“If you are really doing it, you don’t have time to watch yourself doing it.” Sanford Meisner was an actor and founding member of the Group Theater. He went on to become a master teacher of acting who sought to give students an organized approach to the creation of truthful behavior on stage within the imaginary circumstances of a play. This class focuses on developing an actor’s ability to listen, follow their impulses, trust their instincts, and work from moment to moment off of an acting partner. We will explore repetition, independent activities, emotional preparation, and text work. The class will require extensive out-of-class preparation, with a minimum of six hours a week for rehearsals and the crafting of exercises. In addition, we will be reading Eleonora Duse’s biography, A Mystic in the Theater.
Learning Outcomes:
-Understanding of the principles of collaboration and improvisation
-Ability to analyze and interpret a text(play)
-Develop a sense of how work is created and an ability to foster process
-Develop your own process as an actor
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: One 4000 level acting course and permission of the instructor. Students will need to meet one-on-one with faculty to determine eligibility for the class. Email jrohn@bennington.edu to set up an appointment.
Corequisites: Dance or Drama Lab assignment
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
T/F 10:30AM - 12:20PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Course Frequency: Once a year
Categories: 4000 , All courses , Drama , Four Credit , Fully In-Person
Tags: acting , Collaboration , improvisation