Sanford Meisner - Theater's Best Kept Secret (Part 2 of 7)

Part 2 of 7. A documentary on the great acting teacher Sanford Meisner.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• sanford
• meisner
• technique
• acting
• method

[mad3moyer]

The reason it takes years and years is because while you may know your craft, you are always working to make it better, or at least you should be. Just like a piano player, painter, or any other artist who has learned a technique, that does not stop them from continuing to learn from others as well as themselves. To master something means you have no more to learn, and if you think you have mastered acting in a shorter period of time, you are only fooling yourself.

[tgball77]

You guys are just kind of over thinking his 20 years to be good comment. He always states no one has ever completely mastered their craft, you can always become better and should try to everyday. I'm pretty sure it's a metaphor for never be satisified.

[mad3moyer]

@JustinJCarter1

You need to elaborate a little more, and parallel your music reference to acting technique before I can comment on it.

[JustinJCarter1]

@mad3moyer I think they stated rather clearly that it's because the first 20 years you have to be focused on playing the music, and you can't just play it.

[BLUERAY1]

@souldude81 I agree totally with you. There is a lot to say about talent and real commitment to excel and one could be a very solid actor in under 5 yrs. 20 yrs is a crazy ass number to throw out. Brando kicked ass as Stanley in streetcar with under 5 yrs of acting experience and when he did Waterfront he still only had way under 10 yrs acting.

[lolagraceful]

doesn't matter because then all that is occuring is that the person you are talking to is annoying you and you react however. You still have an objective if that makes sense. I only know because I've had that problem.

[trueblue4321]

I agree with the metaphor comment. I think also it would be better to have said something like mad3moyer is indicating that the actor is developing his whole life (if he or she is lucky enough to be working all the time by the way). But perhaps Meisner was sending another message of sorts, "this is work you have to be dedicated to and not to take it lightly." Obviously I don't know this. There is also an ideal he may have had in mind thinking of acting those "great acting roles "Lear-Hamlet"

[pdelaprimm]

@6.45 -- still smoking sticks, man!

[legatofancier]

@pelegirl5284 - No, Sandy was a chain smoker most of his life. His throat cancer was definitely caused by cigarette smoking. I went as far as to tell him that he ought to give up smoking. He took it well, but somehow I knew he wouldn't do it.

[dAtxMiiXdxChiCk]

MAN, I wish there were subtitles.

[Jerrod001H]

Devotion that he was talking about..

The Shen Yun, or Devin Performing arts is richly lived from the Bigining tile the End.. It has so much refinement & so much culture & the thoughs who put on the show are commited to it year round

It is comming for the 3 year here in colorado.. I studied Meisner's a little with Chrise Thatcher in Colorado who retired from Hollywood.. & it is purer then Meisner which is very engaged.. & butifule based on the Acters Heart's which may very.