stories, psychologies and movements, I developed a strong empathy with the people around me and learned to communicate in different ways according to the interlocutor.
**Cinema**
-2014: Figured in "Il Racconto Dei Racconti", directed by Matteo Garrone. Co-Production Archimedes, Le Pacte. -2013: Starring in "Photoshock", directed by Massimo Paolucci. Production DIF. Short films
-2015: Protagonist in "Io vedo ancora noi", directed by Danilo Amato.
-2013: Protagonist in "Poison", directed by Eugenio Campisano.
**Theatre**
-2019: - "Field Flowers" by and directed by Siddhartha Prestinari, as actress and assistant director; "Artaud Le Mômo directed by Michael Ounsa, as an actress in the role of Paule Thévenin.
-2019: Actress at the Teatro Ghione and the Teatro Comunale dell'Aquila as Toni Simmons in Abe Burrows' Cactus Flower directed by Rosario Tronnolone.
-2018:- Actress at the Teatro di Documenti in the role of Toni Simmons in Fiori di Cactus by Abe Burrows directed by Rosario Tronnolone. - Actress in Konfusions by Alan Ayckbourn directed by Alessio Rizzitiello at the theatre Lo Spazio.
- 2017: Actress at the Teatro di Documenti in the role of Catherine in Improvvisamente l'estate scorsa by Tennessee Williams directed by Rosario Tronnolone.
-2017: Actress in Konfusions, directed by Alessio Rizzitiello at Teatro Marconi.
-2016 Actress in Closer, directed by Siddharta Prestinari at Teatro Petrolini.
-2014- Author and interpreter of "L'Altra | Lui | Lei" with directed by Marzia Meddi, performed at the Argot Studio theatre in Rome.
-2014 - Author and interpreter of the comedy "L'altra, Lui, Lei", directed by Nika Perrone, staged at the Teatro Masaccio, S.Giovanni Valdarno (AR).
-2013 - Interpretation of the role of Jenny in "My Love" by Teo Singer, directed by Lorenzo Gioielli at LISA (Libere Iniziative Spectacolari Azzardate) at The Hub .
**Training**
-Professional diploma at the Academy of Dramatic Art "Fonderia delle Arti" of Giampiero Ingrassia, in Rome. (2011-2013) With the following courses: + Diction + Stage movement + Classical Theatre + Contemporary Theatre
-Siddhartha Prestinari's assistant in Strasberg Method workshops (2018-2019)
-Master with Siddhartha Prestinari on the Strasberg method, at the Blue Theatre. (2015-2016)
-Michael Margotta's master class.
-Michael Margotta's master class, Actor's center of Rome (2015) -2014-2015 assistant to Pier Luigi Misasi and Barbara Terrinoni in teaching theatre technique, diction, stage movement and preparation for auditions.
-Seminar with Rosa Masciopinto on the writing of theatrical texts, mime and basic Kung Fu.
-2011: Preparatory course at the Accademia D'Arte Drammatica La Cometa: Basic theatre course with Giles Smith; voice course with Valeria Benedetti Michelangeli; movement course with Alberto Bellandi; advanced theatre course with Marco Vallarino.
**AWARDS**
-2014 - Winner of the "Casting Night" competition at ARGOT theatre.