STRASBERG Vs MEISNER – An Introduction to Method Acting
1 evening a week, 4 weeks, £95
There are plenty of myths about Method Acting; Actors staying ‘in character’ for months, learning to box, juggle knives or sleeping rough for their roles. At WAP we wanted to get to the bottom of what Method really is, and how it can help our actor friends. We discovered that it’s about getting the actor to a place where they can really experience the inner life of a part. That means everything the character goes through – thoughts, sensations, emotions, desires, impulses – the actor must go through. For real. There and then. While always useful for stage, it’s become invaluable for TV and Film.
With our visiting practitioner Suresh Patel we have developed Strasberg V Meisner; an innovative course for actors in search of some Method to their madness. Unlike most Method courses, this focuses on two practitioners at the same time: Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner. Over four two-and-a-half hour sessions, actors will be guided through exercises designed by both men, side-by-side. Only ten actors in the group so lots of time to play and learn.
Wednesdays 15th, 22nd, 29th May, 5th June. 7pm – 9.30 The Rag Factory, 16-18 Heneage St, E1 5LJ. JUST £95
What will we cover? The Meisner work will cover the basic foundations of his infamous repetition exercise, evolving to full-scale improvisations, and will include emotional preparation and personalisations (the process of making cold text truly alive and felt by the actor). The Strasberg training will introduce students to relaxation, concentration, expressiveness and Strasberg’s innovative sequence that develops the actor’s imagination.
About our guest practitioner: Suresh trained as an actor at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. He is currently tutor in acting at Identity Drama School and visiting lecturer at Birmingham University, where he specialises in the actor training procedures of Stanislavski, Strasberg and Meisner. A sought-after authority on the American Stanislavski tradition, he has been a guest speaker at Rose Bruford College, High Tide Festival and Limerick Theatre Festival. As a director, his work has played at The Arcola, Riverside Studio, The Old Red Lion, The Cockpit, Lion and Unicorn and Latitude Festival.
Acting is all about knowing what works best for you. We want to present you with a choice: Strasberg vs. Meisner. Come and find out which one speaks your language. Whose Method will unlock your potential?
