I know that many actors can relate to this; you are in a rehearsal, or perhaps on stage or set, and something unexpected happens to you. For a brief moment, you were emotionally alive, fully present and entirely out of your head. You hear “cut” from the director, or you walk off stage, and you feel like a Mack truck has hit you. The feeling is amazing. It’s an incredible high for an actor. But then as quickly as it was here, it is lost. And you have no idea how you did it, or how to experience that again. What you lack is consistency, an ability to work in a way that allows for that deep experience every time you act.
"The Meisner technique is the most effective and truly brilliant way for actors to establish a fundamental set of skills."
Charlie SandlanHead of Acting, Executive Director
The main thing that an actor like this lacks is craft and technique. Any art form, be it painting, dance, music, graphic design, sculpting, and even sports has a fundamental skill set that ultimately needs to be mastered for talent and instincts to flourish. The great artists in any medium spend their entire lives working on their craft, mastering their instrument. Years and years of dedication, ultimately leads to a body of work that is consistently good, sometimes brilliant, but never awful. So the question for the actor is what does it take to establish a consistent way of working?
There is a fundamental set of skills, which should be second nature to any serious actor. I believe that the Meisner Technique created by Sandy Meisner in the 1930’s to be the most effective and truly brilliant way to achieve this. An excellent actor can consistently do many things: they have the placement of concentration off of themselves and onto the other person or what they are doing. They listen intently, surprised in every moment. They never ouch louder than they are pinched, letting moments unfold through inevitable cause & effect. They have a developed point of view and have the capacity to respond personally in every moment. They understand that acting is doing and not feeling. They have a vulnerable and sensitive instrument that allows them to be genuinely played upon and changed. They have developed the ability to act before they think, out of their heads and onto their spontaneous impulses. They know how to craft a previous circumstance, an acting relationship, shared circumstances, and objective, and they understand that actions are the clay of behavior.
Outstanding actors know how to do this; it’s been ingrained in them through hard work and excellent training. It is ultimately a way of working, a process that supports them every time they act, in auditions, on set, and on stage. This is the key to consistency: craft and technique. Its what will ultimately set you free and provide you with the ability to take what was is now a fleeting moment or two of divine inspiration, and turn it into just what you do. Act consistently well.
Acting Programs – Maggie Flanigan Studio – Call (917) 789-1599
The Meisner Acting Programs at Maggie Flanigan Studio
I know that many actors can relate to this; you are in a rehearsal, or perhaps on stage or set, and something unexpected happens to you. For a brief moment, you were emotionally alive, fully present and entirely out of your head. You hear “cut” from the director, or you walk off stage, and you feel like a Mack truck has hit you. The feeling is amazing. It’s an incredible high for an actor. But then as quickly as it was here, it is lost. And you have no idea how you did it, or how to experience that again. What you lack is consistency, an ability to work in a way that allows for that deep experience every time you act.
The main thing that an actor like this lacks is craft and technique. Any art form, be it painting, dance, music, graphic design, sculpting, and even sports has a fundamental skill set that ultimately needs to be mastered for talent and instincts to flourish. The great artists in any medium spend their entire lives working on their craft, mastering their instrument. Years and years of dedication, ultimately leads to a body of work that is consistently good, sometimes brilliant, but never awful. So the question for the actor is what does it take to establish a consistent way of working?
There is a fundamental set of skills, which should be second nature to any serious actor. I believe that the Meisner Technique created by Sandy Meisner in the 1930’s to be the most effective and truly brilliant way to achieve this. An excellent actor can consistently do many things: they have the placement of concentration off of themselves and onto the other person or what they are doing. They listen intently, surprised in every moment. They never ouch louder than they are pinched, letting moments unfold through inevitable cause & effect. They have a developed point of view and have the capacity to respond personally in every moment. They understand that acting is doing and not feeling. They have a vulnerable and sensitive instrument that allows them to be genuinely played upon and changed. They have developed the ability to act before they think, out of their heads and onto their spontaneous impulses. They know how to craft a previous circumstance, an acting relationship, shared circumstances, and objective, and they understand that actions are the clay of behavior.
Outstanding actors know how to do this; it’s been ingrained in them through hard work and excellent training. It is ultimately a way of working, a process that supports them every time they act, in auditions, on set, and on stage. This is the key to consistency: craft and technique. Its what will ultimately set you free and provide you with the ability to take what was is now a fleeting moment or two of divine inspiration, and turn it into just what you do. Act consistently well.
