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Sanford Meisner On Acting

by Sanford Meisner, Dennis Longwell, Sydney Pollack (Introduction)

4.01 · rating details · 251 ratings · 29 reviews

This book, written in collaboration with Dennis Longwell, follows an acting class of eight men and eight women for fifteen months, beginning with the most rudimentary exercises and ending with affecting and polished scenes from contemporary American plays. Throughout these pages Meisner is delight--always empathizing with his students and urging them onward, provoking emot...more

Paperback, 250 pages

Published July 12th 1987 by Vintage (first published 1987)

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Feb 08, 2009

Chad rated it

Shelves: theater-studies

When I attended the Texas Educational Theater Association (TETA) convention last month, the name Sandy Meisner kept popping up. Most notably, Larry Silverberg, a Meisner devotee, did a double session teaching the early stages of the Meisner method. A few other workshop presenters referenced the man as well as they demonstrated various philosophies and rehearsal techniques.

Having come to my career as theater director through a bit of a back door, I sometimes find myself embarassingl...moreWhen I attended the Texas Educational Theater Association (TETA) convention last month, the name Sandy Meisner kept popping up. Most notably, Larry Silverberg, a Meisner devotee, did a double session teaching the early stages of the Meisner method. A few other workshop presenters referenced the man as well as they demonstrated various philosophies and rehearsal techniques.

Having come to my career as theater director through a bit of a back door, I sometimes find myself embarassingly ignorant of very fundamental aspects of the history of acting technique. I just recently read Stanislavski's "The Actor Prepares" and just thought it was the bee's knees (the same way a first year philosophy student has their naive eyes repeatedly opened as they learn first about Socrates, then Plato, then Aristotle, then Spinoza, then Locke, then Kant, then Kierkegaard, and so on...) So my first step on the road to illumination was Stanislavski, who beget Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, and Harold Clurman, and one Sanford Meisner.

I know there are very definite distinctions between Meisner and Stanislavski. Though he started out as a student of The Method, Sandy states in this book that there are as many techniques for acting as there are acting teachers. He half-jokingly insists that all the rest are crap, and that his is the TRUE WAY, but as far as being a viable text for would-be actors, there are many striking similarities between this and "An Actor Prepares".

Most prominently, both books present themselves almost as narrative fiction. Instead of textbook like lectures on how to approach the methods in question, both men put forth themselves as a main protagonist, surrounded by the supporting characters who are their students. Stanislavski coyly changes all the names to protect the innocent, but Meisner rather bull-headedly insists on making sure the reader knows that it is HE who is the genius behind the lessons. This makes the book immenently more readable, and I felt I took enough away from this reading that my next productions will benefit greatly.

More than just learning a few little tricks, like when I read Spolin or Jesse, this book inspired me to try and achieve greater hieghts with my actors, and even to be a better actor in those rare moments when I still get to take to the stage.

This is my new favorite book on acting. Until I get around to reading Adler, or Stasberg, or Clurman, or whoever else is out there waiting to be consumed by my eager eyes.(less)

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Jul 14, 2011

B rated it

If I were to take Meisner’s class, I’m fairly certain I would be kicked out and never want to act again. He has an issue with introversion in actors. He’s all about getting the actor out of their head and relying on their instincts and gut responses. This certainly has its place, but I think that an actor’s brain is important. I want to be an intelligent actor. I think it is important for there to be intelligent actors. I don’t want to go to a play and see a bunch of brainless acting. There are ...moreIf I were to take Meisner’s class, I’m fairly certain I would be kicked out and never want to act again. He has an issue with introversion in actors. He’s all about getting the actor out of their head and relying on their instincts and gut responses. This certainly has its place, but I think that an actor’s brain is important. I want to be an intelligent actor. I think it is important for there to be intelligent actors. I don’t want to go to a play and see a bunch of brainless acting. There are times when you need to be able to think on stage and not react with your gut or your instinct. For instance, a cell phone goes off or an audience member falls asleep or walks out. You can’t stop the show and yell at them (though I have heard stories of some actors doing this). Or a prop is not where it’s supposed to be or your scene partner skips a chunk of dialogue. Your instinct would be to react to that, but instead you have to figure out an alternative, how to do the scene without the prop, how to get the dialogue back on track to keep the story cohesive. I also think it’s important to be able to intellectually look at a piece of writing and analyze it, to know what the message is as a whole, to recognize its comment on society, its cultural significance. Plus, Mr. Meisner, there are introverted characters! I think his repetition exercises would drive me absolutely batty. I understand their purpose, to boil everything down to being in the moment and to really listen to your partner and respond, but is that theatrical? I’ve seen Meisner trained actors in plays and they’re talking, they’ve found the truth in the scene, that’s great. But do people go to the theatre to just see other people talking? Maybe. But I think there needs to be some other layer of theatricality, of high stakes on top of that otherwise it isn’t very interesting. I also have issues with his approach to creating a character. I don’t think Meisner would be able to train actors to do comedy very well.

