Monthly Archives July 2024

WORD OF THE DAY- Curiosity

Acting Studio

One of the most important words, important personality traits an actor needs to be great is CURIOSITY

Curiosity will lead an actor to:

  • Stay present – 

Curiosity about their acting partners can help actors stay connected and improve their ability  to read behavior and respond honestly.  It also allows actors to stay engaged in the moment which can be difficult to maintain now that the average American’s attention span is only about 12 seconds long.

Curiosity will lead an actor to

  • Disrupt Assumptions – HELPING them avoid being limited by logic and the obvious. 

Curiosity can help actors explore what’s really going on without the pressure of being right or wrong…just what could be. Curiosity keeps actors from creating surface-level characters by wanting to figure out the whys, the hows and the what happends.  Great actors think seriously about human nature and never stop exploring the different ways a character can be represented or a story can be told.

Curiosity helps actors

  • Dig deeper –

Curiosity can help actors discover more about their own points of view in the world.  Actors must be curious about themselves as well as others.  Always asking themselves – how do I feel about this or that… once you realize what stimulates you and HOW – you can really open up and put those feelings into FULLY EXPRESSED BEHAVIOR.  

Sometimes people can become so fearful and desensitized that we have NO IDEA how we feel about ANYTHING… so get CURIOUS.  It can feel scary to have big feelings but curiosity is  what helps an actor grow their willingness to take risks and therein lies their artistry.

 

If you are curious about the craft of acting we reach out to us at [email protected] or 323-528-6280

3 Reasons Actors Train With the Meisner Technique

Acting Advice, Acting Studio

 

  • Learn the Fundamentals

The Meisner Technique is a great place to build a foundation that you can use your entire career.  Skills like

  • Working off your fellow actors
  • Believing in the imaginary world as though it is real
  • Really doing and really feeling
  • Being present in the moment
  • Having access to a range of emotions
  • Creating honest and interesting points of view
  • Discovering how to use your uniqueness to be truthful

 

  • Ignite your Imagination

The Meisner Technique doesn’t want you go back to past experiences to connect emotionally to the imaginary circumstances of the script.

First of all that’s limiting what you can relate to to what you have actually experienced. Secondly, it’s not good for your mental health to keep opening up past emotional wounds just to play a scene.  Thirdly, going into your memory can often introvert you and damage your connection to your fellow actors or the circumstances of the scene.

Our imaginations are infinitely more powerful and expansive than our own experiences. Although the Meisner Technique uses your unique feelings about relationships, issues, and characters in the script… it is ALWAYS in the context of the IMAGINARY circumstances.

That is why Meisner makes actors work out their imagination muscles in every class.

 

  • Reduce Self-Consciousness

When an actor doesn’t know how to put their attention on what they are DOING and WHO they are connecting with, they can get trapped inside their own heads.

That is when the inner judge comes in and comments on everything they are doing.  “Why did you say it that way?”  “Should I look at her?”  “Oh, that sounded fake.”  This commenter prevents actors from being in the present moment.

The Meisner Technique teaches actors how to prevent this and work from unanticipated moment to unanticipated moment.  We don’t just tell you to be in the moment, we teach you HOW to be in the moment.