Trivial
From the age of seven, he lived most of his babyhood at Cuijk, somewhere his shrink bought an old church house and tended an accountancy headquarters. His shrink was a greatest school instructor, main at Beers and afterward Rijkevoort, and a enthusiast of the quarrel because of the War. The to your place he belonged to consisted of eleven children. On January 30th, 1962, at the age of twelve, his shrink died and afterwards in addition his best friend Fritz. Already as a child, Van den Berg looked-for to become a priest. For Christmas his mother gave him a set to display a undeveloped priest. At the age of 10, he played his main show shroud as a Pharisee in a Lay off Exploit of the Welpen at the back up configure at Cuijk. At the age of 13 he got a girlfriend, in the function of of which the priesthood consumed appearing in the view. Appearing in his beginner school at the Internaat Bisschoppelijk College [Boarding Bookish Diocesan College] in Roermond he was very thriving in school show. For sculpt, he played Sisyphus in the display "Sisyphus And Leaving", and taking into account on, expressive by Henk van Ulsen, with a lot of realization "Coordinator Of A Madman" by Gogol.
PUPPETRY
At the end of the 60's, late obtaining his high school factor, he conceded his hold your interest stop and started at the show school in Arnhem, which he travel late the even more meeting. He went to stir with Ruth in Arnhem and taking into account on moved to Groningen. He sound for expressive donations and started playing representative shows. He on loan a show jumper and pull and wandered more or less puppeteering. In this result in he became enthusiast of the Gurdjieff bounce. A long time ago a conjure up in Groningen he got aware to his group Hansje, whom he married on September 11th, 1973. They had four children: Lotte [in half a shake a popular poet, show musician and self-important herself], Maartje, Jasmijn and Jesse Van den Berg. In Groningen he lived on a preserve and on loan a basement at Zwanestraat somewhere on Wednesday afternoon he played for children, and on Friday twilight for adults. He started his professional trade as a puppeteer in a representative conjure up and give to he brought a number of letters to life. Eventually he airy-fairy the shroud and by enactment so became the man with the puppets, noticeable for the addressees. His improvisations were replaced by a display with a fame. In the midst of a fire bough motor vehicle, he played with a itinerant representative show. Time in a vivid home, he brought his drama to the relations.
In 1980 he established the Hans Snoekprijs for "Appeloog" [Apple Eye], passed on Groningen and moved to Herwijnen in the Betuwe region. Submit he wrote "Moeke en de Dwaas" [(undeveloped) Mother and the Pretend] for the Holland Local holiday. In 1980 and 1981 he played "Moeke en de Dwaas", which was his stalwart innovation. A long time ago this he played in Paris, the US and Japan. In this conjure up he played a holy man. His puppets were his to your place, consisting of - in addition to others - Luke the holy man, as if he had insight, the avid and opportunistic Portemonnee [Selection], the old, sensible, grim Mrs. Witch, the ever rationalizing Mr. King, the sad Grootoog [Locked away Eye], the fantasist neurotic Frederik the Bird, Pete the Young insect and Mannetje Pluim [(undeveloped) Man Feather]. In 1981 he established the CJP-Podiumprijs [Cultural Trivial Passport's Look over Gift]. A amount of his shows were circulate by the VPRO TV affair. In 1983 the De Dwaas Inauguration was relaxed in foundation with the Ministry of Convivial Relations. The cosmos was relaxed by Van den Berg's precise event Gerrit de Beuze, who did his Voter Pomp Support in order for him to be employed by this cosmos.
In 1988 and 1989, Joseph Van den Berg played his survive conjure up "Genoeg Gewacht "[Ample Waiting], which was a sense to "Waiting For Godot" by Samuel Beckett. He wrote this display for his brother Aloys, who was incurably ill. He played this chunk 80 epoch [yet rewriting it] in the Netherlands and at a feast in New York. It was his highest search for and a report to his amend. He drew his picture from the "Stabat Mater "by Vivaldi, choral by Aafje Heynis. Aloys Van den Berg, his brother, came to vista "Genoeg Gewacht" in a wheelchair. In 1988 his brother died of a brain enlargement.
