Meisner Acting Technique

No one becomes an working actor without first developing a great deal of faith. To begin with, the Meisner acting technique shows actors how to have faith in the craft of acting and the value it brings to our culture as they work so show us our true natures. Of course, an actor must also have some degree of faith in their abilities and talent. This faith can be misguided, however if the actor does not also put their faith in hard work and the process of learning to become a great actor. This is what many Meisner trained actors learn to do, have faith in the process rather than in the end result.

One way Meisner acting classes do this is by guiding acting students through rigorous, emotionally taxing exercises and preparation work in a systematic way. As in many fields, actors studying the Meisner acting technique begin with the simplest skills and work to master them, moving on to more complex skills as they become ready. In Meisner acting classes this usually means beginning with word repetition exercises, a deceptively simple practice.

Exercises become more complex, with difficult tasks added along with the text. Overall the goal of the Meisner acting technique is for the actor to achieve a sense of complete self-forgetfulness. Eventually they achieve the ability to respond fully as a character completely different from themselves, the lines of text coming directly from their character without hindrance. In addition to the exercises, another key aspect of the Meisner technique is the preparation one does, not just for specific roles but all the time as the actor develops their craft. The phrase emotional preparation refers to the work done to prepare for a role, to prepare before stepping onstage to act and also to devoting oneself to work as an actor as an everyday practice.

The next task is to add more complex scenarios along with the phrases. Learning how to "do" a task on stage rather than "act one out" is much, much harder than most actors realize. Add in the second layer of saying the meaningless phrase back and forth and focusing on the ongoing changes in meaning and emotional layering and you begin to see why truly great actors are not common. Those that have successfully achieved the ability to completely put their selves aside and emerge as a fully developed character are the real talents. More often than not, it's hard work that got them there, not just raw talent.

Meisner trained actors enter into auditions, readings, class or onstage performances with the same depth of preparation, mainly because they are always preparing. The deeper the preparation the more freedom they have to act in faith when it counts. And, it always counts. When onstage or in class, the focus is on the other actors and the surrounding "new reality" of the moment. Dialogue is never an exercise in memory but a true outpouring of a "real" character who has lived and developed in a way that the text from the script becomes a truthful expression direct from their unconscious.

Great actors, especially those trained in the Meisner acting technique, approach auditions, readings, classwork or onstage performances with the same dedication and depth of preparation, because they are always preparing. True freedom in any art comes out of exhaustively preparing and practicing the art. When an actor is fully prepared, they have a freedom to spontaneously create, and react to what their fellow actors do. Dialogue, the story, is not what brings the meaning into the performance, it's all the unspoken nuances, emotional and physical, that bring it to life. Having faith in the process, in learning the craft, is where any true actor makes the greatest gains.

Learn more about the meisner acting. Stop by the Maggie Flanigan studio where you can find out all about the best meisner technique classes in New York City.