Curriculum

Students on stage at The Meisner Technique Studio

The Meisner Technique Studio Two-Year Program

It can be a bit overwhelming to hear that The Meisner Technique training lasts two years. The truth is, with Thanksgiving, Christmas and summer break, each "year" is actually eight months of class time - two three-month sessions and one two-month session.

More importantly, even if you wanted to, no student can commit to the “two-year program" in advance. All students must be invited to return after each session. This policy assures only those students who are truly committed and dedicated to their training are members of The Meisner Technique Studio.

 

Studio 1 - An Overview of the First Year

Sanford Meisner taught acting for sixty-five years. During that time he was constantly evolving his Meisner Technique. But the foundation to his approach came early on and never wavered - people are horrible listeners and that’s just in normal, everyday life. Now, take these same people, put them on stage in front of an audience or in front of a camera on a movie set and their listening becomes almost non-existent because they are so nervous and insecure they couldn’t possibly listen.

Based on this very real fact, Sanford Meisner concluded before anything believable, connected, authentic and organic could ever happen between two actors, they must be present. For them to be present they must get over their fears and get out of their heads and put their focus and attention on the most important thing - the other actor.

From this very simple principle, Sanford Meisner created his foundation exercise, "The Repetition Exercise."

Now, you may have experienced The Repetition Exercise at some point along the way. And I’m sure, at some point, it seemed almost ridiculous, pointless.

And it actually is.

It’s what The Repetition evolves into that’s so extraordinary and that's what the first three-month session is about because over the first three months, “Your shirt is blue” “Your shirt is blue,” transforms into a moment-to-moment connection between two world-class listening machines.

Also, during this time, The Independent Activity is introduced which was founded on the other core principle of The Meisner Technique - acting is not talking, it’s doing and not “acting doing” but doing whatever it is you’re doing absolutely truthfully under the imaginary circumstances of the play, the film, the scene – whatever. To do whatever it is you’re doing truthfully.

During the second half of the first year-work, a myriad of bricks are added to these foundation exercises so the actors’ work continues to deepen.

By the middle of the first year one of the most critical and dynamic “bricks” to The Meisner Technique is introduced - Preparation.

Sandy called Preparation, “the single most important and misunderstood aspect of acting.” To say the least, months are spent on the topic of Preparation so detailing Sandy’s teachings on this topic would take pages.

Suffice to say, as a founding member of The Group Theatre and years of Emotional Memory and Sense Memory Exercises, Sandy came to the same conclusion that The Method’s creator, Constantine Stanislavski came to about Preparation - the most important ingredient for an actor is a vivid imagination and not a tortured upbringing.

In fact, this topic of Preparation is where Sandy and Lee Strasburg were diametrically opposed but again, to Sandy’s credit, he stressed, “If Sense Memory works for you, use it! Whatever works!”

By the end of the first year, these teachings - combined with scene work - create a foundation where all “acting” has been stripped away so that the actors instrument will no longer push, force, indicate, fake or act but instead, the actor only works moment-to-moment from his gut and not his head.

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Studio 2 – An Overview of the Second Year

During The Second Year, everything taught during The First Year is now taken to a whole new level.

Scene work deepens with students now selecting their own material to work on and “working on the character” is introduced along with impediments, accents, relationships, “building history,” scene analysis, doings and subtext. All this and more is added while still maintaining the moment-to-moment, organic connection between the students.

Another a major component of The Second Year is a deepening of “Public Solitude” and “Actors Faith.” This is achieved through the fantasy, one-action, and private moment exercises.

Also, near the end of the second year two of the most critical and extraordinary exercises are introduced - Nursery Rhymes and Spoon Rivers.

During the last month the students are challenged to “put it all together” as they work on their final scenes.

Once they complete their training, they are now invited to become members of The Meisner Studio.

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Meisner Studio Members - An Overview

The Meisner Studio is a professional class for students who’ve completed formal training in The Meisner Technique.

However, The Meisner Studio is more of a gym than a formal class. All members are no longer considered students but professional actors which means they choose what they want to work on at all times - from workshopping pieces they’ve written to rehearsing for their upcoming films, auditions and/or theatrical roles as well as “directing” their own productions.

The goal of The Meisner Studio is to provide a home for our actors to continue to develop their craft as well as introduce their talents to as many industry professionals as possible. This is accomplished by inviting agents, directors, producers and casting directors to experience their work “when they’re ready.”

It is possible but rare for students who’ve completed their Meisner-training to join The Meisner Studio.

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The Business of Your Dream

Jim Jarrett on The Hollywood Food Chain:

“Every hour of every day planes are landing at LAX from all over the world full of people beginning their dream of becoming an actor in Hollywood. And while those planes are landing just as many are taking off, packed full of people who’ve been crushed by that very same dream … and that’s because most actors, most artists are not very good at ‘the business of their dream.’ In fact, there is nothing more common in Hollywood than talented, out-of-work actors. We’re dedicated to helping our students change that.”

Jim Jarrett has been making a living as an actor for over twenty years.

Seventeen years ago he formed his own production company with Jon Labrie. After three films together, Jon was hired by Peter Jackson to become Chief Technical Officer for Lord of The Rings.

Soon after, Jim debuted his one-man show by Leonard Nimoy entitled Vincent. Twelve years later over a quarter million people have experienced Vincent at the premier performing art centers, museums and universities throughout the world.

This summer Jarrett was invited to bring his international touring phenomenon to Edinburgh, Scotland for The International Fringe Festival. At the Fringe - officially "the world's greatest arts extravaganza" – Vincent was the smash-hit and Jarrett - competing against over 30,000 performers - was nominated “Best Actor – Male or Female” by the prestigious STAGE AWARDS.