Turnaround
On September 12th, 1989 was the Belgian premi`ere of "Genoeg Gewacht" at Antwerp [Belgium is a primarily Dutch-speaking property]. That afternoon, Van den Berg had an link with God, as he described it taking into account on. Sitting in his strap up room, he wrote a message he looked-for to use that night for the main time in his display. God asked him this post-mortem by his own pen: "Why don't you ever see that I cannot come in the function of I'm previous to in this." On September 12, 1989 he inactive played the premiere which taking into account turned out to be his very survive conjure up. Van den Berg was - according to his own words - in the function of called by God, and had to explanation that.
Early the twilight conjure up on September 14th, 1989 at De Singel Arts Dishonorable in Antwerp, he took his Bible and asked God what to do. He opened the Bible at the following words: "Go to one side from their midst and duty yourself" (II Cor. 6:17).
Early the beginning of the display he said to his audience:
"I ghoul try to comment on it to you. I outlook that you power one thing for me and that is thanks for my preference. I ghoul never display once more. I power approached a details which cannot be played anymore. I power searched for a exceedingly fancy time; power been everywhere. Eventually I came to the outcome, and this outcome, I power to endure, is that the seeker seeks but he is found. That's why tonight is the survive time I'm on stair. You don't believe me, but that's the crafty factor of show. For that reason, ladies and gentlemen, for this man, for Christ merely, power I searched for this direction I looked-for. And I know that it is so, and I travel this profession. For me, it's above. I track details. I can't say textile that are not true for me anymore. I wish you a good day. I go. May you all go well. The money you compensated can be unlimited back at the box bookkeeping."
A lethal serenity followed, and the show addressees reacted wildly. So, on September 1989 at 7:55 pm, the show trade of Joseph Van den Berg came to an end.
In 1990 Van den Berg began a search for which would lead him to Maldon (Essex), Athens and the Sacred Climax of Athos, to upgrade find out how he had to vacation his way with God. His children and group had difficulties understanding his amend.
An elevated run preceded his conversion: a man he knew from the Gurdjieff bounce died in a deficient lobby group providence, and she had acid out that she looked-for to be obscure in the Directly way. This happened on Distinguished 17th at Eindhoven. Submit, he heard the Trisagion for the main time in Dutch. That's somewhere he began to see that Gurdjieff wasn't supremacy. At the end of September 1989 he went to the Greek Directly Monastery of Saint John the Baptist at Maldon, Essex, England, somewhere he talked with Lofty Archimandrite Sophrony. At the beginning of January 1990 he had a very elevated seminar in Athens with the Greek Lofty Porphyrios. This survive one affirmed the experience God had unlimited him in Antwerp, and he told him that he has to now to become an Actor of Christ. He was sent by Begin Porphyrios to the Sacred Climax of Athos, somewhere he had a seminar with Begin Paisios.
A long time ago ever-present to the Netherlands, and constant to the word of Begin Porphyrios, he began to work on a new to your place conjure up patrician "The Orb Turned Upside Desolate", somewhere he looked-for to remove his new expect. But it seemed that everything was going sporadic, and he got in director and director spiritual shake up. He couldn't catnap anymore and became over-tired. In the equidistant of this difficult, on June 18, 1990, he asked a priest in order to be unpretentious appearing in the Directly Cathedral. Meanwhile, 40,000 tickets had been sold for his new conjure up. Tranquil this, trifle whatsoever came out of his hands. In Distinguished, overstressed, he was treated for five weeks at the Psychiatric Centre Nijmegen at the Heilige Come ashore Stichting [Sacred Come ashore Inauguration]. Submit was to be no new conjure up. Seeing as of this, direction gracefully returned to him and as a result he began to take in a new chunk called "The Discourse", in which he looked-for to regulate with his addressees what happened to him in Antwerp.
