This workshop introduces students to the Meisner technique of acting and script analysis. Its first sessions train students to develop their emotional presence and ability to engage, listen and react truthfully and spontaneously to their partner and audience. Building on this foundation, students move to script analysis and the interpretation of scenes that resonate with contemporary thinking on gender, power and nature.
Students progress through a highly structured, incremental practice and method. They work individually and in pairs on the first three practice steps: “inner state”, “repetition”, and “tools”. Moving on to script analysis, students work collectively as a group to discuss and analyze three scenes before working in pairs again to rehearse and perform a scene of their choice.
Philosophically, students will be invited to reflect on the difference between reality and truth, experiencing the essential nature and role of theatre as a place for the discovery and sharing of human, social and political truths. By training their ability to ‘live truthfully under a given set of imaginary circumstances' and learning to analyze and experience a script from any character's viewpoint, students will gain personal and artistic freedom and empowerment, learning to harness and integrate the power of thought, emotion and intention.
Frédérique NAHMANI
Atelier
English
This class is open to students with or without prior experience in acting.
Students should expect a moderate yet weekly workload: students are expected to rehearse an hour a week with their partner in addition to reading the entire play and memorizing a full scene by week 4 of the course.
Spring 2023-2024
Technique Grade (40%): students are evaluated on their understanding and progression on 3 core elements of the Meisner technique: repetition, tools and script analysis.
Scene Grades (50%) Rehearsal Grade (25%) and Final Presentation Grade (50%): students will be evaluated twice on their scene work, based on their commitment to the work, flexibility and progress as well as understanding and ability to integrate the Meisner technique
Participation (10%): in this class, participation is evaluated based on willingness and commitment to learning, active listening in class, a respectful and supportive attitude to classmates work, in addition to active participation to class.
Please be on time to respect your and your classmates' work.
Late students with a valid explanation will be admitted to class.
Politique inhérente aux retards de rendu des travaux / Late work policy
Late submission is subject to the teacher's approval
12 cours de 2h / 12 2 hour-long courses
Inner state (session 1): working with eyes closed and under the teacher's guidance, participants direct their attention to their physical state. Students learn to decrypt specific body sensations into basic emotions (happy, sad, angry). Through this practice, students begin to integrate their inner state as a gateway: a) to ground their presence b) to recognize emotions that might be a helpful launchpad into a speech or conversation d) to ‘read' the other person or audience based on their inner state.
The repetition exercise (sessions 2, 3): Building on the inner state practice, students move on to the repetition exercise. The teacher guides two working students through the rules and steps of the exercise, while the rest of class observes. Placing their acting partner at the center of their attention, students learn to build a deeply connected and dynamic relationship with their acting partner. Students work in pairs and practice the inner state exercise followed by the repetition exercise.
Tools (session 4): The teacher explains the concept of ‘tools', or how to influence the other person/audience into a specific feeling, thought or action. Students work in pair on the ‘speed' and ‘power' exercises: a student delivers only a line of text to their partner, using a specific tool (examples of tools include: to amuse, to accuse, to seduce, to blackmail etc.). When the receiving partner can accurately name and experience the tool used by the speaking partner, partners switch roles. Students practice tools suggested by the instructor, identifying both their natural and challenging tools.
Sessions 5-7: Script analysis and character development
Students choose one of three scenes selected by the instructor and begin to integrate text work to their practice, learning about script analysis and character development
Scene One (session 5)
Two students read a scene from our curriculum. Guided by the instructor, they learn to analyze the scene from one character's point of view: to identify the character's literal action, connect three different emotional outcomes to this action, identify the character's want, define their essential action and imagine “as if” scenarios (imaginary real-life situations) that would connect them personally to their essential action. Each student considers their character's actions and want and identify the range of tools their character may be using, a key step to shaping their character.
Scene Two and Three (sessions 6, 7): the analysis and character construction is repeated for the two other scenes selected by the course
Sessions 8-10: Performance and Notes
Students run their scenes while class observes and provides feedback. The teacher directs students, helping to strengthen the students' “as ifs” as needed and providing subtext intention and thoughts to clarify the use of tools. In the debrief for these sessions, the teacher and class provide constructive feedback, starting with the strengths displayed by each student and practical suggestions for next step work.
Sessions 8, 9, 10
In each session, three pairs of students perform their scene and receive directions and suggestions for next step work by the instructor and the rest of class. Each student will have the opportunity to perform their scene at least once
Session 11, 12. Final performances
Sessions 11, 12
Students incorporate notes from the instructor and class to present their scenes again
The teacher evaluates scenes on the following criteria: emotional presence, ability to focus on and read the audience/partner, ability to integrate direction, clarity of intention
Resilience, second play of the two play volume The Contingency Plan by Steve Waters, Pages 167- 171 (Nick Hern Books Modern Plays): Act 1, scene 1, scene between Chris and Sarika, from Chris Am I right in thinking that our task, our duty is to make this
A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, Act 3, final scene, Scene between Nora and Helmer (starting from Nora: Isn't there one thing that strikes you as strange in our sitting here like this? until Nora I have never felt my mind so clear and certain as tonight.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Act 4, last scene of the play, Scene between Proctor and Danforth (starting from Danforth Come, then, sign your testimony until Danforth Which way do you go, Mister? His breast heaving, his eyes staring, Proctor tears the p
(Note: we cut these lines from the scene, to keep the exchange to Proctor and Danforth: Parris :Proctor, the village must have proof that , and Proctor's Damn the village)
On Acting by Sanford Meisner and Dennis Longwell, Editions Vintage Books