I do agree with some of his method, however. His emphasis on listening, the idea that everything in a scene comes from reacting to your scene partner, that is important. His preconceived circumstances preparation also resonates with me. I think it is mandatory to know where your character is coming from, what their expectations are, and what their emotional state is coming into a scene. But his description of a river of emotion and a small canoe on the river being the words that you say riding on top of that emotion seems to be lacking. I was taught never never to play emotion. That’s what they do in soap operas. I’m so SAD! I’m so ANGRY! I’m so JEALOUS! I think you’re missing some of the Truth in a play if you ignore the intellect and focus only on the emotion. I don’t think that’s interesting theatre. Meisner is constantly having his students weep and weep and do the scene incoherently through tears and praising them when that happens and they think. Aha! I can cry uncontrollably! I’m a great actor! I, personally, can cry uncontrollably, but what is difficult, what is more human, is to be in that scene, have that emotion, but try NOT to cry. If you see an actor weeping like crazy on stage, it’s like watching someone masturbate. Oh, look at me. You think, oh, look, as Uta Hagen says, that actor is crying REAL tears. You’re not in the story anymore, you’re not having an emotional response to the story and the characters, you’re taken out of that by watching an actor REALLY cry. Not the character.

However, Meisner’s recognition of the actor’s imagination is incredibly refreshing. Other methods I have studied have relied on personal emotional recall to reach a truthful emotional state in a scene and that feels really gross and like a departure from the moment when I have implemented it. Meisner says that you are still able to achieve emotional truth without thinking of some personal awful emotional thing that has happened to you in order to get there. The actor’s imagination is incredibly powerful and I’m glad to know that there is a theatre guru out there who supports using that in order to reach an emotional truth on stage.

Clearly, I have strong opinions about this book. I think it’s flawed in the way in which it is written as well. I have no doubt that Meisner was an incredibly gifted teacher, but the book is a log, a transcription of his class. It’s not really a tool that I can use because what made Meisner such an amazing teacher was that he lived in the moment of his class and tailored his exercises around the needs of the actors in his class and their particular needs in that particular moment and put into words for them specifically to get them to grasp a concept. When you read that 30 years later, it doesn’t resonate because I am not that actor experiencing that difficulty in the same way. It’s sad that there’s not a better book in his own words explaining his method on a more accessible level. I guess there are the Larry Silverberg books. Maybe they are better, but still. I would love to hear it in Meisner's words. What an incredible teacher. To be in his 80s, been hit by a car, have had a laryngectomy and figured out how to talk again through burping out words, and still STILL have a need to teach people how to act? Hobbling around and burping? I have so much respect for him.

I’m still on a quest for a book that I can use as a real reference every time I approach a role in a play. I guess Uta has come closest so far, but I’m going to re-read some Stanislavsky and see where that takes me. After all this Meisner, I am curious about what Lee Strasburg has to say since they differed greatly on several major points.

It was hilarious when Meisner would be having a glass of scotch and talking about actors and be incredibly crotchety and candid:

“It’s the theater that interests me, not acting. I don’t like actors very much, though I do like to act. It’s enjoyable-sometimes. But I don’t like what it brings to the surface in my personality: the self-centeredness, the childish vanity, the infantilism. That’s what an actor has to have.”

Wow. Tell us how you really feel, Sandy. I want to be child-LIKE, but I want to be able to listen and give to others on stage with me. And I want to be smart. I don’t want to lose my brain. I hope that means that I can still be a decent actor.
(less)

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Jan 11, 2012

Dusty rated it

loved. Loved. LOVED this book!!!

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Jun 30, 2011

Maayan Voss rated it

This book is a fabulous tool for actors. I feel that it is more beneficial to those who have studied or are currently studying Meisner's method in a classroom or workshop setting than those who are learning about it for the first time. I started reading it concurrently with a class solely dedicated to exploring the Meisner technique, and I think that was perfect. I just re-read it and the whole method became clearer through hindsight and mental repetition. ;) A good read for the actor or actress...more

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Apr 03, 2010

Sam rated it

Shelves: theatre

On Acting is a great resource for students who have already trained using Meisner's technique. It journals a group of students through the two year course, illustrating the techniques and exercises of the program through the student's examples. I wouldn't recommend it as a substitute for the training itself, but I think it works as both a good refresher and a coursebook to help make sense of some of the technique.

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Aug 22, 2011

Iziezi rated it

Shelves: acting-career

This book is a peek into one of Meisner's classes, rather than an instructional book of the exercises he designed. There are vignettes of actors performing the exercises in class, the feedback given by Meisner, and the "Aha!" moments of what the actors learned from the exercises.

I really love the Meisner technique, I feel it is the best technique for learning how to be present with your partner and be open to spontaneous reactions based on how your partner is being with you...more

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Sep 18, 2011

Mark Bennett marked it as to-read

Shelves: literarature-art, love-of-language-search-for-self

My nephew just graduated from the Baron/Brown Actor's Studio and its directors use the Sanford Meisner approach.