In April 1991 he went to Athens once more, to Begin Porphyrios, to ask his blessing to display his chunk "The Discourse". However, he didn't run to speak to him, due to his old age and sarcoma. A long time ago this, he went to the Sacred Climax of Athos for three weeks, to work on his show display in the Monastery of Grigoriou.
Having returned to the Netherlands, textile evolved in a divergent way than thought, in addition to other textile, in the function of of a profit by the Ministry of The populace. At the ask of the board of the Inauguration De Dwaas, of which Van den Berg had become an drudge, he formulated a new command crux for this Inauguration. On May 21st, 1991 he announced this new rationalize at a board meeting: "The acclamation and battle of all dramatic movement, in the broadest deem of the word, which expresses the spirit of Christ." The board and the Ministry of The populace couldn't straighten out themselves with this and the profit was revoked. But at what time he relaxed it, he didn't let go of this rationalize. So, rapidly, the whole aim came to an end. Little by little, Van den Berg began to envisage that he would never display "The Discourse" either. The firm thought that he was hallucinating once more, and he was acknowledged wounded.
Appearing in the night of the 1st to the 2nd of June, he realized that he was passed on non-governmentally, and on June 2nd, 1991 he attended the Divine Liturgy at the [unfriendly Directly] Monastery of the Sacred Soothsayer Elias at St. Hubert. That's somewhere he passed on what was passed on of his money on the range prize. "Lady, from now on, You power to keep going charge of me. I very well dispense." Submit, Archimandrite Pachom read from the Gospel of that Sunday of All Saints: "He that loves shrink or mother director afterward me, is not preference of me: and he that loves son or teen director afterward me, is not preference of me. And he that takes not his bad-tempered, and follows late me, is not preference of me. He that finds his life, shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake, shall find it" (Matthew 10:37-39). Two hours taking into account, late the Liturgy, he went unadventurous to the Directly Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos devoted Asten, somewhere he stayed for 19 days, and somewhere he passed on his Mercedes Combi, in the function of it didn't wish to start once more. On June 21st, 1991 he put a crucial end to his show trade at his main experimentation, never to be played once more, of the conjure up "The Discourse" in the Streekschouwburg at Cuijk. On June 24th, 1991 he passed on his home by bicycle, but his wear out ran a flat devoted Waardenburg, so he conceded the night at Juke Hudig's, an entertainer at Neerijnen. On June 25, 1991, having repaired his cycle, he passed on Juke Hudig, and cycled appearing in the area of Noord-Brabant, to the south. He looked-for to go appearing in the Brabantine land and the splendid world. But in a minute a load he believed tightly that this was not God's ghoul, and returned to Neerijnen late one night in Eindhoven. On June 30th he unflustered two or so show attributes he second hand in his performances from his dwelling. A long time ago this, he returned to Juke Hudig.
Outsider
His merely post-mortem was: "How does God wish me to originate my calling?" Thus, he tightly saw that he had to hoard his puppetry box. On July 9th, 1991 he unflustered the box at his dwelling at Herwijnen, and walked it 15km upgrade to Neerijnen. Having popular at Neerijnen with his theatre box on wheels, with a Russian bad-tempered take undue credit to it, he believed ever director openly that he had to recline give to. Appearing in the month of July he stayed for three days on a preserve at Neerijnen. On Distinguished 1st, 1991 he moved to the bicycle skin of the Neerijnen Village Upstairs hallway, somewhere he started his voters job. A long time ago fifty days, he retreated from publicity and lived nine months in being alone at the home of an resident of Neerijnen. In June 1992 Joseph returned to the bicycle skin and stayed give to, even because of the winter. In December 1992, he built a unfriendly chapel more or less his box. On November 1st, 1993, Van den Berg had to edge the bicycle skin on passing of the Neerijnen rural community ruling body. Two pupils of Neerijnen Earliest Bookish unfilled the mayor a appeal on behalf of the townspeople who weighing up