Summarizing Sanford.

Sounds like the next Hollywood art flick, huh? :D You know, one of the great things about acting is that no matter how many techniques one is exposed to, you are able to pick and choose what works for you. There is no "acting gospel".

For those of you who have not been exposed to the Sanford Meisner method, I highly recommend it! I was fortunate enough to be taught by a pupil of Mr. Meisner in college and this method just clicked with me. What I learned has become the basis of all my acting since.

The reason I like the Meisner method is that it fits so well with the acting experience. It is a very visceral method, very tactile - as opposed to, say, Stanislavski who very intellectual. The point behind it, is to get yourself to such a point on stage where you actually experience the situation you are in.

This is accomplished by a simple function: "Don't say OUCH! until you have been pinched." What does that mean? Well, it is very easy. Give someone the line of "Ouch." That's it, one word. Now, very lightly pinch them. I'm sure their first reaction will be to "act out" the emotion of pain - by saying ouch. Next, without any advanced warning, really pinch them - hard! Which "Ouch!" do you believe more? :) Get it? Don't say your lines just because that's what is next in the script. Don't act out a reaction ... simply react. It is learning how to let go of "acting out" the scene and open yourself up to actual moments - to literally experiencing the scene. Takes practice, but yields wonderful results.

One way to get in touch with your character's moments is to fill in the blanks of this formula:

How I feel about (blank) is how (my character) feels about (blank).

Use this "emotional recall" onstage as your characters emotions for truthful acting.

Pick up a book on his method and give it a read. For example you can try: "Sanford Meisner on Acting" (find a link to it in the Book Store) and I doubt you will be disappointed.

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