Broken Hearted Theatre workshop and the Meisner technique


    I have read on the internet about the “”Meisner” technique and it was created by Sanford Meisner, who studied Stanislavski. so, these two techniques are not that different, but while Stanislavski’s is about accumulating allow the information and work out your character inside your mind, Meisner’s is  about adapting to the place you’re playing in and focus on your partner, so the reactions will come naturally to you.
 
     The last workshop we had with Broken Hearted Youth Theatre was on 24th of January, when we did some exercises based on this technique new to me. I consider the most important exercise of all was when we made up a “room” full of boxes because we had to imagine someone was moving in. In the room, there was someone playing hula hoop, being very focused on that action. Then someone interrupts this person and enters the room. We have decided they to be friends. The problem in this situation is that the one who enters the room stole her/his friend’s boyfriend or girlfriend. They both had to constantly react to each other while saying things they observe about each other. They had to repeat the sane thing on and on until one of them would change it with something new as true ast the last one. They didn’t have to focus on the words or on their actions, they had to react truly and spontaneously.
     While watching my classmates going through it, I observed some of them had difficulties on keeping repeating the same thing, because, I suppose, they were too worried about what they should say or do next.
     
      This exercises thst seems to be a game is really nice to watch and when they showed it to us, I was thinking: “What a pleasant exercise! You don’t have to worry about anything, but to be focused and the words, action and reactions will come naturally, exactly how playing a character should be, thruthful.” And I can say that again because I really think it is true. I’ve watched videos and I’ve seen a lot of practitioners and tutors using this repetition game, because it is accessible to people who are just starting to act and efficient even for professional actors.