T/F Sandy
True or False: Meisner hated repetition calling it "tedious" and "not beneficial for actors looking for spontaneity in their scene".
FALSE, we literally played an entire game about repetition. I made up those quotes and sound really smart, don't I?
Meisner's technique is based in the reality of ____
doing!
Where was Sandy born?
Brooklyn, New York
Meisner's technique is considered a "middle ground" of which two acting theorists?
Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg!
True or False: Critics said that Meisner's technique created only small, minimal reactions that wouldn't work on stage.
True!
Meisner is best known for which exercise to get his actors involved with their scene partner and out of themselves?
The repetition exercise!
Where did Sandy go to college?
Julliard
*If you said Damrosch Institute of Music, you get a thumbs up from Emily
*Another thumbs up if said what he studied while there (piano)
How did Stella Adler influence Meisner's technique?
She introduced him to using imagination in a scene.
True or False: Meisner first began teaching his methods at the Neighborhood Playhouse
True!
In a flat or neutral tone and to only add inflection during a scene in order to keep the scene fresh, natural, and impulsive.
Where did Meisner spend a majority of his time perfecting and teaching his technique?
Neighborhood Playhouse
*A thumbs up from Emily if you include that it was in New York
The "_____ __", a term originally coined by Stanislavski, heavily influenced Meisner's technique
*(Of course Stanislavski was influencial in MANY ways, but this has the greatest and most obvious ties to Meisner)*
The "Magic If"
True or False: Meisner was the talent director at Universal Studios.
False! It was at Twentieth Century Fox!
What are the three main points Meisner wanted to teach in his technique?
1) Emotional preparation
2) Repetition
3) Improvisation
What is the name of the combined school and theatre Meisner opened?
The Sanford Meisner Center. It is literally just his name
Briefly describe how did Meisner influenced Viola Spolin's technique
Spolin's technique focused around improvisation, similar to how Meisner focused his ideas on impulse.
True Or False: Meisner wanted actors to really plan out their actions in order to have a well developed scene.
FALSE! Meisner was about an actor following their instinct to create realistic reactions.
The ultimate goal of the Meisner Technique? HINT: A famous quote from Mr. Meisner himself
"Live truthfully under imaginary circumstances"
*A thumbs up from Emily if you got the exact quote
How did the Group Theatre help Meisner progress in his methods?
It allowed him to learn from other actors and develop his own theories from theirs and it gave him inspiration through the people around him. It sounds vague I know, but you get what I am saying at least.
Why did Meisner disagree with Stanislavski's version of emotional recall?
He felt it could, potentially, be more harmful than beneficial. (Especially because of his own background with his brother's death)