The Meisner Acting Programs at Maggie Flanigan Studio
The Maggie Flanigan Studio New York acting programs train actors based on the Meisner Technique, created by Sanford Meisner. Devin Fuller, a first year student in the acting program, talks about what he thought actor training was when he first started studying at the studio. Q: Devin, what did you think about to train as an actor before you started the two-year program at Maggie Flanigan Studio? A: I think when I was starting out I thought that actor training was something that you could do and was probably helpful, but I thought, “Not everyone necessarily needs to train because I've heard stories about people who become successful without going to training programs.” I thought for me, I could show up and learn on set, and I could learn from experience, but I think ultimately what I've learned is that there’s this level of technique that you don't necessarily get just from experience. It does help for someone to train you and to learn from somebody because you can only get so far, I think, on your own. It helps to have a teacher. Q: What did you think or what did you know about the Meisner Technique before you started your first year here? A: I had taken a couple of classes before that dabbled in Meisner, nothing super advanced though. All I knew about it was repetition involved. I didn't see the process too much beyond some fundamental things about it. All I knew was that I knew some people who had trained in the Meisner Technique and they were outstanding. I was like, “I want to learn what this is about,” so here I am. [laughs] Q: Now that you've finished the full first year of the two-year program, how has your understanding of the Meisner Technique changed? A: I've learned it’s very-- It lets you get into a part of yourself that you might not know you have. I feel like before when I didn't have as much of an understanding of technique; I would show up then think, "Okay, how would this character feel?" I didn't really-- It was not in a particular way. I just felt along and tried to see what works. A lot of times, maybe it did work, other times it didn't, I got feedback. Now that I've trained a little bit, I've learned that having some structure to how you're approaching acting is very helpful. This technique is good at getting you out of your head and focusing on what the other person is doing. It's less about yourself. I've learned so much about reacting to people and understanding and also letting my true emotional response come out. There is a difference between acting angry and being angry, acting sad and feeling sad. It's like night and day once you realize that. It's been a great experience, and I've learned a lot. Q: What did you learn about yourself this year that was a surprise or that changed you? A: In everyday life, you have to tamp down a lot of your emotions. You don't want to be angry, or at least I don't want to be mad at people. I don't want to show I'm agitated but doing this, it's like you realize you can access those parts of yourself and you can be excellent. Like when you're angry on set, you’re not acting angry, you want to get to a point when you feel mad. It’s all in a controlled experience but-- I mean controlled in the sense that it's safe, but it’s just this-- You let yourself live out these experiences. It feels so rewarding to let yourself go to that place. It's so much more-- I think you get these rush of being like, “Wow, I did that. I let it myself get angry. I let myself cry. I let myself break down.” It’s fantastic, and you feel so much better. You feel like such a better actor after letting yourself go to those places instead of just faking it. Q: How is being part of the two-year program different from your experience at other studios or in other classes? A: Two-year program, it's different. Previously, I had taken a lot of classes that were just one-offs, like here’s a scene study class, here’s an auditioning class. Here you get a lot more of a focus. Those things were usually like, four weeks, eight weeks, ten weeks, whatever and then maybe like once a week and you’re done. Then you feel like, “Well, I feel like I've learned something,” but you don't necessarily feel like it changed you as much. Here, you envelop yourself in this program, and you feel like, “This is all combining together and really changing me as a person and as an actor,” much more than you could get from just a simple scene study class that you do once a week. You do feel the growth over time as opposed to-- From where I was at the beginning of the year versus where I am now is just so different. I've grown so much. Q: Well what's it like to be in acting class and have a bad day? A: I'd say [chuckles] the bad days you can feel really bad. I've had a few experiences where I felt, “Well, I didn't do my best.” I knew it, but I felt more motivated at the end of the day to do better next time. You do learn a lot about yourself. Whereas if you can take criticism, and you can understand it, and you know it is a motivator at the end of the day because you feel like you want to be better. You want to understand, “Maybe I had a bad day today, but tomorrow I can be better, next week I can be better. I can reach those levels that I want to reach; I can reach those heights I want to reach as an actor.” Bad days are just another reason to do better next time. Q: What's it like to be in acting class and have a good day? A: Be in class and have a good day. It’s [laughs] great. You feel like you've accomplished something. I feel like-- it’s usually after-- I think it takes a while sometimes to reach those good days. Because a lot of times if you feel like you've been just doing-- your work has been exceptional or maybe mediocre, not great but then when you do have those good days it does make it all worth it. You feel like, “I've impressed myself. I feel excellent about my performance or my activity.” You feel like, “This is why I do this.” It’s a feeling unlike any other that I get from doing anything else. That's why I do it. The good days are the best days. Learn more about Meisner acting and professional actor training at the Maggie Flanigan Studio, by visiting the acting programs and acting classes page on the studio website, or by calling the studio during studio business hours at 917-789-1599. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/LRByr4
One of the most significant challenges actors face is accessing their emotions with ease and authenticity. Often, when the actor has a scene that requires an emotional outburst, the initial instinct is to force the emotions. When the actor forces crying or anger, it feels inauthentic to the audience. The reason the actor tries to manipulate emotions into existence is for fear the emotions will not come naturally. This creates a lot of tension and tightness around the emotional life and makes the body look uneasy and uncomfortable. The throat gets strained, the muscles in the face clench and the actor stops breathing. When the actor stops breathing, they completely disconnect from their emotions. The result and what the audience sees is “bad acting.”
What the actor needs is to remain relaxed, open and free of physical, emotional and mental tension. It can be confusing and counter-intuitive for the actor to maintain a relaxed body during a heightened emotional scene. It is crucial for the body, and emotional life to be tension free for the acting to be believable and engaging.
The work I do with actors helps release tightness and tension in the body and around the emotional life. By using the breath, the actor can move out of their head and into their body. The mind becomes quiet, allowing the body to be more present. The actor connects to their emotional life, their intuition, their creativity and their heart, allowing them to be completely open and feel safe in their body. Through the breath, the actor can release energetic blocks preventing them from utilizing their full range of emotions. I use Reiki, which is a Japanese relaxation technique using energy healing, to put the body into a deeply relaxed state. This turns off the fight or flight response and allows the body to enter the restorative and healing rest and digest state. When the body is deeply relaxed and free of tension, the actor can access their emotions with ease and readiness. This work helps release the fear the actor may have when working on intense emotional scripts. The comfort and freedom of the actor’s emotions make the performance genuine and truthful to the audience and sustainable for the actor take after take or night after night.
