Jim Jarrett
Jim Jarrett (Founder/Director) is one of the most respected and qualified teachers of The Meisner Technique in the world. He spent four years with Sanford Meisner – two as a student in his professional, private class then two more working privately with the master teacher – both as an actor and teacher-in-training. After his apprenticeship, Jarrett emerged as Sanford Meisner’s last teaching protégé and for the last twenty five years he has taught throughout North America, Europe and Asia on behalf of the standards and respect for the craft of acting Sandy stood for. In 2005, Jarrett “came home” to San Francisco and opened The Meisner Technique Studio. In so doing, he made good on a promise he’d made to Sandy many years before – to establish an acting school dedicated solely to the teachings of Sanford Meisner.
Since 1997, he’s toured Vincent, Leonard Nimoy’s international smash-hit to over a quarter million people throughout the globe. In 2006, Jarrett introduced three children’s shows that have also begun a nationwide, educational tour. His latest production, MEISNER, is an original full-length play created from four years of notes Jarrett spent with the master teacher, Sanford Meisner. In addition, MEISNER has just been adapted into a full-length feature film and will begin production in the Spring of 2013.
Melissa Thompson Esaia
Melissa Thompson Esaia has been working as an actor for almost twenty years. She studied The Meisner Technique with Jim Jarrett for 2 years in his professional, private class. When she completed her studies, Jim invited her to continue on as a teacher-in-training. She studied intensively with Jim to learn to teach Sanford Meisner’s technique purely and authentically and now, several years later, Melissa serves as Assistant Director and Head of Faculty at The Meisner Technique Studio. In addition to her work with Jim Jarrett, Melissa continues to produce her own projects as well. In 2011, Melissa formed Kina’ole Productions, a production company focused on making Documentaries That Aren’t Documentaries – feature films that spotlight social and environmental issues. You can visit her blog at melissathompsonesaia.tumblr.com.
David Usner
David Usner moved to San Francisco to find Jim Jarrett, who motivated and inspired him to take the next steps in pursuing his dream and career. Jim and the Meisner Technique have transformed David’s craft and the opportunity to teach this technique is a joy and gift. In over 30 years of acting, David has been on stage in Edinburgh, Berlin, Vienna, NYC, Philadelphia and the Bay Area. Most recently he has turned more of his attention to the screen. He is also a script writer and has had three plays and one film produced. Currently, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Playwrights Foundation in San Francisco.
Eric Burke
Eric Burke has been acting for 20 years and his craft has taken him to Chicago, Los Angeles and finally back to the Bay Area. It is here that Eric met Jim Jarrett and after 2 years studying the Meisner Technique with Jim, Eric was invited to stay on as a teacher in training. After completing his residency with Jim, he joined the faculty of Jarrett’s Meisner Technique Studio. Due to his success as an actor, Eric splits time between performing as well as teaching at The Meisner Technique Studio.
Gino rose
Gino Rose (aka: Gene Gerard Thomas) was teaching Acting For The Camera at Academy of Art University when he was introduced to Jim Jarrett and the Meisner Technique Studio. He immediately realized how much he longed to return to acting himself, signed up as a student again, and is now a graduate of the program. He is also an international-award-winning Director, Writer and Producer who has directed on six continents. He began his production career as a Program Designer and Grant Writer for PBS and WHYY-TV, Philadelphia. He holds an MFA in Television and Film from Temple University, has also been a member of the acting faculty of American Conservatory Theater/Young Conservatory, and today is a working, professional actor doing film, television, and the stage, as well as teaching at The Meisner Technique Studio.
Regina Machelli
Regina Machelli started as Jim Jarrett’s personal assistant fifteen years ago. She handled all aspects of his touring productions as well as the business management of Jarrett’s acting schools in Sun Valley, Idaho and the Big Island of Hawaii. Ten years ago she was appointed Director of Admissions of The Meisner Technique Studio where she oversees all student administratve needs as well as the logistics for students from around the world moving to study at The Meisner Technique Studio. She resides in Sun Valley, Idaho with her husband.
Jon Labrie
Jon Labrie is a creative and experienced systems analyst with more than 20 years of experience in the digital technologies that drive innovation in global entertainment. In his capacity as Chief Technical Officer at Weta Digital from 1995-2003 he was the principle architect of the innovative technical infrastructure used to create the multiple Academy Award®-winning visual effects for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In that time Weta grew from two rooms with 7 artists to become one of the largest and most respected visual effects facilities in the world, with more than 300 creative professionals. His credits include Broken Arrow, The Frighteners, Contact, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.
Jon was a Founder of GEON Studios Pvt. Ltd., a visual effects and animation facility headquartered in Mumbai, India. He was Chief Executive Officer during the 3-year startup phase.
Jon is also sole inventor of two proprietary, patent-pending gaming architectures targeted at mobile devices and users, and in 2003 founded Blister Wireless to exploit the IP. Blister is developing a massively-multiplayer mobile game for distribution in the US.
A native of Los Angeles, Jon is also an accomplished public speaker with keynote speeches on computer-human interface design, digital visual effects, game development, and digital storage and networking architectures presented to capacity crowds in the US, Singapore, New Zealand, and Japan.
Nick Frangione
Nick Frangione, born in Athens, Georgia, moved to San Francisco at the age of 20 to pursue a career in acting. After going through several classes, he found Jim Jarrett at The Meisner Technique Studio, a studio that would become his home for learning and growing for two years. Now, Nick spends his time not only acting, but also making his own films in the Bay Area. After acquiring many tech skills in film making, he took on the position of full-time editor at the Meisner Technique Studio, editing both class videos as well as the Studio’s upcoming web series, “Table One”.
