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The Actor's Art and Craft: William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique

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This book came around at a strange time in my life...which I suppose is still happening. Although I was never part of the BFA or MFA program at Rutgers, I did take a few acting classes there as well as get involved in some college theatre. Bill Esper was an icon even back then but I completely took for granted what it is he did and more importantly, who he is. Since getting out and pounding the pavement for some real work, I've had moments of brilliance, some of which has garnered me a handful of (minor) speaking roles on notable television shows. Gradually, I began to regress in my preparation and in my respect for the craft because in my mind, I didn't see it as a necessity anymore. After all, who needs an applicable technique when you've booked work on Law & Order, Fringe, etc.? I became increasingly arrogant and felt entitled to success, all because I've had a little taste of it, probably from luck or what have you. In the past two years or so, I've been making big investments on casting director/agent workshops, all designed to get you seen, as long as you're willing to pay the price. One night, not too long ago, we had to watch our playback auditions at one of these "classes". I was certain I had nailed it because I "felt good" about what I did. I was in for a rude awakening when I saw my work. I was stiff, lacking life...natural perhaps but uninteresting. In the past, I would always respond by preparing harder the next time and I would continue to take more acting seminars. This time, for whatever reason, I was willing to admit to myself that whatever technique I had was unfocused. That I was easily assuaged by complimentary notes by casting directors and peers so that I can move on with my life. I believe it was a good friend of mine who recommended me this book. And now I realize how naive and foolish I've been these past couple of years.

The Actor's Art and Craft taught me that while commercial success should be commended, it's not worth sacrificing your very being for it. After a while, from audition to audition, you start to make choices that you THINK people want to see, regardless of how inorganic. But like all forms of art, one must be dedicated in his/her pursuits and strive for the perfection of the craft. I've read a handful of other acting books, but none as engrossing as this one. It covers the first year of Meisner and that includes repetition work, activities, criminal action problems, having an objective. The format is such that you feel that you are in the classroom with Bill and the company he teaches. There are characters you can easily identify with because you probably know them in real life. Some of the students are new to the craft, others have been pursuing the arts for a while. For me, though, the highlights of this book are the beautifully simple yet poetic words from William Esper himself, his notes to the class, his views on how important it is to LIVE. Really LIVE. It surprised me that at times I was brought to tears by some of the quotations because they were really moving and cathartic. One in particular had to do with how disconnected our modern society can be, what with all the iPods, gadgets, social networking sites etc. Nobody lives in the moment anymore.

Esper and DiMarco have put together a wonderful book that attacks the myths of what the Meisner technique can do for someone. It's not about emoting, it's about doing as well as being. You can't control how you feel, however you can allow yourself to be AFFECTED by what is going on around you. He talks about the importance of the precipitating circumstance: the one event that causes the two (or more) people on stage to come together in this time, in this place. Of course, before all of that, he teaches the importance of being yourself, to unlearn what society has taught you, to empty the garbage so to speak. Only then can you truly be free to follow your instincts. There is so much more I'd like to talk about in detail as far as specific exercises but I suggest you read it yourself if you're serious about learning the craft, or even reinvigorating your passion for it. When you're out in the real world, you'll hear people throw around the word "Meisner" and "objective" as if they really understand what it all entails. Many of them probably do and that is commendable. But there is a large majority who don't REALLY get it. I was one of them. I hope to continue my studies now that I've been humbled, and I hope to acquire practical skills and technique that's based on higher principles.

If you're as jaded as I was, you may be rolling your eyes at this gushfest. But I know what I want from all this: when I'm on stage or in front of a camera, I want to feel truly alive. When I'm NOT on stage or in front of the camera, I want to realize how remarkable it is to BE alive. This book is my first step towards my own salvation and my admission of cynicism and laziness. I hope to study with him one day.

