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Sanford Meisner on Acting
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Sanford Meisner on Acting

Sanford Meisner has been called "the theater's best-kept secret," and Sanford Meisner on Acting by Dennis Longwell gives some insight into what techniques the hugely influential drama teacher used in his 50-plus years of work. One of the founding members of the Actors Studio (with Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, and Harold Clurman), Meisner developed his own special lessons based upon his understandings of the great Russian teacher Stanislavsky. Turning away from the sense-memory exercises common among his colleagues, his training focused instead on a realistic approach to imagination and creativity. Unlike many other educators associated with "the Method," Meisner had little tolerance for self-absorption or striving after strong emotional effect, instead preaching that clarity of purpose and efficient use of the psyche are the actor's greatest tools. Longwell's book follows a class of eight men and eight women through one of Meisner's 15-month courses at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse, with extensive transcripts taken directly from Meisner's notes to the students on the basis of their exercises. With an introduction by director Sydney Pollack, one of the many influential artists who studied with Meisner (the book includes accolades from Maureen Stapleton, Arthur Miller, Gregory Peck, and Eli Wallach), this is an excellent introduction that helps to demystify the work of a great theatrical teacher. --John Longenbaugh

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Product Details:
Author: Sanford Meisner
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Vintage
Publication Date: July 12, 1987
ISBN: 0394750594
Package Length: 7.95 inches
Package Width: 5.12 inches
Package Height: 0.71 inches
Package Weight: 0.44 pounds
Average Customer Rating: based on 32 reviews
 
 

Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Review:4.5
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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

5a masterpiece...  Mar 05, 2007
Mr. Meisner's book should be in your collection if you are a serious student..on the Mt Rushmore of acting teachers he would be right up there with Hagen, Adler, Stanislavsky and Strasberg. Meisner goes beyond the 'method' to what are the greatest tools you can bring to any performance...listen and react...listen and react..if you master the first the reaction will come naturally..but the first is the most difficult for any beginning actor..you might think you're listening but chances are you're not..

5A Great View of Meisner Acting  Feb 24, 2007
Sanford Meisner shared some very cool ideas on the theatre, and a contrast to Stella Adler's talkative nature.

They basically believe the same thing, but go about it in completely different ways. For a stage performer , and in a different way, any artist, this book is one of the many paths to a deeper and richer manifestation of your craft.

A great read indeed.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

5great book  Jan 10, 2007
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!

1 of 3 found the following review helpful:

4Meisner On Acting Review  Jan 09, 2007
This is different from other acting books in that the reader learns the technique through following the process of students in thier first year with Meisner. He never gives any direct, step-by-step, this-is-how-we-learn-to-act instruction. You have to be patient enough to follow the story and mine the diamonds for yourself. I found a few useful tidbits to add to my technique, but many of Meisner's tools don't work for me, for I'm an Adler girl at heart; however, I have also found it useful to understand the process of my colleagues who use Meisner's technique.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

5A Free Meisner Class with the Man Himself  Dec 10, 2006
This excellent book is an edited transcript of an actual studio class, recorded during one of Sanford Meisner's two-year studio sessions. The reader begins at the beginning and tracks this group through the major phases of training, while getting to read Meisner's own words, and those of his students. If one already knows something about acting techniques and even Meisner, this book deepens and develops that understanding right from the horse's mouth; it charms and provokes myriad thoughts about the art of acting. It's awesome. However, if one is looking for an introduction to the "Meisner Technique" or to any other technique that branches from Stanislavski or The Group Theater, this book is too advanced -- and even somewhat opaque at times -- because it takes for granted certain underlying concepts and vocabulary.

 
 
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