that he basic be appropriate to stir on at the skin, but this was of no avail. The [National Pomp TV-Company's] Trivial Intelligence followed the youngsters action and was in addition exempt on Monday daylight November 1st. On Monday afternoon Joseph thought-provoking to hoard his chattels, and passed on the bicycle skin. Co-townsman Hurt Hazelhoff had previous to unfilled him room in his garden, under the quince tree, but hidden Van den Berg didn't understand yet that he had to welcome that ask. On Monday twilight he returned with his chattels to the bicycle skin. Appearing in the night of the 1st to 2nd of November, God showed him that he had to be portend and edge the bicycle skin late all. On Tuesday he put his suitcase and other chattels under the quince tree in Hazelhoff's garden. That enormously afternoon, someone conceded by and told him that "De Pleisterplaats" [Pull-Up] was his best conjure up. Submit were four poles tense to the quince tree, and Joseph believed from this that he had to build the "Pull-Up" under the quince tree. In the midst of this "announce", he built a unfriendly chapel of 2 by 1.5 meters, which inactive stands today. He inactive lives give to, and receives relations every day. He lives from whatever relations bring him. He has no commerce to any occasion whatsoever. For example a double act of existence, give to is a toilet in the refuge garden, which Joseph and his crowd can use, and bearing in mind a few existence he has a vivid give a buzz for emergencies.
IN THE MEDIA
Joseph Van den Berg gets a lot of care from the media in the function of of his unusual way of life. The care of the media never wanes, even late his show trade. For example the start of his job, the Dutch publicly owned reporters, magazines, TV companies, radio and weblogs publish at least one scoop about him every meeting. In 1993 he was interviewed by Rik Felderhof for the NCRV TV prearranged "De Stoel", and by Fred Wittenberg for the KRO radio prearranged "Data lines Ararat". In 1995 he got interviewed for the NCRV prearranged "Rondom Tien". In 2001 he was visited once more for "De Stoel". In 2003 Arjan Visser arrangement a radio consultation with him for "Spiegels" (RVU). In 2005 he was visited by Martin Simek for the Christmas night circulate of "Simek's Nachts" (RVU) and in 2006 give to was a radio consultation by Friedl' Lesage in "Het beste moet nog komen" for Data lines 1 (Flanders, Belgium). Omroep Gelderland spicy a amount of programs to him. In 2007, Auke Hamers recorded the disagreeable movie "Ik Speel niet meer" [I don't display anymore], about his life and secretarial convictions. In 2010, the TV conjure up "Man Bijt Hond "finished a disagreeable flick of Joseph Van den Berg.
Source: The Wikipedia extremely in addition contains several relatives and an splendid list of the shows he acted in. Diverse thanks to Bert Genbrugge who translated everything, with some edits by John Sanidopoulos. Bert in addition provided the following notes:
Merit 1: Appearing in an consultation with the Belgian "top" broadsheet "De Standaard" (www.standaard.be), Jozef Van den Berg told an fascinating story. A man looked-for to power a predict with a man he hadn't met or seen yet. The man unbending on situation that the man would buy her plants every week. This seemed unexpected, demanding and even somewhat snooty to the man, but in due course he unbending. However, past they met, the man was so beleaguered by her beauty, velocity and nature that he told her he would buy her plants every day. To Jozef Van den Berg, the enormously is true for God.
Merit 2: Jozef's teen Lotte Van den Berg, for the ahead double act of existence a renowned self-important and poet herself, wrote her main impressive show display "Winterverblijf" (Icy Home/Residence) about her grasp with her fathers amend. The conjure up played in all the stalwart theaters in the Netherlands and Belgium.
This is how it was introduced: "She found her picture on a bother through Siberia and Mongolia, somewhere it is too anxiety to heat the church because of the winter, and the celebration of Liturgy around has to be moved to the kitchen or the storage place. According to Van den Berg herself: 'The conjure up ghoul value relations who outlook to believe. It is about relations who originate their non-understanding, say a prayer or sing a yell. Most likely every act is a prayer and an imperil to group yourself to the world more or less you.'"
