Introduction to the Meisner technique: the early repetition exercise and its pitfalls

Taking the first:

This is one of the first lessons in the Meisner class and introduces the basics of the repetition exercise, which is the foundation of the Meisner technique.

How does it work?

Two actors A and B sit opposite each other. Actor A moves away from B and, when prompted, he turns to B and says “the first thing” they notice about that actor. Actor B listens and instantly repeats what he hears, Actor A listens and instantly repeats, B then listens and repeats and so on…

Throughout the process, this becomes improvisations that encourage an open, honest and instinctive interaction between two characters.

It is important at this stage that the actor does not give an opinion about that other person, such as commenting on what their partner may be thinking or feeling, but sticks to physical observations: eg “green shirt”, “red hair” . , “hands in lap” or “you have big eyes.”

The reason for this is to encourage the actor to develop his ability to really listen to the other person using his eyes and ears. They are also encouraged to stay out of his head and not censor his responses.

Instinctively working in this way means that through the exercise of repetition the actors will experience various emotions. For example, actors may experience boredom doing four minutes of the repetition, they may find something their partner said funny so they feel like laughing, frustration or anger at what was said, and sometimes fear of the exercise. per se.

Fear of exercise:

Actors will naturally be afraid of what they might say to another actor if they are asked to speak uncensored. Teachers and parents tell us to “think before you speak” from an early age, so naturally the actor will fear the worst if encouraged to break this habit and if left unchecked the actor may become obsessed with it. with this fear

This has to be handled very carefully by teachers and actors who are new to The Meisner Technique. It is during these early stages that everyone must commit to exercise. Genuinely take the first thing you see, then listen and repeat, and most importantly, stay out of their heads!” By this I mean that the actor should focus all his attention on his partner and stop thinking about himself.

If the actor trusts this process, he will never say anything hurtful to his partners. They may say things that their partners don’t like or that might embarrass them, but being hurtful requires intent, which in turn requires you to be in your own head. If an actor doesn’t concentrate on the exercise for fear of what he might say or for any other reason, he will try to fake it and this is where the problems occur.

Remember at this stage of your work that it is easier to attack another person than to flatter him. If you understand why this is the case, then you can address the problem.

Why is this?

Because attacking someone leaves the actor still in control and safe in the knowledge that they cannot be taken advantage of. Being nice to another person leaves you open to attack, making it difficult for many people.

I did make it clear from the beginning that taking the first thing when looking at someone does not mean being unpleasant. The thing is that when the actor is afraid of what he might say, he tends to obsess over it, which means that he is too much in their heads censoring and questioning his responses. So the exercise is about being able to say what you feel you shouldn’t say instead of genuinely looking at the opposite person and “taking it first.”

If an actor, for whatever reason, does not commit to the job as directed, they tend to demonstrate what they believe the Meisner is all about without putting themselves at risk. Unfortunately, that can be (and often is) at the expense of another actor.

This has to be monitored as it is dangerous for the actor and irresponsible for the teacher to allow this to happen. If you see this happening in a group, address the issue immediately. If after a group discussion, an actor still chooses to cheat on the exercise, talk to him privately, express his concerns, and bring up the idea that Meisner might not be for him. Do not force anyone to do what they do not want to do or are not prepared to do. There are many other acting techniques and strategies out there and Meisner is not for everyone.