How to Learn the Meisner Technique
One of the most important things to do after you have decided to make it big while acting in movies is to learn the Meisner technique; a very popular acting style which was developed by late Sanford Meisner. You will be able to weave yourself more easily through the maze of acting after you have mastered the Meisner technique. All you need to do is to read Meisner’s book, do some web browsing and attend classes for a short period of time. Here is how you can successfully learn the Meisner technique.
Instructions
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1
Thoroughly read and understand Sanford Meisner's ‘Sanford Meisner on Acting’; a drama written by Meisner in collaboration with Dennis Longwell. This book contains details of Meisner's declaration of his belief and system of acting. It is imperative that you understand Meisner's manifesto before you can even try at learning the Meisner technique. You can either purchase this book online or from your local book store.
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2
Once you have read and understood the book, it is time to surf the internet for useful information regarding the Meisner technique so that you can successfully train as an actor. Consider searching for a local professional who practices the Meisner technique. If you are living in a major city, finding a teacher should be very easy. However, if you are living in a relatively smaller city, you may have to form a group of friends who want to learn the Meisner technique.
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Once you have located and chosen a teacher, contact that teacher. See if you can get permission to audit a Meisner technique class. Considering the fact that auditing classes is a common practice, this should not be too much of a problem.
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Audit the class and see how the experience goes. If it was satisfactory and you enjoyed your time auditing the class, you can move on and register yourself. Start taking lesson at the earliest possible time.
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5
In order to gain perfect, practice as much as you can. Make a group with a classmate. Start repeating things to each other. This technique called ‘repetition’ is the very important for learning the Meisner technique. The only way to change your words is to notice something new in your partner. For example, you may say “you are wearing a black shirt,” the other person would repeat “you are wearing a black shirt,” until the first person changes his words and says "you have black hair" and you repeat the same words. Continue this practice until you and your partner are able to notice emotions and eventually you can get the other person to say what you want.
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6
Remember that acting is meant to be fun and not a fatiguing practice. So make sure you enjoy your time while learning the Meisner technique.
