I'm quite biased toward The Meisner Technique of Acting for one very good reason it works! It would be impossible to teach you the technique in an article but if I could share one extremely valuable point that any actor or actress regardless of training or experience to date could take away with them it would be this. Put all your attention on your partner! Putting all your attention on your working partner results in listening and answering, living moment to moment, and hence living truthfully. This is what makes acting magnetic and riveting. Great acting is about listening and answering. It's like a tennis match. Hitting the ball back and forth. And to be able to do this your must take the attention off your self otherwise your holding the ball in your hand and there is no game. And that is boring! The Meisner Technique of Acting is far more in depth than this one point but if you leave your self alone and don't do anything unless the other person makes you do it you can improve your acting immediately. What I mean by this is don't ACT! Don't put on a show, don't behave in a certain way or do something because you think the audience will appreciate it only do something if the other person in the scene with you makes you do it. That way all your attention is on the other person and you react according to what they are giving you. Are they ignoring you? What's your point of view about that? Then communicate that point of view to them. Are they smothering you? What's your point of view about that? Then communicate that point of view to them. Are they manipulating you? What's your point of view about that? Then communicate that point of view to them. Go to their BEHAVIOR. The Meisner Technique of Acting is all about reading BEHAVIOR not about what words are written on a page. So go to the behavior of your working partner and give them your point of view. If you do your homework, that is understanding your given circumstances, who your are, where you are, what's just happened, what your fighting for in this scene, what the stakes are, who this person in this scene is to you, then all you have to do is come on stage or onto set or into the audition room and leave your circumstances at the door because they are now in you and simply place all your attention on your partner whilst doing your doing. This is one acting tip from the Meisner Technique of Acting that is guaranteed to improve your skills and abilities as an actor. To your acting success Leanne Mauro |
