Introduction to The Meisner Technique

The work of Sanford Meisner, perhaps the mid 20th century’s greatest teacher of acting, is often lauded, very mysterious, but most frequently misunderstood and confused. For one eager to learn his approach to the craft of acting, little remains.  A famous student of his wrote a book describing the inner workings of a class he taught in the mid 80s-  there are clips of Sandy himself in his twilight years teaching said class, and there are interviews of proteges and students of his that float in the ether of the internet and in books and libraries. All point to something intriguing and compelling but they often leave the actor hungry to learn his approach with more questions than answers. Perhaps most unfortunately, so-called teachers of his approach have spread themselves far and wide peddling Meisner’s technique with very little actual knowledge of the pedagogical tools and techniques Meisner built up over 50 years of training actors.

If you have ever learned  a little bit of Meisner- say his famous “repetition exercise” from some teacher somewhere and were left feeling bewildered- you are not alone, and this workshop will aim to set the record straight on what his work actually means and how it is first and foremost practical.  Sanford Meisner, through his work in the famous Group Theater and his understanding of Constantin Stanislasky’s infamous Method, developed a series of exercises and improvisations that systematically build a skillset that allows the modern actor to be powerfully alive and present.

This workshop will aim to introduce you to his approach and some of his solutions to the problems facing the modern actor: What is acting anyway? And how can I be compelling doing it? 

Meet your instructor:

Chris Chirdon is a multidimensional working actor based in NYC. You can catch him recurring as the lovably inept Don in Amazon’s hit “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and as assorted cops, heavies, and the occasional nice guy in “Law and Order: SVU,” “Blue Bloods,”  “FBI” and more.  He is a graduate of the The Acting Studio New York’s Meisner based actor training program where he trained extensively under founding director James Price and associate directors John Grabowski and Bruce Hermann. He currently teaches Sanford Meisner’s approach to the craft of acting at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, The Acting Studio New York, and privately.

This workshop is included for Studio members.

*Time & Dates Subject to Change*