Fall Meisner Intensive Ben Stone - Maggie Flanigan Studio

"The Meisner intensive helped me find a way to direct my intensity, passion and work ethic to the craft of acting. I feel much more connected to what I'm doing, and it feels much more natural." - Ben Stone The Fall Meisner Intensive at Maggie Flanigan Studio introduces actors to the Meisner technique exactly as Sanford Meisner intended. Ben Stone talks about the six week program and the similarities between training to play football and professional actor training. Q: Ben, what did you think it meant to train as an actor before you started the six-week intensive at Maggie Flanigan Studio? A: Frankly, I didn't know so much. It seemed like to be an actor you needed to read a lot of plays and take as many classes as you can, but this has given a high level of specificity to the training, it seems more like training. I played football, so I tried to bring the work ethic of a football player to this, and now it has directions, so it's a lot easier to work hard. It's not just this weird abstract idea of good and evil. Q: Now that you're finishing the Meisner intensive what do you think it means to train as an actor? A: Now it means you have to have such a great, a deep understanding of yourself. It's not just ideas about society and beliefs about people; it's you-- It's bringing what you wanted about yourself into scenes and into everything you do and be more aware of how you feel about things. Not just physically feel but emotionally feel and being in touch with those emotions, and it is okay to be in contact with those emotions. Q: What happened to you over the six-week intensive specifically that changed your perspective? A: It was one day when we moved on to the independent activity, and I just flipped out, just totally freaked out. I'm a big guy for most of my life trying not to freak out because I am a big scary guy and it's not societally acceptable. That was like a light bulb moment it's like, "That's what Charlie, he's got to be alive in that," yes, that was the aha moment. Before with just the repetition, it's like I couldn't figure it out really, but then the light bulb went off, and my work felt a lot better. Learn more about the Maggie Flanigan Studio, the Fall Meisner Intensive and the acting programs at the studio by visiting the acting programs page on the Maggie Flanigan website. Actors who are interested in applying to the programs should contact the studio to arrange an interview. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/ goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32 plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/2bCbBdh

via Fall Meisner Intensive Ben Stone - Maggie Flanigan Studio
by Maggie Flanigan

Fall Meisner Intensive Ben Stone - Maggie Flanigan Studio

The Fall Meisner Intensive at Maggie Flanigan Studio introduces actors to the Meisner technique exactly as Sanford Meisner intended. Ben Stone talks about the six week program and the similarities between training to play football and professional actor training. Q: What did you learn about yourself over the past six weeks that was a surprise? A: I have a lot more pent of aggression than I thought. I am a lot more intolerant of little things people do than I thought, things that annoy me, things that I don't think are acceptable for other people to do. I've become a lot more aware of that instead of just suppressing it because you can't just pick apart everybody, nobody wants to be around you. Just being more aware of it has helped me be more observant; which has been tremendous. Q: You mentioned previously you studied at some other studios or another studio, how has your experience at Maggie Flanigan Studio been different from the other studios you've studied at? A: Well, in some ways it's a lot more about, let's get to work. We can have fun, but it's about we're working hard. We're learning, we're trying to grow, we're trying to get better, and that's the core, the root of everything. On top of that, as I said before, it's a lot more specific. People know what they're talking about. There are noticeable changes and improvements that I've gone through just personally. Frankly, I don't know what the perception of my work has been, but for me observing or trying to find myself, I feel much more connected to what I'm doing, and it feels much more natural, and it's easier to get going. Q: Coming from an athletic background, how have you seen the similarities? Charlie talks a lot about the way dancers train and musician train and athletes train so intensely, and people don't always understand that acting requires the same intensity and dedication, so how has that helped you? A: I've trained so hard and so intensely for so long at sports, that when there is something I care about, and I really want to be good at if I can't find it-- Especially if it's something I don't know that much about, if I can't see a teacher that can create that level of intensity, it drives me crazy. It drives me nuts. I spent so much time training for sports, and it's been a trip trying to figure out how to apply that same intensity and work ethic and passion to something where I'm not head butting people. Learn more about the Maggie Flanigan Studio, the Fall Meisner Intensive and the acting programs at the studio by visiting the acting programs page on the Maggie Flanigan website. Actors who are interested in applying to the programs should contact the studio to arrange an interview. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/ goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32 plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/2bGuupM

via Fall Meisner Intensive Ben Stone - Maggie Flanigan Studio
by Maggie Flanigan