Summary About Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner is a renowned acting coach that was born in 1905. He is credited with establishing the Meisner acting technique, which remains popular today.
Here are some of Sanford Meisner’s most known milestones in history:
Life and Death
He was born in New York in 1905, to Hungarian parents, and died in 1997.
Personal Information
- His emotional acuteness stemmed from the tragic death of his brother in early childhood. He credited this event to his penchant for acting – where grief is channeled into an imaginary realm.
- The acting coach was married between 1948 and 1950 to Peggy Meredith.
Training
- A young Meisner pursued acting after graduation from high school.
- Sanford Meisner is an alumni of the Damrosch Institute of Music, which is now labeled as the Juilliard School. There, he took piano lessons.
- Sanford Meisner also attended the Theatre Guild of Acting.
Career and Entrepreneurship
- Lee Strasberg was one of the most influential teachers in the actor’s life. He, Sanford, and several others were carefully selected to form the Group Theatre.
- The actor began teaching at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York in 1935. In 1947, his tutelage was sought at the Actor’s Studio – he accepted.
- Meisner formed the Meisner/Carville School of Acting in the early eighties.
- He directed Twentieth Century-Fox Talent Program between 1959 and 1961.
The Birth of the Meisner Technique
The Meisner technique is the brainchild of the actor himself, and it pays special focus to the following:
- Affective memory – which recounts the emotive sides of one’s past to help get into character more easily. This was adapted from Stanislavski’s method of acting.
- While many actors are trained with varied methods of acting, The Meisner Technique specifically emphasizes using the actor’s imagination, coupled with emotions, in order to make the storyline more believable.
Famous Names Trained by Meisner
The following actors have all been winners of the Academy Award – all trained by Sanford Meisner:
Joan Fontaine
Grace Kelly
Edmond O’Brien
Diane Keaton
Jon Voight
Sydney Pollack
Many More
Meisner’s Legacy
Today, the Meisner technique lives on in many top acting schools across the nation. Sanford Meisner, who was known under the alias “Sandy” to many, is respected as one of the leading acting coaches in American acting history.
* image found from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanford_Meisner)
THE PROFESSIONAL PROCESS
THE PROFESSIONAL PROCESS – A BUSINESS OF ACTING 1-DAY WORKSHOP
Wednesday, August 21st 7pm
From agent meetings to thank you cards, we cover the important questions facing actors as they make their way in Hollywood. Many actors feel ready to get their foot in the door, but HOW?
Money, unions, agents, managers, casting directors, finding your type and navigating it all with authenticity and integrity. In this workshop we tackle those questions and more. Actor training is key to the development of any artist. However,…once you learn how to act you need to know how to get people to hire you to ACT!
When: Wednesday August 21st, 2013
Time: 7pm
Cost: $45
Where: 7600 Melrose Ave, LA 90046 – 2nd Floor
Register on line HERE
The Physical Voice with Paul Boehmer
The Physical Voice
with
Paul Boehmer
July 2 – August 6, 2013
Combining the ideas of Fitzmaurice vocal work and Physical Dynamics, this workshop is geared to help in important areas of an actor’s development.
What it does:
Physicality: we develop awareness of patterns of vocal effort or blocks through a series of gentle and/or rigorous exercises.
Breath: we explore the central role that breathing plays in both vocal production and the inspired imagination.
Vocal Quality: we cultivate the ability to accurately communicate our thoughts and feelings while meeting the demands of text.
Practical Results: we reduce strain in the voice, increase vocal range and expressivity, make speech easy and clear, allowing creativity to flow.
“An unbelievably powerful experience, I opened up vocally, emotionally and physically – I recommend this work to every actor who desires to do powerful, truthful work!”
– Darby McCullough – EMAS student
When: Tuesdays 7:30 – 9:30pm
Where: EMAS
7600 Melrose Avenue, LA 90046
Cost: $295 for 6 classes
Contact: 323-528-6280
This class is a magnificent way to make sure that your instrument is able to do all it is required to do when working on emotionally charged scenes. It helps the actor to work through physical and emotional blocks while also helping them understand the way breath and language can help tell the story, develop a character and engage the audience.
REGISTER ON LINE HERE
or for more information Call 323-528-6280
Fall 2013 Scene Study for On Camera (sep-dec 2013)
The best part about a Scene Study class is that opportunity to sink our teeth into a meaty character or a dynamic conflict; after all, that’s why we’re actors! However in n the film and television industry, even working actors rarely get to live through an entire scene. Until an actor is at the top of their profession, acting opportunities often consist of unfulfilling small vignettes. So a good Scene Study class is your best opportunity to flex your acting muscles and refine your craft on a consistent basis. Often “On Camera” classes uses the small, unchallenging material of smaller roles, but at EMAS we allow actors to explore really dramatic, emotionally engaging, character driven scenes and then learn how to translate that energetic performance to on-camera without losing any of it’s core intensity.
