Actors who study the Meisner Technique are likely familiar with the term the actors instrument. An analogy between an actor and an instrument is a good way to help define all the aspects of the acting craft and help actors take in idea, information and lines and put out high quality work. As an audience member, it becomes apparent very quickly who the good actors in a piece are or who might be falling short. But, can we pinpoint what makes us feel that way? In fact, it is the actors instrument and how well rounded and how well developed it is.
There are six aspects to consider when looking at the actors instrument. Those elements include emotional expression, sensory expression, physical expression, empathy and intelligence. In the Meisner technique, all aspects of the actors instrument need to be addressed and considered and are essential to mastering the craft. It is easy even for non actors to identify professional actors who have mastered the different aspects of their "instrument." It is the true legends, the icons of stage and screen, that have mastered all six.
Take, for example, Sylvester Stallone who is know for his commanding physical presence and physical expression. Stallone is certainly able to express emotionally, but overall his most powerful tool onscreen is his physical expression. As an actor he expresses emotional in a very physical, often external way. Actors must focus and learn about all the aspects of the acting instrument, which will help them be diverse and capable of many types of roles.
Emotional expression is the most common aspect of the instrument that actors are focused on. How a character feels about something and delivering lines powered by that feeling is a very common practice for newer actors. One one hand, it is short sighted to place too much emphasis on this particular aspect of the actors instrument, however, emotional expression is certainly a key aspect. All six of the aspects of the instrument should be studied diligently until they are mastered.
Emotional expression gives meaning to the story. It clues the audience in to what the character is about, the conflicts they face, what their deepest needs are. It is common in classes teaching Meisner acting in nyc to create an emotional history of a character, imagine it in detail and then use all the aspects of the instrument to express them. Meisner acting students are masters of human emotion, the full range and complexity of the human experience. They do this by creating a "library" of human emotion and a resource of reactions and ways of communicating based on studies of real people. When called upon to create a specific character, they dig very deep and create and imagine (another part of the instrument) what that character's emotional story is. Having created a full emotional life and a foundation of behaviors, thoughts and ways of reacting, the actor can then bring the character to life, in the moment, in a spontaneous way.
Vulnerability, for example is an expression of the emotion of insecurity. Actors might work hard to develop this emotion and the complex ways it can be expressed. If the actor has also worked hard to develop other aspects of the instrument, such as imagination, sensory expression and intelligence, the complexity of emotions will be there. A single tear, without words can accomplish this, but how about a sense of vulnerability shown while one is smashing a clock to pieces? There is no predictable, safe way to do this.
The myth is that acting is simply pretending to have an emotion. Acting is not "emoting," by injecting emotion into a script. As Sanford Meisner always said, Acting is DOING. In other words acting is being in the moment and allowing any number of emotional reactions well up and take you over and turn you into the actual character. Great acting is, moment by moment, opening up to the character and allowing them to take you places you may not have imagined. Great actors do not force themselves to cry. They feel genuine, strong emotions and a sense of grief or loss and images makes them cry. Acting students who have developed a deep capacity of raw, true human experience that can express it using all aspects of the instrument are the ones that learn the most about the craft. Give yourself permission to feel fully and strongly, and express it in ways that are physical, intelligent empathetic and real.
There are six aspects to consider when looking at the actors instrument. Those elements include emotional expression, sensory expression, physical expression, empathy and intelligence. In the Meisner technique, all aspects of the actors instrument need to be addressed and considered and are essential to mastering the craft. It is easy even for non actors to identify professional actors who have mastered the different aspects of their "instrument." It is the true legends, the icons of stage and screen, that have mastered all six.
Take, for example, Sylvester Stallone who is know for his commanding physical presence and physical expression. Stallone is certainly able to express emotionally, but overall his most powerful tool onscreen is his physical expression. As an actor he expresses emotional in a very physical, often external way. Actors must focus and learn about all the aspects of the acting instrument, which will help them be diverse and capable of many types of roles.
Emotional expression is the most common aspect of the instrument that actors are focused on. How a character feels about something and delivering lines powered by that feeling is a very common practice for newer actors. One one hand, it is short sighted to place too much emphasis on this particular aspect of the actors instrument, however, emotional expression is certainly a key aspect. All six of the aspects of the instrument should be studied diligently until they are mastered.
Emotional expression gives meaning to the story. It clues the audience in to what the character is about, the conflicts they face, what their deepest needs are. It is common in classes teaching Meisner acting in nyc to create an emotional history of a character, imagine it in detail and then use all the aspects of the instrument to express them. Meisner acting students are masters of human emotion, the full range and complexity of the human experience. They do this by creating a "library" of human emotion and a resource of reactions and ways of communicating based on studies of real people. When called upon to create a specific character, they dig very deep and create and imagine (another part of the instrument) what that character's emotional story is. Having created a full emotional life and a foundation of behaviors, thoughts and ways of reacting, the actor can then bring the character to life, in the moment, in a spontaneous way.
Vulnerability, for example is an expression of the emotion of insecurity. Actors might work hard to develop this emotion and the complex ways it can be expressed. If the actor has also worked hard to develop other aspects of the instrument, such as imagination, sensory expression and intelligence, the complexity of emotions will be there. A single tear, without words can accomplish this, but how about a sense of vulnerability shown while one is smashing a clock to pieces? There is no predictable, safe way to do this.
The myth is that acting is simply pretending to have an emotion. Acting is not "emoting," by injecting emotion into a script. As Sanford Meisner always said, Acting is DOING. In other words acting is being in the moment and allowing any number of emotional reactions well up and take you over and turn you into the actual character. Great acting is, moment by moment, opening up to the character and allowing them to take you places you may not have imagined. Great actors do not force themselves to cry. They feel genuine, strong emotions and a sense of grief or loss and images makes them cry. Acting students who have developed a deep capacity of raw, true human experience that can express it using all aspects of the instrument are the ones that learn the most about the craft. Give yourself permission to feel fully and strongly, and express it in ways that are physical, intelligent empathetic and real.
About the Author:
The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides acting classes in NYC for serious actors. Find out more about meisner acting at the studio website or read this article about acting instrument.
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