According to Sanford Meisner, the definition of acting is “behaving truthfully under given circumstances.” If you’ve ever studied Meisner, you know how complex his method is.
If not, let me fill you in.
I graduated from Purdue University with an MFA in Acting, where I studied the Meisner method for three years (along with many other acting techniques for movement, voice, etc.) During those three years, I felt lost in a sea of repetition, indication, and frustration. To say it kindly, it was challenging. While at Purdue, I didn’t get it, couldn’t understand why we were doing what we were doing and how it would help me develop as an actor. Meisner was a mystery to me from 1990-1993.
But then, something fascinating happened. I was working on Candida with the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre under the fantastic direction of Monty Davis and a cast that was beyond phenomenal (including the incredible Johnathan Smoots who never failed to blow my mind).
One day, during rehearsal, I found myself on stage (in the middle of a scene) lost in what was happening between the characters on stage. They were riveting. The next thing I knew, my cue had come and I reacted. It was just a small beat but one I’d been struggling with. To my surprise, we finished and Mr. Davis rushed the stage, wrapped his arms around me, and proclaimed I’d not only “done it” but done so brilliantly he couldn’t believe what he’d witnessed.
It was then that I came to understand what Meisner was all about… and it took me three years after graduating from Purdue for that knowledge to finally come into focus.
Three years but it felt like seconds.
Since that moment, the technique had become second nature to me but I still understood the complexity and subtlety that made it such a complicated method.
Fast forward a couple of decades and I was teaching at the University of Louisville when I stumbled upon a technique that I believed made connecting with what Sandy Meisner professed quite easy. After coming up with the idea, I tested it in my class and found it delivered remarkable results.
I call it, The Butterfly Effect and it’s all about listening. But not just listening, active listening.
Since graduating from Purdue, active listening has been the thing I’ve noticed many actors struggle with. The reason for this, I believe, is that active listening is not only problematic to teach but often not taught. My method overcomes that complexity and makes it easy to grasp.
It’s now time I bring that method to the public. I’ll be offering free classes in Louisville this fall. I’ve set up a form (below) so those within the ‘Ville who are interested in signing up can.
For those who’d like to know my credentials, I’ve taught acting, movement, and voice at the University of Indianapolis, Purdue University, and the University of Louisville, and led acting boot camps and workshops in various cities. I’ve performed on Broadway, in regional theatres around the country, and was a member of the Stage One resident company for ten years.
Thank you for giving me a moment of your time and I hope to see you this fall.
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