Meisner Technique

One of your first assignments when starting our acting class is to read this book. It's an important addendum to the teaching and a way for you to get direct insight into Sanford Meisner's technique.

Recently at the George Lucas Educational Foundation: Edutopia, Jeff Goldblum was asked: What is your idea of a perfect teacher? He answered,

"I would say Sanford Meisner. He was masterful and inspiring and brilliant. He conveyed in a magical way, in a million ways, his passion for acting and life and his depth of humanity. Just spending time with him was inspirational. He gave you the fun of it and the hard work of it, and the real tools to grow in it."

Meisner's unusual techniques were considered both unorthodox and effective, rooted in artistic common sense, he defined acting as "living truthfully under imaginary circumstances." He has created exercises, genius in their deceptively simple nature, which develop the actors ability to work off their partner, live in the moment, be themselves, commit to the imaginary circumstances, and conquer many advanced acting problems. For the honest actor, the lessons seem to provide accurate expression, and concrete pathways to the truth in performance they were instinctively trying to achieve all along.

Acting Studio LA founder, Sean Barnes, is one of the few teachers of the Meisner Technique, alive in the world today, privy to the teaching of the innovations, and advances, Sanford Meisner made to his approach from 1987 to the end of his teaching career.

At Acting Studio LA we are dedicated to passing on, accurately, the brilliant Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced level principles of the Meisner Technique that have helped so many to success, and every day remind ourselves to inspire you, give you the "fun of it, the hard work of it, and the real tools to grow in it."

In addition to carrying on a successful, elite tradition, we also bring some absolutely one of a kind innovations.