Private Lives - Epstein Studio scene, "Working with Director" course

[worf1994]

I think they work off each other very well, but the woman does most of the heavy lifting. You have to remember what the scene is about, the characters, and when it is supposed to occur ... they aren't going to be melodramatic in that era ...

[actorob50]

@worf1994 I would also watch out though for preconceived notions of how you think it should go. Part of the exercise of this scene is to find the reality for yourself, not through an image of what you think should be there.

[Talli732]

yeah i noticed it was stylized, but i feel that actors can work off of each other in any style if they truly inhabit that style, rather than create stylistic blocks of expression...if you in habit the style, you give yourself freedom, within that freedom you can play off of each other. I just didn't see it here.

[Talli732]

they dont seem to be working off of each other...which is what meisner is about :/

[actorob50]

@Talli732 As the teacher/director of this scene, hope you don't mind if I comment back. This piece has a difficult balance of working off of each other and creating the stylized behavior of the characters - a pretty advanced exercise for Meisner actors. Integrating directing & blocking w/contact is also not easy. However, watch with sound off and you'll see a good deal of working off of each other, sometimes more indirect than is typical in Meisner, , or just thru listening, but still there.