Thoughts on the Theories of Theatre Great Sanford Meisner
I have long thought that Sanford Meisner had the right idea when it comes to learning how to act and as I research and teach various methods, I am more convinced than ever. In my advanced drama classes next year, I am going to present the theories of many great acting teachers: Adler, Strasberg, Boal, Hagen, Stanislavski (du-uh) and of course, my hero, Sanford Meisner. I have been spending hours looking up exercises, reading documents, books and websites. By the time we get back to classes, I am going to have a study guide to end all study guides on theory for my students. In the meantime, I am going to blog my thoughts on my discoveries, more to help me keep them in order than anything else.
I first came across Mr. Meisner's techniques when I picked up volume one of the definitive series written by Larry Silverberg. For years I had struggled with the ideas of dredging up your past and applying it to the stage. There are too many things in my history that best lie suppressed in a thoroughly unhealthy way. I kept thinking, if I have to dig up this pain to create the reality of my character, I am not a very good actor.
Meisner believes that you can "live truthfully in imaginary circumstances". He taught listening, really listening to your acting partners is the beginning of true skill and that learning to act is a lifelong process.
He is also a proponent of eliminating self by letting go of pre-conceptions. One of the main ways he teaches how to do this is through his repetitions.The first time I taught Meisner, I realized that many teenagers have a difficult time with this theory. One of my students wrote in his journal, "This is shit." every day for a month when we were doing the initial exercises. Adolescents want to control their acting. They read a script, get an idea of what the character is about and then form a notion that they base their whole character build upon. While some may think this is excellent industry on their part, it doesn't take into account what the other people in the scene may be thinking about or allow any spark of spontaneity into the work. Additionally, it doesn't make room for the creative process of rehearsal. Rehearsal should be a time of discovery and collaboration. Meisner believed that all you need is with the other person.
The repetitions are simple observations at first. "Pink shirt" or "crooked nose" in a ping pong game between scene partners. This becomes "You are wearing a pink shirt" and adds an element of truth, "I am wearing a pink shirt." So many people think this is the seminal point of conversation but it is not. The repetitions go back and forth ad nausea, only changing when something compels the change. Emotionally it is flat. It is so hard to get out of your head and let go of controlling where the repetition goes. Which is why "this is shit" is a reality for some students. They can't trust the other person to give them what they need.
By the way, the boy that wrote that in his journal came to visit three years later. While he was waiting for me to be finished with class, he watched me working on Meisner's theories. I thought, "What a day for Adrian to be here. He hated this work." However, this turned out to be a eureka moment for the young man. "I finally got it," he confessed. "Just now, while I was watching, it made sense for the first time." I tell that story at the beginning of every session with Meisner. It's okay not to get it, if you just let it happen. Eventually it will all come clear.After the repetitions there is a series of "Coming to the Door" exercises which involve working off a partner. Starting with "coming home to be alone" and moving into "the activity", Meisner builds on moments of truth.
6/20/10
No comments:
Post a Comment