MANILA, Philippines – The ability to connect with an audience through an authentic, or sometimes spontaneous feel, is a crucial part of being an actor.
It’s what the Meisner technique, an acting method rooted in emotional authenticity and active listening, hopes to address, especially for young artists.
The technique, named after its creator Sanford Meisner, has been known to be the backbone of the A-list career of Hollywood actors Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, and Timothée Chalamet.
Here in the country, Star Magic, ABS-CBN’s talent agency, has made it a point to integrate the technique into its artists’ learning curriculum.
Use of imagination
One of the Meisner technique’s biggest principles is its emphasis on living in the moment. For that to happen, an actor not only connects with the present but also allows himself to foster a mind-body connection.
According to Scott Trost, executive director of the Meisner Institute, there should be a constant exercise of imagination.
“The actor’s muscle is our imagination. That is what actors should exercise constantly,” Trost said during the recent “Discovering Meisner Forum” at the Dolphy Theater in Quezon City.
“There’s a need to constantly think for actors. Observation, reading, seeing movies, daydreaming or anything else would help actors tap into their imagination and their emotions to execute such technique,” he said.
Talking to some of Star Magic’s artists, Frost believed the technique would bring out every actor’s inner voice, paving the way for them to be whatever they wanted in a scene.
“Meisner teaches us about inner work. The best place to start as an actor is to make this available as much as possible,” Trost said.
“You should spend as much time in your inner life as much as your inner voice,” he suggested.
He also explained how artists can expand their emotional range and develop more complex and nuanced performances through the technique, which he hopes will be utilized more in the country’s acting scene.
Letting go of self-consciousness
For actor JM de Guzman, the Meisner technique alleviates pressure for artists as it helps them tap into their authentic feelings by being in control of their emotions.
“The acting is more initiative. I feel safer as an actor with the technique,” De Guzman said.
De Guzman is one of the many local artists who have used the Meisner technique in their craft, helping him win numerous acting awards in his career.
The Meisner technique teaches artists to let go of self-consciousness, as it emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment.
Since the technique entails “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances,” it has also become a go-to method for emerging actors for the media giant’s talent pool.
“Ever since the Meisner technique was taught, I’ve never been so open and so into my emotions,” young actor Ralph de Leon said.
“One thing I love most about Meisner is it doesn’t rely on memory,” actor Race Matias said.
Meisner also puts emphasis on active listening when acting, creating a synergy between actors as they fulfill each role. Its overarching goal is to respond emotionally to the partner’s delivery, allowing the scene to evolve naturally as feelings and instincts dictate.
“There is this give-and-take relationship between you and your co-stars…It just flows so naturally and it helps things easier,” Matias added. – Rappler.com