At the Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio (EMAS), our mission is to empower our actors with a strong foundation in acting technique and a discipline that will last a lifetime. We are here to offer you more than an acting class; we are here to help you develop a comprehensive set of “acting tools” that will support you as you pursue your acting career as well as a creative home that nurtures you as an artist.
The world needs great actors! Since the dawn of time we have looked to our artists to teach us and inspire us, to move us and yes, to make us laugh. What a great job! To be a reflection, to show us life as it is…or as it could be. That is what it means to be an actor. What an awesome responsibility! That is why The Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio takes the training of this generation’s actors so seriously. To do this job well, you need a craft that will allow you to be truthful, emotionally alive, full of your own opinions and courageous enough to express them.
Every actor is unique, and so everyone’s training needs are unique, but one thing is true: no one learns their craft in a month. Great actors like Robert Duvall or Lupita Nyong’o have invested years studying their craft. Whether you are a carpenter, a basketball player, or computer programmer, you know your career rises as your skills improve. It’s the same with acting.
Elizabeth’s personal advice:
No matter where you study…make sure that you work in class often, if not every class! Acting can only be learned by DOING! It’s tough to get a lot of stage time when a class has 30 students, so look for smaller classes! Also, make sure that you are learning a craft that you can ultimately practice without the guidance of your teacher, coach, or director. I have seen too many students who become dependent upon the advice and approval of their teacher and teachers who unfortunately encourage this. The best gift a teacher can give you is a strong technique that allows you to arrive at your audition, or on set, or at your first rehearsal, fully prepared to do a part with little of no guidance from the director. In this crazy business, the only thing you have control over is your process, so take control of it!”