Reiki Classes for Actors at Maggie Flanigan Studio
Reiki Classes for Actors – Laura Pensiero – Maggie Flanigan Studio
Forced Emotions Feel Inauthentic
One of the most significant challenges actors face is accessing their emotions with ease and authenticity. Often, when the actor has a scene that requires an emotional outburst, the initial instinct is to force the emotions. When the actor forces crying or anger, it feels inauthentic to the audience. The reason the actor tries to manipulate emotions into existence is for fear the emotions will not come naturally. This creates a lot of tension and tightness around the emotional life and makes the body look uneasy and uncomfortable. The throat gets strained, the muscles in the face clench and the actor stops breathing. When the actor stops breathing, they completely disconnect from their emotions. The result and what the audience sees is “bad acting.”
When an actor fears their emotions will not come naturally, they often try to manipulate emotions into existence. To the audience, this feels inauthentic.
Laura PensieroReiki Classes for Actors
What the actor needs is to remain relaxed, open and free of physical, emotional and mental tension. It can be confusing and counter-intuitive for the actor to maintain a relaxed body during a heightened emotional scene. It is crucial for the body, and emotional life to be tension free for the acting to be believable and engaging.
The work I do with actors helps release tightness and tension in the body and around the emotional life. By using the breath, the actor can move out of their head and into their body. The mind becomes quiet, allowing the body to be more present. The actor connects to their emotional life, their intuition, their creativity and their heart, allowing them to be completely open and feel safe in their body. Through the breath, the actor can release energetic blocks preventing them from utilizing their full range of emotions. I use Reiki, which is a Japanese relaxation technique using energy healing, to put the body into a deeply relaxed state. This turns off the fight or flight response and allows the body to enter the restorative and healing rest and digest state. When the body is deeply relaxed and free of tension, the actor can access their emotions with ease and readiness. This work helps release the fear the actor may have when working on intense emotional scripts. The comfort and freedom of the actor’s emotions make the performance genuine and truthful to the audience and sustainable for the actor take after take or night after night.
Reiki Classes for Actors at Maggie Flanigan Studio
Laura Pensiero teaches Reiki classes for actors at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. In this video, Laura discusses the problems that actors face when forcing their emotions. Learn more about Laura Pensiero, the acting classes and acting programs at the Maggie Flanigan Studio by visiting our studio website at URL. Prospective students can call the studio during open hours with specific questions about our acting programs and class schedule. www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/acting-classes/reiki-for-act... One of the most significant challenges actors face is accessing their emotions with ease and authenticity. Often, when the actor has a scene that requires an emotional outburst, the initial instinct is to force the emotions. When the actor forces crying or anger, it feels inauthentic to the audience. The reason the actor tries to manipulate emotions into existence is for fear the emotions will not come naturally. This creates a lot of tension and tightness around the emotional life and makes the body look uneasy and uncomfortable. The throat gets strained, the muscles in the face clench and the actor stops breathing. When the actor stops breathing, they completely disconnect from their emotions. The result and what the audience sees is “bad acting.” What the actor needs is to remain relaxed, open and free of physical, emotional and mental tension. It can be confusing and counter-intuitive for the actor to maintain a relaxed body during a heightened emotional scene. It is crucial for the body, and emotional life to be tension free for the acting to be believable and engaging. The work I do with actors helps release tightness and tension in the body and around the emotional life. By using the breath, the actor can move out of their head and into their body. The mind becomes quiet, allowing the body to be more present. The actor connects to their emotional life, their intuition, their creativity and their heart, allowing them to be completely open and feel safe in their body. Through the breath, the actor can release energetic blocks preventing them from utilizing their full range of emotions. I use Reiki, which is a Japanese relaxation technique using energy healing, to put the body into a deeply relaxed state. This turns off the fight or flight response and allows the body to enter the restorative and healing rest and digest state. When the body is deeply relaxed and free of tension, the actor can access their emotions with ease and readiness. This work helps release the fear the actor may have when working on intense emotional scripts. The comfort and freedom of the actor’s emotions make the performance genuine and truthful to the audience and sustainable for the actor take after take or night after night. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/acting-classes/reiki-for-act... https://flic.kr/p/27QRp7U
Laura Pensiero teaches Reiki classes for actors at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. In this video, Laura discusses the problems that actors face when forcing their emotions. One of the most significant challenges actors face is accessing their emotions with ease and authenticity. Often, when the actor has a scene that requires an emotional outburst, the initial instinct is to force the emotions. When the actor forces crying or anger, it feels inauthentic to the audience. The reason the actor tries to manipulate emotions into existence is for fear the emotions will not come naturally. This creates a lot of tension and tightness around the emotional life and makes the body look uneasy and uncomfortable. The throat gets strained, the muscles in the face clench and the actor stops breathing. When the actor stops breathing, they completely disconnect from their emotions. The result and what the audience sees is “bad acting.” Learn more about Laura Pensiero, the acting classes and acting programs at the Maggie Flanigan Studio by visiting our studio website at URL. Prospective students can call the studio during open hours with specific questions about our acting programs and class schedule. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/Ntbpqq
