It would be impossible to teach you the technique in an article
but if I could share one extremely valuable point that any actor
or actress regardless of training or experience to date could
take away with them it would be this.


Put all your attention on your partner!


Putting all your attention on your working partner results in
listening and answering, living moment to moment, and hence
living truthfully. This is what makes acting magnetic and
riveting.


Great acting is about listening and answering. It’s like a
tennis match. Hitting the ball back and forth. And to be able to
do this your must take the attention off your self otherwise
your holding the ball in your hand and there is no game. And
that is boring!


The Meisner Technique of Acting is far more in depth than this
one point but if you leave your self alone and don’t do anything
unless the other person makes you do it you can improve your
acting immediately.


What I mean by this is don’t ACT! Don’t put on a show, don’t
behave in a certain way or do something because you think the
audience will appreciate it only do something if the other
person in the scene with you makes you do it.



That way all your attention is on the other person and you react
according to what they are giving you.



Are they ignoring you? What’s your point of view about that?
Then communicate that point of view to them.

Are they smothering you? What’s your point of view about that?
Then communicate that point of view to them.

Are they manipulating you? What’s your point of view about that?
Then communicate that point of view to them.


Go to their BEHAVIOR.


The Meisner Technique of Acting is all about reading BEHAVIOR
not about what words are written on a page.


So go to the behavior of your working partner and give them your
point of view.


If you do your homework, that is understanding your given
circumstances, who your are, where you are, what’s just
happened, what your fighting for in this scene, what the stakes
are, who this person in this scene is to you, then all you have
to do is come on stage or onto set or into the audition room and
leave your circumstances at the door because they are now in you
and simply place all your attention on your partner whilst doing
your doing.


This is one acting tip from the Meisner Technique of Acting that
is guaranteed to improve your skills and abilities as an actor.


To your acting success

Leanne Mauro