Next up for Vincent - a European Tour in January 2009 as well negotiations for a run at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

In 2005 Jarrett wrote three children shows and is currently working to secure a one million dollar grant from Nike and Major League Baseball to embark on a nationwide, educational tour.

In 2006, the world premiere of Jarrett’s play, MEISNER, débuted at the historic Magic Theatre in San Francisco to critical and commercial success. From this exposure, he was signed by the William Morris Agency and they immediately brought MEISNER to Los Angeles where it played to sold-out audiences for its six-week run. Next, MEISNER heads to New York and is also being adapted into a full-length feature film produced by Jarrett Productions.

Jarrett is also Founder/Director of The Meisner Technique Studio located in San Francisco with teaching centers expanding to the Big Island of Hawaii, Florence, Italy and Sun Valley, Idaho.

Jarrett is currently working on a reality show targeting HBO that will document his students and their training at his Meisner Technique Studio.

Jarrett credits all his success to one very simple reason – he has aggressively addressed the business of his dream from the day he started, almost a quarter-century ago.

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Creating A Career Outside Of Hollywood

This session is for these who choose to have a career living outside of the epicenter of acting and filmmaking because if you want to live in a market like San Francisco it will require an even more creative, aggressive business approach to building your career.

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Top Down – A Blueprint For Achieving Any Dream

This segment is a priceless roadmap, a blueprint to help you achieve any dream you will ever have. Jim has spent thirty years refining this concept and guarantees this information alone is worth the fee for the entire session.

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The Audition Process For San Francisco & Beyond

The majority of actors in the Bay Area - and beyond - don’t book.

Instead, it’s the minority, that 10% that gets callback after callback, job after job. What are “they” doing right because it’s much more than a just a look?

If you take your career seriously then it’s up to you to figure it out because if you can’t master the audition process then it doesn’t matter how great your look is, how wonderful your training is or how talented you are.

To become a working actor in San Francisco and beyond you must master the art and craft of auditioning. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time. And everyone else’s as well.

There are two major ingredients to becoming part of the 10% who books.

First of all, auditioning in San Francisco is unique. Most auditions for actors in the Bay Area are for five lines or less. Nailing on audition where you have just one line is an art form in and of itself.

How do you do that? How do you separate yourself from the rest when you’re given so little to work with?

The second ingredient is to realize you are the product so you need to accurately understand exactly what your product is – strengths and weaknesses. Once you understand that, you need to fix the weaknesses and grow into your strengths.

The Audition Process for San Francisco and Beyond will teach you how to master the audition process for commercials, television, film, cold-readings, callbacks and theatrical auditions in the San Francisco marketplace. This will be accomplished by teaching you an audition technique (all of your work will be videotaped) that will literally change your career.

The Audition Process for San Francisco and Beyond will also teach how to take a meeting with theatrical and/or commercial agents so you can secure quality representation.

You will also be trained in how to take “generals” with casting directors, producers and directors. Finally, you’ll also work on your own audition piece so that when you’re asked to perform something in the future, you’ll blow away the room.

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Film Acting and The Meisner Technique

How do you match performance take after take and not violate everything your training stands for – working moment-to-moment from your gut?

How do you transfer two-years of “no blocking - no acting” and work within the very technical world of film? Because to say the least, working in front of camera is a completely different set of acting and technical skills than working on stage.

Film Acting and The Meisner Technique will give you the skill-set – and just as importantly, the confidence - to work technically in front of any camera and any shot situation that you will ever encounter.

This three-month session will accomplish these goals through a series of very specific “film acting exercises.” Each exercise will be filmed and then shown to you each class so your growth will be immediate.

The session will conclude by shooting a final scene of yours that will be edited and then screened for you.

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Preparation - Expanding Your Imaginations

This is a new class will meet Saturday mornings once every month and is open to all students of The Meisner Studio. The intention of this class is to expand the quality, depth and consistency of our students’ imaginations through a series of cutting-edge exercises.

Details and registration will follow soon.

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From Fear To Fearless – Getting Out Of Hell

This is a new class will meet Saturday mornings once every month and is open to all students of The Meisner Studio.

Details and registration will follow soon.

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Directing Actors - An Acting Class for Directors

Jarrett explains the goal and vision for the class - ''The most common complaint I hear and see is very talented directors with wonderful technical training yet the weakest part of their talent and training ironically is one of the most important elements - their ability to direct their actors and get the performance they want for the scene.

This class is for any director - regardless of the medium - with the desire to become more skilled at working with their actors and getting the performances they desire.”

The class will consist of directors as well as actors. Both will be taken through the first three-months of The Meisner Technique.

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Creating & Touring a One-Person Show

Jim Jarrett’s production of Leonard Nimoy’s Vincent is one of the most respected and successful shows on tour. Now entering his thirteenth season, Vincent has played to over a quarter million people at premier performing art centers, museums and universities throughout the world.

This summer Jarrett was invited to bring his international touring phenomena to Edinburgh, Scotland for The International Fringe Festival. Jarrett’s production of Vincent at The Fringe - officially "the world's greatest arts extravaganza” – was the smash-hit of the festival. Presented in association with Guy Masterson's Theatre Tours International, the most highly visible and awarded company at The Fringe, Jim was nominated “Best Actor” from over 30,000 performers.

In 2006, the world premiere of Jarrett’s one-man show, MEISNER was held at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco and next heads to New York.

In 2007, Jarrett introduced three children’s shows, which have already begun a nationwide educational tour.

To say the least, Jarrett has extensive knowledge about successfully touring one-person shows. If you’d like to be a part of this world of professional touring, this class is a priceless opportunity for you.

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