Laura Pensiero teaches Reiki classes for actors at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. In this video, Laura discusses the problems that actors face when forcing their emotions. What the actor needs is to remain relaxed, open and free of physical, emotional and mental tension. It can be confusing and counter-intuitive for the actor to maintain a relaxed body during a heightened emotional scene. It is crucial for the body, and emotional life to be tension free for the acting to be believable and engaging. Learn more about Laura Pensiero, the acting classes and acting programs at the Maggie Flanigan Studio by visiting our studio website at URL. Prospective students can call the studio during open hours with specific questions about our acting programs and class schedule. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/2aAzYp8
Laura Pensiero teaches Reiki classes for actors at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. In this video, Laura discusses the problems that actors face when forcing their emotions. The work I do with actors helps release tightness and tension in the body and around the emotional life. By using the breath, the actor can move out of their head and into their body. The mind becomes quiet, allowing the body to be more present. The actor connects to their emotional life, their intuition, their creativity and their heart, allowing them to be completely open and feel safe in their body. Through the breath, the actor can release energetic blocks preventing them from utilizing their full range of emotions. I use Reiki, which is a Japanese relaxation technique using energy healing, to put the body into a deeply relaxed state. This turns off the fight or flight response and allows the body to enter the restorative and healing rest and digest state. When the body is deeply relaxed and free of tension, the actor can access their emotions with ease and readiness. This work helps release the fear the actor may have when working on intense emotional scripts. The comfort and freedom of the actor’s emotions make the performance genuine and truthful to the audience and sustainable for the actor take after take or night after night. Learn more about Laura Pensiero, the acting classes and acting programs at the Maggie Flanigan Studio by visiting our studio website at URL. Prospective students can call the studio during open hours with specific questions about our acting programs and class schedule. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/2aAzYpZ
Bill Coelius teaches commercial acting classes at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York. In this video post, Bill explains the three reasons why commercial actors are often the best actors in the world. Three reasons commercial actors are the best actors in the world. I have been a working actor for over 20 years and have been teaching film, tv, and commercial acting for more than ten decades. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s those well-trained Meisner actors who also become commercial actors are the best actors in the world. I have three reasons why. Have you ever tried to love toilet paper? I was on set once, and I saw a producer point at me, and comment to another producer, “It’s like he actually loves the toilet paper.” And I knew I had made it. Great acting is great acting. It’s taking imaginary circumstances and crafting them as real: to feel, to react to the moment, to listen. It’s no different on a commercial set. These are all the essential fundamentals that are instilled with the Meisner Technique. Different medium than say an intimate black box theater, but the work is the same. Falling in love with a paper product is the same as any of the themes Shakespeare tries out in his dramas: If you’re listening, If you’re reacting. Sell out with your heart out. Commercial actors have made the promise to themselves to live as WORKING actors. Not as a hobbyist, not as a judgmental artist (a stance sure to kill any artistic impulse), not as someone who is going to get to their art as soon as they quit their day job. A majority of professional, working SAG/AFTRA actors make their money doing commercials. I also get more commercial auditions than I do film and tv auditions. As a result, I get told no more often than other actors. My hide is thick, my self-worth high. I walk into every acting audition, as a new audition. Skills a hobbyist will never know. Commercial actors go to the doctor when they want to. SAG/AFTRA union insurance is pretty damn good. Which, as I mentioned before, a majority of SAG/AFTRA working actors have because of their earnings from commercials. (Actors need to make a minimum amount every year to qualify.) My wife and I had a baby a while ago, well, my wife had a baby, I held her hand and watched, and the delivery cost us over 20k. Because of SAG/AFTRA insurance, it cost us 2k. I see an acupuncturist, get cheap medication for my asthma and know my daughter sees a good pediatrician. This is all because of commercials. How do you think this affects me when I walk into an audition room that is full of uncertainty, fear, and indecision? My life essentials are covered by my union, because of my work, and this creates a mindset for joy and risk, two of your greatest allies in the audition room. I become a world-class actor. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 Learn more about the commercial acting classes and acting programs for serious actors by visiting the studio's acting programs page or calling the studio at 917-789-1599 with specific questions about our programs and schedules. https://flic.kr/p/29vcfYN
commercial acting class in NYC - Maggie Flanigan Studio Bill Coelius teaches commercial acting classes at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York. In this video post, Bill explains the three reasons why commercial actors are often the best actors in the world. Three reasons commercial actors are the best actors in the world. I have been a working actor for over 20 years and have been teaching film, tv, and commercial acting for more than ten decades. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s those well-trained Meisner actors who also become commercial actors are the best actors in the world. I have three reasons why. Have you ever tried to love toilet paper? I was on set once, and I saw a producer point at me, and comment to another producer, “It’s like he actually loves the toilet paper.” And I knew I had made it. Great acting is great acting. It’s taking imaginary circumstances and crafting them as real: to feel, to react to the moment, to listen. It’s no different on a commercial set. These are all the essential fundamentals that are instilled with the Meisner Technique. Different medium than say an intimate black box theater, but the work is the same. Falling in love with a paper product is the same as any of the themes Shakespeare tries out in his dramas: If you’re listening, If you’re reacting. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/27QKb7C
