I read this book,and was quite stunned by the parallels which I could see between the stories in the book and my own brother's struggles to make it as an actor. As if often the case with Berkoff, one finds oneself simultaneously tormented and excited by the intricate workings of the human psyche and it's response to hostility from both within and without. Having known my brother's struggles within the business I know very well the realities which this book portrays, the angst, the highs and lows, the measured agony of self rejection, the savage irony of the need to live for one's art only to have that desire thwarted by agents. And through all this the book also works on another level. There is a distinct comparison made between 'working class' theatre (and therefore sensibility) and that of the middle class, but this is done indirectly. That is where the beauty lies in this book, one is stunned into knowing that something most sublime exists in the ordinary sweat and tears of the working class people, and that, in Berkoff is elevated to the level of art, both in his writing and his theatre.'Graft' gave me a glimpse under the foundations of physical theatre.
