To Act Is to Listen

“To live truthfully under the imaginary circumstance you must first listen. When I say listen, I don’t mean listen to the words, what I mean is listen to the behavior. Read the behavior of the other actor.” ― Sanford Meisner

With Meisner, it’s not about the words, it’s about reading behavior — listening.

People in the industry who are familiar with Sanford Meisner’s technique know of the repetition exercise, but if you have not truly studied Meisner, you may not be aware that the repetition exercise is only the initial step that serves as the foundation of the technique. It is the first element of five essential improvisational exercises designed to teach the actor to establish and maintain connection with their acting partner, and by doing this, to stay in the moment, truthfully responding to the behavior of the other actor.

Most importantly, these exercises teach the actor how to avoid focusing their attention internally, freeing themselves of the constraints of inward thinking, so they can connect to their partner’s behavior and really listen.

This allows the freedom to let yourself be affected by what is happening; not sitting on their natural impulses, but responding with truthful emotion, in precisely that moment of the given circumstance, be it in class or on the set.

The Meisner technique is taught in a precise and clear step-by-step process of actor training using these five basic exercises and scene work.

An introduction to the Meisner technique is offered several times a year in New Orleans. It uses the previously mentioned precise and clear step-by-step process of actor training using the five basic exercises and scene work. Students also learn to go deep into their imagination for the use of emotional preparations for scenes.

This item was originally featured in the summer 2014 newsletter.