It’s amazing how many actors have stage fright. I remember my first gig. I was terrified. I was so nervous that I could hardly speak. Though the audience didn’t know it, I was shaking like a leaf.
I’m talking about the early years here. It took me a long time to get over my stage fright and perform comfortably in front of an audience. The technique really helped me out in that regard.
The key to getting over stage fright is repetition, repetition, and more repetition. By repeating the exercises, you teach your mind and body what to do so that when you get on stage, you know what to do instinctively like riding a bike or hitting a golf ball.
That’s why the technique is all about repetition: repeating scenes over and over again until they become second nature to you; until you can go on automatic pilot; until you can do them in your sleep.
I have been searching for an acting technique that is effective, practical and simple. I found it in the Meisner Technique.
In the last few years I have studied with a number of different teachers but I always go back to Meisner. No other technique has been able to help me make such dramatic progress as an actor as quickly and effectively as Meisner.
I was so impressed by the results that I decided to share this information with others.
The purpose of this blog is to explain what Meisner taught, how he taught and why it works so well. If you are looking for a good acting technique, you owe it to yourself to take a look at what Meisner had to offer.
“When an actor comes to study with me and finds out that I emphasize repetition, he is often disappointed. He thinks that the Meisner Technique is simply repeating lines. But the most important thing to keep in mind about Meisner’s work is that it is a process. Students are not merely learning lines, but rather how to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances. The exercise of repetition does not teach you this; it simply provides a structure within which you can safely explore your own imagination and emotions.
It’s very difficult at first for students to grasp what we are trying to do in the repetition exercise. They think they know the meaning of their lines and they are frustrated when I keep saying, “Do it again.” As they repeat, they realize that they don’t know the meaning of their lines at all. They discover that by continuing to speak even when they don’t know what to say next, something else occurs, something more than just learning words and phrases by rote.”
The Meisner Technique is a series of interrelated exercises that flesh out the actor’s instinctive behavior. It is a process that develops the ability to act in ways that are personal, unique, and alive.
The first step puts an actor in direct contact with his or her own feelings. The second step is called “acting from impulse,” which means acting from stimuli received from other actors. In other words, the actor must respond, in the moment and on impulse, to all stimuli, both external and internal. These two steps are then combined and repeated so that the actor can grow used to working under all circumstances–relaxed and confident without having become mechanical or stiff.
It is amazing how much more alive people feel when they are not acting according to their preconceived ideas about acting. The work involves establishing a relaxed concentration wherein one can be fully aware of oneself and others at the same time. It brings the individual out of his or her head and into a spontaneous relationship with another human being, making him or her available for whatever happens in the moment.
The work begins with what Meisner called “the repetition exercise.” It is through this exercise that an actor develops his or her ability to “listen” with all senses alert to what is going on
The best actors are simply the best listeners.
When an actor is listening to another person, he is not consciously thinking about what he wants to say next. Instead, he is concentrating on the other person and trying to understand him. He’s responding as spontaneously and truthfully as possible to what he’s hearing.
How do you learn to listen? What can you do to develop this skill? You simply listen! You practice listening all the time, in every situation, whether you’re talking with someone or watching television or reading a book.
I call this “exciting activity”: activity that you find exciting because it engages your interest and stimulates your imagination. The things you like best are those that are meaningful and compelling to you—that have some value for you as a human being. My own exciting activities include reading novels and plays, seeing good movies, going to concerts—all the kinds of activities I know will give me pleasure and make my life richer.
The hallmark of the Meisner technique is repetition. Through repetition, you get at the truth of the moment. You start with the truth of what your scene partner says to you, and then through repetition you are able to show the truth of your response.
When a student first starts in the Meisner classes I teach at The Barrow Group, I usually have them do “Repetition” exercises for their first few classes. This is not only to teach them how to get out of their heads and stay present, but also to help them break through their fears and anxieties. One of the most important lessons they can learn at this stage is that they should never be in control of an acting exercise or scene. They have no idea what their partner is going to say or do, so if they try to control it or anticipate it, they will block themselves from truly listening and responding.
I always tell my students that fear is a good thing in an acting class. It means you are taking risks and challenging yourself. Acting is about putting yourself on the line every time – making choices that sometimes might even seem wrong or embarrassing.
If you are not feeling fear as an actor, it’s probably because you’re playing it safe in some
I’d like to call your attention to a post I wrote about a year ago, called “What Is An Actor?”
As I wrote in that post, the two most important words in the actor’s vocabulary are “I am.” They should be used over and over in an actor’s thinking, feeling and doing.
“I am” is a statement of fact. It’s not a question or a request. There is no doubt or uncertainty in the statement. It’s a statement of truth.
“I am” is also a state of mind. If you say it to yourself with conviction, you will find yourself experiencing the truth of it emotionally and physically. You will feel that it is true, you will know that it is true, and you will be able to act on this knowledge with confidence.
