Sanford Meisner on Acting

I think that every person with creativity invested in them has the potential to be a great actor. And I don't mean great as in melodramatic or characterized. I'm talking about truth. Living and breathing truth on and off the stage. Seeing acting as a lifestyle. I strive to be one of those, yet I find people acting in a modern era of self reinventation on the stage and screen in the cheap ways. The tit for tat, earn your moneys worth quick scheming forms of acting. I believe those versions to be Uta Hagen and Lee Strasberg. It sounds pretentious but all too often are modern actors just being performers. I say that because I've been there. I've been a performer. But to be a true actor I think you need to be a student of Stella Adler or Sanford Meisner. Personally, I am an Adler disciple but I would only ever recommend him over everyone else. Everyone else, that is except for Stella. But if you want to enjoy acting. To get up and enjoy some truthful acting, then he's the man for you. And even then, I would beg you to read him anyway for the insight he can give you from a perspective of a teacher determining whether or not an actor is doing their best.

Really helpful guide to the Meisner technique, told through firsthand experience. Meisner's insights and analysis help root me in "expressing fully and truthfully in imaginary circumstances" during acting classes. The book includes anecdotes from Meisner's classes, too. Good read for anyone interested in the craft of truthful acting and storytelling.

Great book full of Meisner’s wisdom in acting

Liked it all. Read the book in conjunction with class work.

I got this book because I was taking acting classes online for a few months and this helped to understand his method in dialogue form. I also got other books to help me out. Otherwise this book is adequate.

Meisner was a no bullshit type of guy, my kind of guy. He wanted the truth, always, in every moment. I went to the Neighborhood Playhouse for the first year. I couldn't sing or dance well so I didn't get asked back for the second year... but the acting technique and the acting teacher there taught me so much. I took away a lifetime of training in that one year that I will carry with me forever. This book will give you a glimpse into that, including repetition, emotional preparation, and other important foundations of the Meisner Technique. Meisner was a beast.

I bought this book at a time when I bought a lot of other, more recently written, books on theater. The books were by Anne Bogart and others who wrote about techniques that are not the Method. I thought that I would get a Meisner book because I thought it would be good to get to know some of the history of acting... and Meisner was certainly important historically. I saw this book as a sort of "eat your vegetables". So, I left it for the last book of the bunch that I read...... and it turned out to be WONDERFUL! This book is INCREDIBLY not dryly written. It is SO interesting to read. It is written as a series of reports on a class that Meisner was teaching, so you get to follow along and learn the Method with his class and see where Meisner is coming from on his beliefs on the Method. The writing style is really interesting and easy to read because Meisner's speech is really interesting. This book is WONDERFUL!

I heard Meisner mentioned in a directing class I was taking, and got this book to learn more. Since then I have learned more about the man, Meisner was an amazing teacher, and if only some of what he could teach comes across on these pages, its an essential read for anyone aspiring to act or direct, especially in film or television. It's not a page turner, but there are so many techniques in here I find it best to read a little bit at a time and let it sink in.

En perfecro estado

There's really nothing left to say about Meisner that has not already been said. I can see why he earned himself a name in drama. Here is the key thing I got from him - Acting is simplicity. Actors tend to over complicate things a lot. This is just an essential book for any aspiring actor! Buy it. It's practical as well.

An excellent reference for both students and professional actors wanting to refresh their craft. It's a well thought out presentation - it takes you through a course of Meisner's classes, so it's not a tedious list of intellectual shpeak but examples in action, with comments both from Meisner and observations of him by the transcriber. This will be a well thumbed copy. Much easier read (and more effective) than Stanislavsky's bibles and provides the logic of why to keep away from the cliché Strasberg mal-interpretation of Stan's method/system. Highly recommended.

This book is exactly what I expected. I believe it is a must read for those who want to act. If you can understand this book then your well on your way.

Meisner is a bleessing to the acting world , and this book gives you what his technique is. Not only does it help you in acting but also in life. You are not the same person after you learn Meisner technique , although it takes 20 years to become an actor as per Meisner.