About the Meisner Technique for Actors

Born in China, actress Teresa Cheung received her United States green
card for her extraordinary ability in her craft. Teresa Cheung has been an
actress at several top U.S. studios, including the Sanford Meisner Center
and the Stella Adler Conservatory.

A comprehensive training method, the Meisner Technique originated with
Sanford Meisner in the first half of the 20th century. Sanford Meisner was,
at the time, a member of the Group Theater, a landmark repertory group
that included Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, and many more of the most
influential thought leaders of the craft of acting. The Meisner Technique
arose out of Mr. Meisner's dissatisfaction with current training methods,
which relied on memories to drive authentic acting.

Sanford Meisner believed that authenticity stemmed from real responses to
imaginary circumstances. He left the Group Theater and moved to the
Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he introduced a two-
year program that trained actors to use their emotions in the moment to
create complete characters and performances.

Still used widely today, the program centers on the Repetition Exercise, in
which actors speak a single line of text back and forth to one other. As the
actors' feelings and responses to one another change, the line changes in
tone, and the actors begin to respond authentically instead of choosing
their actions and expressions. The training increases in intensity and
complexity until the actor can use the method in all areas of his or her work.