New York commercial acting classes - Maggie Flanigan Studio (917) 789-1599 Sell out with your heart out. Commercial actors have made the promise to themselves to live as WORKING actors. Not as a hobbyist, not as a judgmental artist (a stance sure to kill any artistic impulse), not as someone who is going to get to their art as soon as they quit their day job. A majority of professional, working SAG/AFTRA actors make their money doing commercials. I also get more commercial auditions than I do film and tv auditions. As a result, I get told no more often than other actors. My hide is thick, my self-worth high. I walk into every acting audition, as a new audition. Skills a hobbyist will never know. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/27QKbbf
the best commercial acting classes in New York - (917) 789-1599 Commercial actors go to the doctor when they want to. SAG/AFTRA union insurance is pretty damn good. Which, as I mentioned before, a majority of SAG/AFTRA working actors have because of their earnings from commercials. (Actors need to make a minimum amount every year to qualify.) My wife and I had a baby a while ago, well, my wife had a baby, I held her hand and watched, and the delivery cost us over 20k. Because of SAG/AFTRA insurance, it cost us 2k. I see an acupuncturist, get cheap medication for my asthma and know my daughter sees a good pediatrician. This is all because of commercials. How do you think this affects me when I walk into an audition room that is full of uncertainty, fear, and indecision? My life essentials are covered by my union, because of my work, and this creates a mindset for joy and risk, two of your greatest allies in the audition room. I become a world-class actor. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/2awdE6b
The Maggie Flanigan Studio New York acting programstrain actors based on the Meisner Technique, created by Sanford Meisner. Devin Fuller, a first-year student in the acting program, talks about what he thought actor training was when he first started studying at the studio.
Q: Devin, what did you think about to train as an actor before you started the two-year program at Maggie Flanigan Studio?
A: I think when I was starting out I thought that actor training was something that you could do and was probably helpful, but I thought, “Not everyone necessarily needs to train because I've heard stories about people who become successful without going to training programs.” I thought for me, I could show up and learn on set, and I could learn from experience, but I think ultimately what I've learned is that there’s this level of technique that you don't necessarily get just from experience. It does help for someone to train you and to learn from somebody because you can only get so far, I think, on your own. It helps to have a teacher.
Q: What did you think or what did you know about the Meisner Technique before you started your first year here?
A: I had taken a couple of classes before that dabbled in Meisner, nothing super advanced though. All I knew about it was repetition involved. I didn't see the process too much beyond some fundamental things about it. All I knew was that I knew some people who had trained in the Meisner Technique and they were outstanding. I was like, “I want to learn what this is about,” so here I am.
Q: Now that you've finished the full first year of the two-year program, how has your understanding of the Meisner Technique changed?
A: I've learned it’s very-- It lets you get into a part of yourself that you might not know you have. I feel like before when I didn't have as much of an understanding of technique; I would show up then think, "Okay, how would this character feel?" I didn't really-- It was not in a particular way. I just felt along and tried to see what works. A lot of times, maybe it did work, other times it didn't, I got feedback.
Now that I've trained a little bit, I've learned that having some structure to how you're approaching acting is very helpful. This technique is good at getting you out of your head and focusing on what the other person is doing. It's less about yourself. I've learned so much about reacting to people and understanding and also letting my true emotional response come out. There is a difference between being acting angry and being angry, acting sad and feeling sad. It's like night and day once you realize that. It's been a great experience, and I've learned a lot.
Q: What did you learn about yourself this year that was a surprise or that changed you?
A: In everyday life, you have to tamp down a lot of your emotions. You don't want to be angry, or at least I don't want to be mad at people. I don't want to show I'm agitated but doing this, it's like you realize you can access those parts of yourself and you can be excellent. Like when you're angry on set, you’re not acting angry, you want to get to a point when you feel mad.
It’s all in a controlled experience but-- I mean controlled in the sense that it's safe, but it’s just this-- You let yourself live out these experiences. It feels so rewarding to let yourself go to that place. It's so much more-- I think you get these rush of being like, “Wow, I did that. I let it myself get angry. I let myself cry. I let myself break down.” It’s fantastic, and you feel so much better. You feel like such a better actor after letting yourself go to those places instead of just faking it.
Q: How is being part of the two-year program different from your experience at other studios or in other classes?
A: Two-year program, it's different. Previously, I had taken a lot of classes that were just one-offs, like here’s a scene study class, here’s an auditioning class. Here you get a lot more of a focus. Those things were usually like, four weeks, eight weeks, ten weeks, whatever and then maybe like once a week and you’re done. Then you feel like, “Well, I feel like I've learned something,” but you don't necessarily feel like it changed you as much. Here, you envelop yourself in this program, and you feel like, “This is all combining together and really changing me as a person and as an actor,” much more than you could get from just a simple scene study class that you do once a week.
You do feel the growth over time as opposed to-- From where I was at the beginning of the year versus where I am now is just so different. I've grown so much.
Q: Well what's it like to be in acting class and have a bad day?
A: I'd say the bad days you can feel really bad. I've had a few experiences where I felt, “Well, I didn't do my best.” I knew it, but I felt more motivated at the end of the day to do better next time. You do learn a lot about yourself. Whereas if you can take criticism, and you can understand it, and you know it is a motivator at the end of the day because you feel like you want to be better. You want to understand, “Maybe I had a bad day today, but tomorrow I can be better, next week I can be better. I can reach those levels that I want to reach; I can reach those heights I want to reach as an actor.” Bad days are just another reason to do better next time.
