Any actor interested in studying the Meisner technique should explore what's known as the actors instrument. Making a comparison between acting and an instrument is helpful in categorizing aspects of the acting craft and what makes a good actor. As an audience member, it becomes apparent very quickly who the good actors in a piece are or who might be falling short. They don't need a great deal of theatre going experience to sense when the acting is fantastic. They can also sense when an actors instrument is not well developed, because they don't "believe" the character portrayal.
There are six aspects to consider when looking at the actors instrument. The aspects of the instrument include sensory expression, emotional, empathy, intelligence and sensory and physical expression. Mastering the craft of acting with the Meisner Technique requires that all six aspects of the instrument are well developed. If you run down the categories mentioned, anyone even slightly interested in acting should be able to name successful actors who have mastered several of these aspects of expression. Rarely, the are actors that come along and become the best of the best by being gifted at them all.
Take, for example, Sylvester Stallone who is know for his commanding physical presence and physical expression. Stallone is certainly able to express emotionally, but overall his most powerful tool onscreen is his physical expression. For Stallone, emotion is an internal process but it is reflected in a very physical way. Actors must focus and learn about all the aspects of the acting instrument, which will help them be diverse and capable of many types of roles.
Emotional expression is the most common aspect of the instrument that actors are focused on. Obsessing about how a character feels about something and how to express it is usually the primary thing actors concentrate on. One one hand, it is short sighted to place too much emphasis on this particular aspect of the actors instrument, however, emotional expression is certainly a key aspect. All six of the aspects of the instrument should be studied diligently until they are mastered.
Of course, it is meaningful emotional expression that draws people into any character or story. It clues the audience in to what the character is about, the conflicts they face, what their deepest needs are. Those that study Meisner acting in nyc use an imagined emotional history of a character which they must then express using all the aspects of the instrument. Meisner acting students are masters of human emotion, the full range and complexity of the human experience. They in fact, build a library of emotions and reactions and methods for communicating them. Specific characters can be created by delving very deep into the imagination and using the "library" of human behavior they have created. They create and live the emotional life that the character would live so that it is instilled in them and can be called upon at will.
Take as an example, vulnerability which is an expression of insecurity or perhaps innocence or even strength. Actors might work hard to develop this emotion and the complex ways it can be expressed. But, if they have strongly developed other aspects of their instrument, such as physical expression and empathy, they will be able to present an authentic, vulnerable character. A single tear, without words can accomplish this, but how about a sense of vulnerability shown while one is smashing a clock to pieces? These are very nuanced yet, essential things to study.
Acting is not pretending to have an emotion. However, acting is not simply reciting words using certain inflections and gestures to communicate emotions. Sanford Meisner was often heard to say, "acting is DOING." You must be in the moment and allow emotional reactions and behaviors to appear, and you must follow them. This may feel risky at first. The best actors do not pretend to feel something, or coach themselves to do anything while in character. What they feel is genuine, and the results can range from crying and screaming to sitting perfectly still to express an emotion. Developing a deep capacity to understand and feel the full range of human emotions and experiences is a great way to become an open, flexible acting student, the best kind of student. Actors must give themselves permission to feel strong emotions, and express them (or not, if the role requires it) in physical, intelligent, empathetic ways.
There are six aspects to consider when looking at the actors instrument. The aspects of the instrument include sensory expression, emotional, empathy, intelligence and sensory and physical expression. Mastering the craft of acting with the Meisner Technique requires that all six aspects of the instrument are well developed. If you run down the categories mentioned, anyone even slightly interested in acting should be able to name successful actors who have mastered several of these aspects of expression. Rarely, the are actors that come along and become the best of the best by being gifted at them all.
Take, for example, Sylvester Stallone who is know for his commanding physical presence and physical expression. Stallone is certainly able to express emotionally, but overall his most powerful tool onscreen is his physical expression. For Stallone, emotion is an internal process but it is reflected in a very physical way. Actors must focus and learn about all the aspects of the acting instrument, which will help them be diverse and capable of many types of roles.
Emotional expression is the most common aspect of the instrument that actors are focused on. Obsessing about how a character feels about something and how to express it is usually the primary thing actors concentrate on. One one hand, it is short sighted to place too much emphasis on this particular aspect of the actors instrument, however, emotional expression is certainly a key aspect. All six of the aspects of the instrument should be studied diligently until they are mastered.
Of course, it is meaningful emotional expression that draws people into any character or story. It clues the audience in to what the character is about, the conflicts they face, what their deepest needs are. Those that study Meisner acting in nyc use an imagined emotional history of a character which they must then express using all the aspects of the instrument. Meisner acting students are masters of human emotion, the full range and complexity of the human experience. They in fact, build a library of emotions and reactions and methods for communicating them. Specific characters can be created by delving very deep into the imagination and using the "library" of human behavior they have created. They create and live the emotional life that the character would live so that it is instilled in them and can be called upon at will.
Take as an example, vulnerability which is an expression of insecurity or perhaps innocence or even strength. Actors might work hard to develop this emotion and the complex ways it can be expressed. But, if they have strongly developed other aspects of their instrument, such as physical expression and empathy, they will be able to present an authentic, vulnerable character. A single tear, without words can accomplish this, but how about a sense of vulnerability shown while one is smashing a clock to pieces? These are very nuanced yet, essential things to study.
Acting is not pretending to have an emotion. However, acting is not simply reciting words using certain inflections and gestures to communicate emotions. Sanford Meisner was often heard to say, "acting is DOING." You must be in the moment and allow emotional reactions and behaviors to appear, and you must follow them. This may feel risky at first. The best actors do not pretend to feel something, or coach themselves to do anything while in character. What they feel is genuine, and the results can range from crying and screaming to sitting perfectly still to express an emotion. Developing a deep capacity to understand and feel the full range of human emotions and experiences is a great way to become an open, flexible acting student, the best kind of student. Actors must give themselves permission to feel strong emotions, and express them (or not, if the role requires it) in physical, intelligent, empathetic ways.
About the Author:
The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides acting classes in NYC for serious actors. Find out more about meisner acting nyc at the studio website or read this article about emotional preparation.
