Meisner Levels 1-6

LEVEL ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE MEISNER TECHNIQUE

This course introduces the concepts of the approach and develops the actors’ instinct, encouraging actors to work with greater spontaneity and honesty.

This acting class will give students a strong understanding of the foundational exercises of the Meisner Technique. Using Meisner’s foundational exercises of Repetition and the Independent Activity, Level One students will: 

  • Develop the ability to be in the present moment with a scene partner, 
  • Learn to effectively read human behavior, assign meaning that is personally significant to that behavior, 
  • Recognize their organic impulses to stimuli, 
  • More deeply trust their intuition, and act upon those impulses and intuition in the immediacy of the moment.
  • Rehearse at least one-hour outside of class with a partner in between each session.

LEVEL TWO: SCENE STUDY

Actors work in improvisation and scenework learning to be emotionally full and truthfully responsive in performance.

This acting class applies the skills built in Level One to scriptwork. Students will:

  • Work with a partner on a scene chosen by our Meisner instructors. 

  • Learn to memorize in the Meisner way.
  • Deepen their “actors faith” and ability to believe their imaginary circumstances.
  • Gain an awareness of “public solitude” and how to build it.
  • Discover how to authentically embody a character’s point of view and create believable relationships.
  • Rehearse at least one-hour outside of class with a partner in between each session.

LEVEL THREE: EMOTIONAL PREPARATION

Perhaps the most integral part of the Meisner approach, at this level, actors learn to have emotional truthfulness that is appropriate to the imaginary circumstances of the scene.

This acting class uses monologue work to introduce Meisner’s concept of Emotional Preparation. Using THE SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY by Edgar Lee Masters, students will:

  • Apply all the skills built in Levels 1 and 2 to monologue work. 
  • Gain practical experience with Meisner’s concept of Emotional Preparation.
  • Learn to analyze text and make the language your own.
  • Memorize 2 monologues using the Meisner method.

LEVEL FOUR: SCENE STUDY W/EMOTIONAL PREPARATION

More complex improvisations and more challenging scenework are assigned as students learn to put emotional preparation to practice.

In this acting class, we return to improvisation with the Domestic Exercise where students will:

  • Gain experience with Meisner’s Coming Home exercises.
  • Explore the nuances in building authentic relationships.
  • Discover how to raise the emotional stakes and embody them in character.
  • Deepen character work through point of view.
  • Harness personal powers of instinct under imaginary circumstances.
  • Rehearse at least one-hour outside of class with a partner in between each session.

LEVEL FIVE: INTERPRETATION AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

At this level, actors confront challenges associated with performance. Students develop the ability to apply personal interpretations to the text and build appropriate characters through attention to culture, period, language, and physical adjustments.

This acting class is a return to scene work using more advanced material. Applying the skills developed in Levels 1-4, students will:

  • Deepen their abilities to create believable characters.
  • Develop a more in-depth analysis of character and dramatic text.
  • Create rich inner life for each character they play.
  • Rehearse at least one-hour outside of class with a partner in between each session. 
  • Perform before a public audience in a culminating Scene Showcase.

LEVEL SIX: ADVANCED ACTING – Ongoing Projects

Current Class Schedule
 

REFUND POLICY

There are no cash refunds after classes commence. Any student who withdraws after this time will be issued a transferable credit good for up to one year.