I'm on my 4th week of studying the Meisner Technique now, and I'm getting closer and closer to being a master of living truthfully under imaginary circumstances... which is what this technique teaches. I say I'm getting closer, but I'm getting closer very slowly. I know I've only been doing this for almost a month, but compared to other drama training I've done, this is a bit, shall I say... tedious?
If in acting, your body is your instrument.. then what you usually do in acting is learn the basic notes, start playing very simple tunes, then learn chords and more complex tunes, and then onto the stuff that only musicians really know about. In the Meisner Technique, you start by learning a note.. you practice and practice and practice that note. Then you learn another note, you practice it, then you combine it with the first note and practice that over and over again. You then learn another note.....
.....
..about 3 weeks later you learn a chord, and you put it together with the notes you've learnt to make some kind of melodic sound, and you practice and practice and practice it. I don't know when you get to the point where you start playing actual tunes, as no one in my group has gotten to that level yet.
What we do is a lot of repeating. We start by standing with a person observing things about them and commenting on it. Then we stand with a person and tell them something about themselves and repeat what they say, they repeat it back and keep going on until the instructor says stop. Then you tell the person something about themselves, they repeat it from their point of view and you repeat it from yours again until something changes and you comment on that. And you do it again and again. I've been doing this for 3 weeks. Last night I moved up a little, and entered the scene of the more advanced students and threw them off what they were doing, and commenting on their behaviour so they can repeat it back to me and on and on and on...
So it's going, but slowly. I might be starting on activities next week, depending on what happens in tomorrow's class. It's all very exciting.
3.27.2007
Mary will be getting a little lamb about 6 months from now...
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3 comments:
As promised here I am, with my three-penny worth of comment.
I have to say I'd never heard of this guy until you mentioned him, and now I find he was a contemporary of Lee Strasberg who I have heard of (now I'm showing off), and his method is based on the Stanislavski's method, also known, (now I'm really giving it large) but here the emphasis is on repetition, as you've said. What surprised me most was to find a lot of well known film actors have used his technique, including Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and Gregory Peck, to name but a few. Well, I'm impressed; just like I hope you are when you realise I've actually paid attention and made an effort.
This attempt to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances? Is this the same as 'getting in to the moment', so that when you're on stage, you don't just spend your time, queuing up, waiting for your turn to speak, you actually immerse yourself in the whole scene, paying attention to what's going on and being said, in order to make it real? If so I think it's not dissimilar to the best singers who, when performing at their best, get 'into' the song and forget about everything else.
You reckon it's tedious but you've been at it for a month. Your dedication is impressive. Mind you, as your full-time job is a "Prague job" as opposed to a proper one, I guess you've got the time and energy to throw yourself into it. I'm kidding by the way.
Hey, you actually read it, and studied up on the subject a bit.. I'm impressed. When I say it's tedious I'm not saying I don't find it interesting, (as I'm a hard working dedicated actor of course) but it might seem that way to outside observers, or perhaps newcomers to the class who are expecting something a bit different, and indeed probably did, there have already been a few one timers during the time I've been there. Most acting classes have a bit more fun stuff.. which is probably what these people were hoping for.
Thanks for replying. I love it when you reply, for as a rule I apply a Meissner-like technique to the reading of your blogs, inasmuch as I normally read them very carefully and try to get into them, in order to respond appropriately... and if that's not possible I'll go for inappropriate, but usually considered, gibberish. Anyway, I never thought for a moment you weren't committed to your chosen trade, but surely you know that, given the comments I've made in the past. Just don't forget who your friends are when you're famous. Woot!
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