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  Our Meisner training program is known for its ability to convert a lukewarm imitation of life into an active, alive moment of human interaction. For trained performers who experience their acting as "thoughtfully executed" or "superficially slick," the benefits of the Meisner approach include being liberated from an overly analytical process to mastering the skill of making strong, specific interpretative choices and turning text into action. We provide the actor with the personal knowledge and practical skills to consistently do their best work under the pressures of auditions and performances -- whether that work is for the stage, on television or in film. We divide the traditional Meisner training into three parts, and it is possible to complete the training in nine month's time. All technique classes meet twice a week, each student works every class, and students are expected to work with acting partners between classes in outside rehearsals. Acceptance to the second and third levels is by the instructor's discretion. Students who have participated in other Meisner programs may be considered for advanced placement in our program.
Concurrent with their acting technique training or subsequent to it, most of our students elect to participate in the Performance Training portion of our program.  Complimenting the Meisner approach to acting is our vocal production workshop, which provides actors with the basics of liberating and strengthening their natural voice. Covering abdominal breathing, relaxation for performance, and vocal control of pitch, resonance and projection, this workshop helps an actor release tension and expand his or her vocal range without strain. Additionally, actors in our vocal classes report that they experience an "opening up" that not only produces better sound but helps them become more connected to their body and to their feelings. In this way, our vocal production class becomes an important element in the actor's overall training. "This training is making me the kind of actor I admire- one that takes risks, is vulnerable, honest, a team player and unconditionally present"
-- Sara Kaufman, 2005 "The Ward Studio holds its students to higher standards. They never let you get away with your old shtick! They make sure you're applying yourself. You just know you're getting better every class- you see it in your classmates and feel it in yourself."
-- Suzie Mellring, 2006 |
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