An introduction to the Sanford Meisner approach to acting technique. Twenty acting classes are conducted in a ten-week session. In this class the actor works to learn and apply advanced acting principles through a step-by-step progression of exercises that develop his/her ability to work organically, and to create truthful and expressive behavior in acting. The Principles of Acting classes cover the beginning Meisner techniques from word repetition through their first application to a scene. Upon successful completion of this class the actor may qualify to be invited to continue his/her training on a longer-term basis in The Acting Program.
Continues from the end of the work in Principles of Acting - Introduction to Meisner and follows to completion Meisner's step-by-step approach to acting technique and conditioning of the actor. The class begins with the work on emotional preparation and proceeds to do extensive exercises and improvisations over a period of nine months. Particular areas covered include relationships, scene work, justification, physical and speech impediments, text analysis, character interpretation and ends with an application of the techniques to Spoon River Anthology monologues which are presented in a final open acting class. As a result the actor establishes a solid foundation in an organic approach to acting that overcomes the limitations of intellectual training. The skills acquired in this class allow the actor to harness his/her personal powers of instinct, imagination, emotional truth, senses of reality, and personal experience in order to bring a deeper, more lively and personally unique expressiveness to his/her work. Many actors with previous experience find that this acting class effectively provides them with an approach to acting that is more practical and comprehensive.
Focuses on the practical application of the actor's technique to the rehearsal process, and on an in-depth analysis of the character and the play. The aim is to broaden the actor's overall understanding of the relationship between technique and acting in regard to achieving specific artistic goals. This acting class meets twice a week and requires even more motivation from the actor. Through scene work, the actor gains an in-depth look at the organic and analytical aspects of the rehearsal process. He/she begins to identify and to solve the particular demands inherent in period, character, style, and language. The presentation of scene work before the entire Studio in open acting classes broadens the actor's awareness of the performance problems he/she will encounter in the next levels. Advanced voice, speech and movement work is taught by staff associates in addition to the acting and scene work, and is inclusive in the tuition cost of Technique 2.
The Acting Studio, Inc. Offers a variety of advanced acting classes for sustained career development. These classes are offered to qualified actors who have trained outside the studio as well as to Studio graduates.
Scene performance offers the actor ongoing practice on his/her craft through scene and monologue work. The class meets once a week and focuses on the analysis of the text and on how the actor's technique is used to build the scene. This acting class allows the actor to work on challenging parts in a safe environment. The Actor is encouraged to bring the work to performance level for possible inclusion in Chelsea Rep Lab evenings and Studio open classes.
New York City is a great place to see and study Shakespeare. Acting Shakespeare puts the acting of Shakespeare's plays in reach of the contemporary actor. This class helps the actor sort through the centuries of tradition that prevent the plays from being seen in all of their richness and vitality and focuses on what makes the plays actable and relevant in the modern theatre. Attention is paid to an analysis of speech (diction, rhythm, vocal melody, imagery), not as an end unto itself, but as a means of reaching the heart of a character and making clear how Shakespeare's language reveals the essential yet complex nature of human interaction. This acting class helps the actor to understand the plays in their own social and historical context, but also applies contemporary, realistic acting technique to a role. The ultimate goal of the class is to contribute to the exploration of a uniquely "American" approach to the acting of Shakespeare.