This YouTube video intrigued and led me to buy this book and one other on his approach.

~~~

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May 07, 2009

Josh rated it

Best book on acting I've ever read. Explains in detail the process of acting off your partner. I'm not an expert in the work, but it seems far less burdensome than the Method. It puts the focus outside of you, so you don't have so much to carry work on stage and hold it. I'm going to train in it at some point soon.

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Jan 23, 2008

Marcus rated it

Wow! I am not even vaguely interested in acting, but Sanford Meisner was clearly a master and his genius comes through in this book. It is like reading a play, only it is an edited record of a fifteen month class he taught in the 80s. Almost entirely dialog, the book teaches about emotions and authenticity. What I learned is this: real acting is not acting at all. A great actor or actress puts themselves out in front of an audience, not AS themselves, but they put their truest emotions out there...more

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Jan 08, 2012

Adelaide rated it

Such a flexible method that helps you express the emotions you are having in the moment and prepare for the moment. Some great gems in here even for screen actors. Very practical things you can add to your approach to make scenes deeper and connect with other Actors.

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Aug 08, 2007

Evan Casey rated it

Probably my favorite of any of the acting books I have read because there is no artifice or flowery language. It is simply transcripts of Meisner's conversations, mostly with his students, which is really all you need to appreciate his brilliance and learn from one of the greatest acting minds. This book clearly demonstrates the profound impact the Meisner Technique has on those students/actors who use it. It also gives you insight into Meisner the man, who for all of his brilliance was (I would...more

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Jul 28, 2011

Mark Woodland rated it

This is the current rage in acting handbooks, and the basis for modern theatre acting style. It's solid, simple, and doable if you have the level of commitment it takes and the basic talent. Any actor should read this book, and you'll get a lot out of it.

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Sep 08, 2009

Alexandra Dickson rated it

What's better is the PBS documentary done years ago by Sydney Pollack, former student of Meisner's.

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Mar 17, 2010

Grace Teng rated it

Recommends it for: everyone

Everything. There is nothing more to be said - I learnt everything from this book.

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Mar 31, 2008

Jason rated it

Recommends it for: all actors

Recommended to Jason by: Sandra K. Horner

Shelves: acting, non-fiction

It's a pretty quick read, and with the prominence of Meisner in the acting community it is a must read for all actors. As a stand alone book, it's not particularly helpful for an actor looking to improve his skills. The general concepts, however, are supremely important. The wise actor will find an experienced and supportive acting instructor teaching Meisner and experience the concepts first hand.

Despite its necessity for actors, I rate it 3 stars because it's not a particularly ...more

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Jan 06, 2012

Kaysy rated it

Well, I liked it more than Stanislavski!

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Sep 27, 2011

Patrick Fisackerly rated it

While I love the Meisner technique and find it fascinating, this book in text form only scratches the surface of the man's genius. It's essentially transcriptions from a year of his class, which is fine, but the Meisner method is something you really need to experience to understand. Perhaps this would have worked better as a filmed documentary or even a radio doc, but on paper it's just...okay. The method is amazing, but it doesn't translate that well to words alone.

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Aug 13, 2008

Benaboo rated it

Recommends it for: actors/actresses

Recommended to Benaboo by: text message from a psychic

Power went out and I was trapped on an escalator with nothing but my wits and this book. The day-by-day narrative/journal style makes this quite an easy read compared to works by other acting instructors. I like Meisner's concept of inducing emotion interesting as opposed to say Uta Hagen. Unfortunately it seems you'd need an acting coach trained in Meisner technique to actually put the stuff in this book to use; something out of my reach at the moment.

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Jul 06, 2007

Laura Ferrari rated it

Meisner= a scary, brilliant, very scary bastard. The book is divided into class periods. Its told a little bit like a story but starts with a quotation that outlines each section's theme, so a little bit textbooky. Now I catch myself all the time living "in my head" and it drives me nutso. A very valuable book for anyone interested in any kind of art.

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Mar 14, 2008

Heather rated it

" I wish the stage were as narrow as the wire of a tightrope dancer, so that no incompetent would dare step upon it-Wolfgang Van Goethe, This is a quotation that Meisner had framed and hung on the wall of his office
This is the man!! Exciting.. filled with inspiration

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Apr 29, 2008

Kris rated it

I'm not going to parrot Sandy's maxims like everyone else. What I will say is that this book must be very strange if you've never trained in the Meisner technique. It would be like reading about Scuba diving or karate---a book will only do so much.

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Oct 19, 2008

Carlye rated it

It's wonderfully written and quite inspiring as a reading entity. it has sparked interest, questions, objections, and of course research on my end...BUT i am still debating enrolling in a class.

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Oct 08, 2011

Kelly Schuerman rated it

Meisner. I love him. What a genius. A good book to simply state his process.

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Jun 26, 2008

Susan rated it

This is a great book if you are interested in acting technique.

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Oct 18, 2007

K. rated it

Recommends it for: actors

Shelves: non-fiction

Good, not great. Should be in every actor's library.

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Jul 10, 2007

Jackie Shea rated it

meisner is god. this is the actors bible.

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May 31, 2007

Nika rated it

Shelves: acting-and-singing

every actor need this book EXCELLENT

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Sep 11, 2007

Tiffany rated it

A must-read for any actor.

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Jul 29, 2011

Rani rated it

i keep it with me always.

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Feb 08, 2012

Brian Bartlett rated it

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