The preparation moves actors away from an attempt to act as a character and instead react realistically and authentically. This acting technique allows actors to hone in on an understanding of the emotional life of their character, deepening a connection with a character’s personal experiences.

You must learn and decide what makes a character happy, what causes conflict for them, and other complexities when doing this emotional preparation. According to Meisner, an actor must depict the full emotional landscape of a character to be interesting. Emotional PreparationĮmotional preparation is the prep work Meisner believed any actor was obligated to carry out in order to develop the “imaginary circumstances” in a character’s life. By focusing on preparation, repetition, and improvisation, actors can access creative reactions, building off of other actors around them and moving toward a reliance on organic, authentic instinct. These components all work together to help actors observe their scene partner and remain present instead of relying on memory or rehearsal. The three main tenets of the Meisner Technique include emotional preparation, repetition, and improvisation. Many well-known actors throughout the years have practiced this technique, including Grace Kelly, Diane Keaton, Stephen Colbert, Alec Baldwin, Robert Duvall, and many more. Realistic facial expressions and gestures hold up without seeming forced. Measured, integrated behavior makes Meisner-trained actors popular with filmmakers who are looking for varied yet particular behavior in a film. Known as a “real people” technique throughout the world of acting, the Meisner Technique trains actors to look like and act like true human beings - instead of appearing as actors.

Meisner technique studio