The Great Acting Teacher: Sanford Meisner
There is exceptional video with some actor heavyweight’s like Gregory Peck, Robert Duvall and Mary Steenburgen discussing the magic of Meisner training. The part I love the most is when Sanford Meisner speaks about getting out of your head and stop talking about the character.
I love when Meisner says, “Listen to the sounds of the cars.” The response to his question on what the actor’s heard and whether they heard the cars are great! I believe this is a young Jessica Lange in this screenshot of the documentary. So many great actors talking about Meisner Technique in his time in New York City rehearsal studios. There are seven parts to this film about Meisner and his techniques posted around the internet.
There are many reasons as to what brought you to this point in researching places to study and why you feel it’s important to your craft. Everyone’s story is uniquely intriguing as to what brings them down this path. When considering an acting coach or acting style, take into consideration the many ways an actor can achieve greatness.
The right fit, the right attitude, the readiness when called upon a scene, these are hallmarks of Meisner training. Sanford Meisner did not mess around when it came to his students. There are a many successful performers who, without fail, rely on the Meisner Technique.
There are a few clips online of Sandy Meisner and his teachings. It is an art, and the art is doing, amazingly simple but not always easy.
Sandy’s famous line, “Acting is Doing.”
Another one, “Living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.”
