Meisner Technique vs Method Acting
Answer by Fay Beck:
As a Meisner Technique teacher I find that students can struggle with both. Generally speaking, people who are naturally more honest and expressive as regards their emotions, find Meisner easier to work with. Whereas people who tend to naturally keep things inside themselves – a very unhealthy thing to do – find Method easier than Meisner.
When I train students with no previous experience of the Meisner Technique I find they are easier to work with. In the sense that they pose less resistance to what they are learning. They in turn, find working with Meisner easier. I find that once ‘inducted’ in the technique they have a hard time liking anything else.
I have trained Method trained actors who find Meisner extremely difficult. While their initial interest in Meisner is often disappointment with the insular world ‘method’ can create, they often struggle to get out of the ‘performance’ mode that ‘method’ tends to put actors in.
Saying that, Meisner is very demanding; as is Method of course – just in a different way.
Do actors think it is easier to learn method acting or the Meisner technique?