Q: What's it like to be in acting class and have a good day?
A: Be in class and have a good day. It’s [laughs] great. You feel like you've accomplished something. I feel like-- it’s usually after-- I think it takes a while sometimes to reach those good days. Because a lot of times if you feel like you've been just doing-- your work has been exceptional or maybe mediocre, not great but then when you do have those good days it does make it all worth it.
You feel like, “I've impressed myself. I feel excellent about my performance or my activity.” You feel like, “This is why I do this.” It’s a feeling unlike any other that I get from doing anything else. That's why I do it. The good days are the best days.
The Maggie Flanigan Studio New York acting programstrain actors based on the Meisner Technique, created by Sanford Meisner. Devin Fuller, a first-year student in the acting program, talks about what he thought actor training was when he first started studying at the studio.
Acting Programs New York – Devin Fuller – Maggie Flanigan Studio Interview
Q: Devin, what did you think about to train as an actor before you started the two-year program at Maggie Flanigan Studio?
A: I think when I was starting out I thought that actor training was something that you could do and was probably helpful, but I thought, “Not everyone necessarily needs to train because I’ve heard stories about people who become successful without going to training programs.” I thought for me, I could show up and learn on set, and I could learn from experience, but I think ultimately what I’ve learned is that there’s this level of technique that you don’t necessarily get just from experience. It does help for someone to train you and to learn from somebody because you can only get so far, I think, on your own. It helps to have a teacher.
"I let it myself get angry. I let myself cry. I let myself break down. I feel like such a better actor after letting myself go to those places instead of just faking it."
Devin FullerActing Program, First Year Student
Q: What did you think or what did you know about the Meisner Technique before you started your first year here?
A: I had taken a couple of classes before that dabbled in Meisner, nothing super advanced though. All I knew about it was repetition involved. I didn’t see the process too much beyond some fundamental things about it. All I knew was that I knew some people who had trained in the Meisner Technique and they were outstanding. I was like, “I want to learn what this is about,” so here I am.
Q: Now that you’ve finished the full first year of the two-year program, how has your understanding of the Meisner Technique changed?
A: I’ve learned it’s very– It lets you get into a part of yourself that you might not know you have. I feel like before when I didn’t have as much of an understanding of technique; I would show up then think, “Okay, how would this character feel?” I didn’t really– It was not in a particular way. I just felt along and tried to see what works. A lot of times, maybe it did work, other times it didn’t, I got feedback.
Now that I’ve trained a little bit, I’ve learned that having some structure to how you’re approaching acting is very helpful. This technique is good at getting you out of your head and focusing on what the other person is doing. It’s less about yourself. I’ve learned so much about reacting to people and understanding and also letting my true emotional response come out. There is a difference between being acting angry and being angry, acting sad and feeling sad. It’s like night and day once you realize that. It’s been a great experience, and I’ve learned a lot.
Q: What did you learn about yourself this year that was a surprise or that changed you?
A: In everyday life, you have to tamp down a lot of your emotions. You don’t want to be angry, or at least I don’t want to be mad at people. I don’t want to show I’m agitated but doing this, it’s like you realize you can access those parts of yourself and you can be excellent. Like when you’re angry on set, you’re not acting angry, you want to get to a point when you feel mad.
It’s all in a controlled experience but– I mean controlled in the sense that it’s safe, but it’s just this– You let yourself live out these experiences. It feels so rewarding to let yourself go to that place. It’s so much more– I think you get these rush of being like, “Wow, I did that. I let it myself get angry. I let myself cry. I let myself break down.” It’s fantastic, and you feel so much better. You feel like such a better actor after letting yourself go to those places instead of just faking it.
Q: How is being part of the two-year program different from your experience at other studios or in other classes?
A: Two-year program, it’s different. Previously, I had taken a lot of classes that were just one-offs, like here’s a scene study class, here’s an auditioning class. Here you get a lot more of a focus. Those things were usually like, four weeks, eight weeks, ten weeks, whatever and then maybe like once a week and you’re done. Then you feel like, “Well, I feel like I’ve learned something,” but you don’t necessarily feel like it changed you as much. Here, you envelop yourself in this program, and you feel like, “This is all combining together and really changing me as a person and as an actor,” much more than you could get from just a simple scene study class that you do once a week.
You do feel the growth over time as opposed to– From where I was at the beginning of the year versus where I am now is just so different. I’ve grown so much.
Acting Programs in New York NY – Devin Fuller First-Year Interview
Q: Well what’s it like to be in acting class and have a bad day?
A: I’d say [chuckles] the bad days you can feel really bad. I’ve had a few experiences where I felt, “Well, I didn’t do my best.” I knew it, but I felt more motivated at the end of the day to do better next time. You do learn a lot about yourself. Whereas if you can take criticism, and you can understand it, and you know it is a motivator at the end of the day because you feel like you want to be better. You want to understand, “Maybe I had a bad day today, but tomorrow I can be better, next week I can be better. I can reach those levels that I want to reach; I can reach those heights I want to reach as an actor.” Bad days are just another reason to do better next time.