This Scene Study class is for actors with prior training and/or significant professional experience. The class is designed to help actors harness their technique to use towards performance. It is an opportunity to keep acquired skills sharp, as well as learn new techniques. Students will be filmed in many of the classes to really see how to translate their core acting choices to Film and Television.
Class size is limited to 12.
Attendance:
EMAS understands that actors at this level have busy lives and careers, however Ms. Mestnik requires that this class be a priority. Subsequently, she is very strict about class attendance and work outside of class. Outside rehearsals are mandatory and ANY missed classes must be made up in a private tutorial, as students rely on their partner’s attendance to be able to work in class. Private sessions are $75.
Admittance:
Admittance to the EMAS Scene Study class is by invitation OR audition/interview only. The audition will require a short (1-2 minute) monologue. Any genre is acceptable.
To reserve a spot in the class a security deposit of $200 is required. This deposit is not refundable if the student decides not to take the class. Once this deposit is received, the student is guaranteed a spot in the class.
Class Schedule:
Wednesdays 2:30 – 6:30pm Session begins September 11th, 2013
Location:
7600 Melrose Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90046.
Tuition:
$595 for a 14-week session. $200 deposit required to hold your spot. $200 due on October 2nd and final payment of $195 due on November 6th.
Instructors:
Elizabeth Mestnik and Victor Villar-Hauser
Contact:
323-528-6280 or [email protected] with any questions or to set up an audition.
Commercial Acting 101 April 17, 24, May 1 and 8
ON CAMERA COMMERCIAL TECHNIQUE
WITH
BILL COELIUS
Commercial Acting 101 (101 Things You Need To Know Before Your Audition) taught by commercial veteran Bill Coelius, is the product of his experience acting in over 35 national commercials, and auditioning on a weekly basis in today’s market. From slate to set, Bill shares a carefully crafted game plan that will help you book and shoot that national commercial. Bill presents a myriad of skills, strategies and trade secrets that will turn your beliefs about yourself and the industry inside-out. Commercial Acting 101 covers everything from a review of basic skills such as slating, sign-in, and making copy your own, to the hidden rules of auditioning, creating confidence, and the secrets of on-set behavior.
Class 1:
The Importance of the “Slate”: how to book the job in the first 10 seconds.
Class 2:
Understanding what the client wants: How to break down the commercial copy.
Class 3:
The Direct Pitch: How to sell the product directly to the camera.
Class 4:
The Art of the Callback: Learning to take adjustments and owning the room through simulated auditions.
WHEN: Wednesdays at 7pm
DATES: April 17, 24, May 1 and 8
WHERE: 11423 Moorpark St. Los Angeles, CA 91604 United States
COST: $180
CONTACT: 323-528-6280 or [email protected]
REGISTER ON LINE HERE
Latest Photos by Elizabeth Mestnik
See below:
See upcoming images at:
Emasla on Panoramio
Emasla on Flickr
Emasla on 500px
Emasla on 23hq
MEISNER TECHNIQUE Informational Meeting
MEISNER TECHNIQUE
Informational Meeting
Friday, March 15th
1:45pm
Learn about EMAS’ Meisner Technique Intensive and 2-year Professional Program.
RSVP to
[email protected] or
323-528-6280
Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio
7600 Melrose Ave. 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, California 90046
323-528-6280
Acting Classes for Business Professionals
Many established business professionals come to our studio with one objective, this is switching
careers to acting. If you were contacted about an acting opportunity, or long to build your own
doors to acting, come to Emasla.
Our experienced acting coaches teach beginner to master level acting classes.
With practice, commitment, and the mentorship of an acting trainer, specialists in business
are able to professionally act. In fact, many of the smarts you’ve exercised in business can be
applied to acting too. The industry demands quick thinking actors who solve scenes quickly.
Features:
Acting classes for non-actors
Build upon new skills with tiered programs
Flexible times for working professionals
Central location in Los Angeles
Contact Elizabeth for more information on our Acting Classes for Business Professionals
Private Acting Classes in LA
Do you need to take your acting skills to the next level? Get personalized one-on-one training
with the faculty of EMAS. Take a look at our site and who we are, and get in touch with us by email or the the “Private Coaching” section of our registration page. We’ll do our best to pair you with the teacher that meets your goals and try to accommodate your desired schedule.
Features:
Affordable classes leave you with maximum learning experiences
Build upon skills, muscle-upon-muscle until techniques are mastered
Get constructive criticism to move forward in the right direction
Contact Elizabeth for info on Private Classes
Beginning Acting Classes
Any journey begins with one small step. A successful actor’s journey starts with a passion, is further enhanced by training, and then finalized by a winning drive. If you’re envisioning a string of roles in acting, it’s time to begin with the basics:
Enroll in basic technique series, which teaches students to think creatively, how to analyze a script and get into character
Learn the Meisner technique, from principles taught by the founding father, Sanford Meisner
These classes were specifically built for new and aspiring actors with less than one year’s
training in acting. Emasla is recommended by NBC’s Diversity Talent Development Program.
Contact Elizabeth for more information on our Beginning Acting Classes