Q: What’s it like to be in acting class and have a good day?
A: Be in class and have a good day. It’s [laughs] great. You feel like you’ve accomplished something. I feel like– it’s usually after– I think it takes a while sometimes to reach those good days. Because a lot of times if you feel like you’ve been just doing– your work has been exceptional or maybe mediocre, not great but then when you do have those good days it does make it all worth it.
You feel like, “I’ve impressed myself. I feel excellent about my performance or my activity.” You feel like, “This is why I do this.” It’s a feeling unlike any other that I get from doing anything else. That’s why I do it. The good days are the best days.
Acting Programs New York – Maggie Flanigan Studio – Call (917) 789-1599
Why Commercial Actors are the Best Actors in the World
I have been a working actor for over 20 years and have been teaching film, tv, and commercial acting for more than ten decades. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s those well-trained Meisner actors who also become commercial actors are the best actors in the world. I have three reasons why.
Have You Ever Tried to Love Toilet Paper?
I was on set once, and I saw a producer point at me, and comment to another producer, “It’s like he actually loves the toilet paper.” And I knew I had made it. Great acting is great acting. It’s taking imaginary circumstances and crafting them as real: to feel, to react to the moment, to listen. It’s no different on a commercial set. These are all the essential fundamentals that are instilled with the Meisner Technique. Different medium than say an intimate black box theater, but the work is the same. Falling in love with a paper product is the same as any of the themes Shakespeare tries out in his dramas: If you’re listening, If you’re reacting.
Sell Out with Your Heart Out
Commercial actors have made the promise to themselves to live as working actors. Not as a hobbyist, not as a judgmental artist (a stance sure to kill any artistic impulse), not as someone who is going to get to their art as soon as they quit their day job. A majority of professional, working SAG/AFTRA actors make their money doing commercials. I also get more commercial auditions than I do film and tv auditions. As a result, I get told no more often than other actors. My hide is thick, my self-worth high. I walk into every acting audition, as a new audition. Skills a hobbyist will never know.
Commercial Actors Go to the Doctor When They Want To
SAG/AFTRA union insurance is pretty damn good. Which, as I mentioned before, a majority of SAG/AFTRA working actors have because of their earnings from commercials. (Actors need to make a minimum amount every year to qualify.) My wife and I had a baby a while ago, well, my wife had a baby, I held her hand and watched, and the delivery cost us over 20k. Because of SAG/AFTRA insurance, it cost us 2k. I see an acupuncturist, get cheap medication for my asthma and know my daughter sees a good pediatrician. This is all because of commercials. How do you think this affects me when I walk into an audition room that is full of uncertainty, fear, and indecision? My life essentials are covered by my union, because of my work, and this creates a mindset for joy and risk, two of your greatest allies in the audition room. I become a world-class actor.
More About Commercial Acting Classes at the Maggie Flanigan Studio
The Best Commercial Acting Classes in New York – (917) 789-1599
Why Commercial Actors are the Best Actors in the World
I have been a working actor for over 20 years and have been teaching film, tv, and commercial acting for more than ten decades. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s those well-trained Meisner actors who also become commercial actors are the best actors in the world. I have three reasons why.
"A majority of professional, working SAG/AFTRA actors make their money doing commercials."
Bill CoeliusCommercial Acting Teacher
Have You Ever Tried to Love Toilet Paper?
I was on set once, and I saw a producer point at me, and comment to another producer, “It’s like he actually loves the toilet paper.” And I knew I had made it. Great acting is great acting. It’s taking imaginary circumstances and crafting them as real: to feel, to react to the moment, to listen. It’s no different on a commercial set. These are all the essential fundamentals that are instilled with the Meisner Technique. Different medium than say an intimate black box theater, but the work is the same. Falling in love with a paper product is the same as any of the themes Shakespeare tries out in his dramas: If you’re listening, If you’re reacting.
Sell Out with Your Heart Out
Commercial actors have made the promise to themselves to live as working actors. Not as a hobbyist, not as a judgmental artist (a stance sure to kill any artistic impulse), not as someone who is going to get to their art as soon as they quit their day job. A majority of professional, working SAG/AFTRA actors make their money doing commercials. I also get more commercial auditions than I do film and tv auditions. As a result, I get told no more often than other actors. My hide is thick, my self-worth high. I walk into every acting audition, as a new audition. Skills a hobbyist will never know.
Commercial Actors Go to the Doctor When They Want To
SAG/AFTRA union insurance is pretty damn good. Which, as I mentioned before, a majority of SAG/AFTRA working actors have because of their earnings from commercials. (Actors need to make a minimum amount every year to qualify.) My wife and I had a baby a while ago, well, my wife had a baby, I held her hand and watched, and the delivery cost us over 20k. Because of SAG/AFTRA insurance, it cost us 2k. I see an acupuncturist, get cheap medication for my asthma and know my daughter sees a good pediatrician. This is all because of commercials. How do you think this affects me when I walk into an audition room that is full of uncertainty, fear, and indecision? My life essentials are covered by my union, because of my work, and this creates a mindset for joy and risk, two of your greatest allies in the audition room. I become a world-class actor.
New York Commercial Acting Classes – Maggie Flanigan Studio (917) 789-1599
More About Commercial Acting Classes at the Maggie Flanigan Studio
Emotion, as it pertains to acting can be very elusive, and a misunderstood part of the art form. A big problem that many aspiring actors have is that they don’t possess an instrument that is pliable and vulnerable enough to access the full gamut of human emotion. Also, most actors misunderstand emotion in acting, often falsely believing that quantity is more important than quality. So actors struggle, often their entire careers, trying to figure out how to bring more depth to their work. How can you be more vulnerable? How can you find the ease to allow for a simple, fluid emotional life? How can you connect emotionally not only to text but the other actors on stage/on set? These are the problems that actors confront when dealing with emotion.
It can be frustrating to read a scene, and understand the emotional arc of the character and the depth of the experience intellectually but struggle to bring that forth in your behavior. If the actor is not vulnerable, the emotional connection can get blocked. Breath is vital in an actor’s ability to process deep, rich experience. The problem for those of you that want to be genuinely open and available in the imaginary world is that the parenting, socialization, and education that you have endured has built up walls that keep you protected and safe. These are all important to be a well-functioning adult but are a detriment if you want to be an emotionally sensitive actor. An actor must chip away at these defenses, so that your empathy, your humanity, and your vulnerability can come to the surface. I have found the Meisner Technique, created by Sandy Meisner in the 1930’s, to be the most effective way to accomplish this.
If you are an actor who has a very tense body and voice, an actor who may be up to this point has never seriously trained and worked on your craft, you probably have found yourself frustrated by the lack of depth in your acting. You must develop the capacity to feel pain, hurt, heartbreak, embarrassment, shame, grief, joy, silliness, humiliation, ultimately the entire gamut of human experience. That resides in you because you are human, but the great roles, the profound characters require actors to function from parts of themselves that they spend most of their lives repressing. We do not go through our days searching for conflict or have much experience performing from our rage or engaging in soul exposing intimacy. An actor must develop their instrument so that human emotion becomes their pallet. It takes a flexible body, a resonant voice, and a versatile temperament. It takes years to develop, and won’t be accomplished in a scene study, film & tv, or improv class.
And emotional availability isn’t enough if you want to be a great actor. You must also be ascetically pleasing to watch. In life, intense experiences cause us to tighten up, stop breathing, and often flee. But an actor doesn’t have that option. An actor must be able to release into intense emotion so that it’s not locked up. If you are serious about becoming a more versatile actor, than you must come to the understanding that serious training is the first big step in removing yourself from the pool of mediocrity. It’s the first door to open if you aspire to take on significant characters and lead parts.
Emotions in Acting – Meisner Training at Maggie Flanigan Studio – (917) 789-1599
Why Many Actors Struggle with Emotions and Acting
Emotion, as it pertains to acting can be very elusive, and a misunderstood part of the art form. A big problem that many aspiring actors have is that they don’t possess an instrument that is pliable and vulnerable enough to access the full gamut of human emotion. Also, most actors misunderstand emotion in acting, often falsely believing that quantity is more important than quality. So actors struggle, often their entire careers, trying to figure out how to bring more depth to their work. How can you be more vulnerable? How can you find the ease to allow for a simple, fluid emotional life? How can you connect emotionally not only to text but the other actors on stage/on set? These are the problems that actors confront when dealing with emotion.
"Many actors struggle for their entire careers trying to figure out how to bring more depth to their work."
Charlie SandlanExecutive Director, Head of Acting
It can be frustrating to read a scene, and understand the emotional arc of the character and the depth of the experience intellectually but struggle to bring that forth in your behavior. If the actor is not vulnerable, the emotional connection can get blocked. Breath is vital in an actor’s ability to process deep, rich experience. The problem for those of you that want to be genuinely open and available in the imaginary world is that the parenting, socialization, and education that you have endured has built up walls that keep you protected and safe. These are all important to be a well-functioning adult but are a detriment if you want to be an emotionally sensitive actor. An actor must chip away at these defenses, so that your empathy, your humanity, and your vulnerability can come to the surface. I have found the Meisner Technique, created by Sandy Meisner in the 1930’s, to be the most effective way to accomplish this.
If you are an actor who has a very tense body and voice, an actor who may be up to this point has never seriously trained and worked on your craft, you probably have found yourself frustrated by the lack of depth in your acting. You must develop the capacity to feel pain, hurt, heartbreak, embarrassment, shame, grief, joy, silliness, humiliation, ultimately the entire gamut of human experience. That resides in you because you are human, but the great roles, the profound characters require actors to function from parts of themselves that they spend most of their lives repressing. We do not go through our days searching for conflict or have much experience performing from our rage or engaging in soul exposing intimacy. An actor must develop their instrument so that human emotion becomes their pallet. It takes a flexible body, a resonant voice, and a versatile temperament. It takes years to develop, and won’t be accomplished in a scene study, film & tv, or improv class.
And emotional availability isn’t enough if you want to be a great actor. You must also be ascetically pleasing to watch. In life, intense experiences cause us to tighten up, stop breathing, and often flee. But an actor doesn’t have that option. An actor must be able to release into intense emotion so that it’s not locked up. If you are serious about becoming a more versatile actor, than you must come to the understanding that serious training is the first big step in removing yourself from the pool of mediocrity. It’s the first door to open if you aspire to take on significant characters and lead parts.
Emotions and Meisner Acting – Maggie Flanigan Studio – (917) 789-1599