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Update: It is February 20th, 2011. I'm currently in my 2nd year at the Esper Studio. Although I haven't had Bill as a teacher, I've had the pleasure of being taught by other inspirational instructors there. I'm grateful for all that this training has given me, especially with respect to my life. I believe one of the biggest things I've learned is "don't be afraid to ACT"! My current teacher David says that a lot. You see, while I was auditioning for on-camera projects, I became convinced that the only thing required to impress a casting director was to "be natural", to be capable of "conversational reality". It is only recently that I realized that it's not enough to say the lines as if you'd "say them in real life" if there is no life or behavior behind it. That's the path to generality. Many actors are afraid to act and commit to their actions fully for fear of over-acting or being untruthful. Much of this perception, at least from where I stand, probably comes from this modern indie faux-indie film culture. I've seen many of those kinds of films: critics rave about the movie where the actors don't really do much but just throw away their lines, while most of the stylistic touches are provided by the director and editors. Looking back, that was what held me back the most when I was auditioning. I never fully got behind the circumstances or even bothered to understand the specifics of the moment before and what everything meant to me in the scene (which can only come alive from your body, not your mind).

I'm deeply interested in HONEST acting (with affectation, pushing and demonstrating) and this book gets you off and running. I think these are great techniques to use with actors, and can quickly separate the wheat from the chaff, and get to the heart of open, honest acting, BUT they are deceptively simple exercies, and you need to know what you are looking for when things go awry, and how to address them. This books goes much further in revealing the goals behind the exercises than does Sandy's book. I think it is truly enlightening.

That being said, my frustrations are this: 1.), Bill and Damon stop after the first year of (arguably) foundation work. In short, they stop before getting into the "next level stuff." I honestly hope they put together year 2 of this training technique and not keep all the "in depth" goodies to themselves. 2.) My fear is that this approach discourages shaping a character that is an honest revelation of what is in the text. Not all instincts are ARTFUL instincts (another beef I have with Bill about encouraging actors to "let go" in real life - human nature is, by instinct, SELFISH), and not every actor inclination is going to be true to the text. Hopefully, an actor who is worth their salt will marry this approach with serving the text and a playwright worth their salt will have crafted a script that reveals vibrant characters, but as an ART form, I don't want to trust a performance to the whims of an actor who may, in any given moment, be struck with something funny their partner has done and runs with it. It may be engaging, but it won't necessarily be true to the play. That is my fear and question to Bill - how do you keep actors from running afoul of a simpler instinct? Perhaps your book on year 2 is the answer I await.

Off and on for the past 15 years, I've worked as an educator: middle school, at-risk youth and, since 2009, adult literacy.

One of the things I teach is that your personal reading list can (and should) have three (3) types of books. The first, books that are used to educate. These could be academic or even technical books in a specific field of interest. The second are books that you'd read for pleasure with no intellectual expectation. And, the third are books that add value to your life as a human being. They may (or may not) have an overtly religious theme but you're affected in a way that inspires you to be a better person morally, ethically and spiritually. The great books can fall into all three categories. The writings of Dostoevsky and Tolkien fall into this category for me. However, there are books that fall into two categories: THE ACTOR'S ART AND CRAFT is just such an example.

THE ACTOR'S ART AND CRAFT is, on the surface, a book about acting based on Sanford "Sandy" Meisner's technique as taught by William Esper. The book was written in tandem with Damon DiMarco, a former student who wanted to chronicle the approach that actors like Kim Basinger, Kathy Bates, Jeff Goldblum, John Malkovich, Paul Sorvino and many, many others used under the direction of "Bill" Esper.

The book starts out with a freshman group of students who've been accepted into Esper's class, including a veteran stage actress and follows their progression as Esper lays out the building blocks of what it takes to develop this skill. But, like the students in Esper's class, the reader is also to learn something other than becoming "someone else."

Inherent in these techniques is the development of three (3) behavioral traits that are essential for success in life. 1. A positive mental attitude and disposition. 2. Focusing one's attention on a desired result. 3. Expecting situations to work in one's favor. For me, this is the real meat and potatoes of the book.

Having had classes in theater and film as an undergraduate and, later working in the theater for several years, I was only aware of Stanislavsky's method, the most well-known and revered acting method, but Meisner's routine has some similarities, but branches off into areas of impulse and instinct.

If you're interested in acting and/or interested in overcoming fears that prevent you from putting your best foot forward, the practice described herein will give you the confidence and the encouragement to be the person you know yourself to be.

For practitioners of the Meisner approach this is the best book out there. If you had the first year of training with a qualified teacher and didn't take very good notes, buy this book. Even if you took good notes - buy this book!

I was privileged to be a student for two years at Bill Esper's studio in the Times Square area in the 70s. He truly taught me how to work and I have never forgotten. I carried a type written paper of my notes and Bill quotes from his classes with me in my makeup kit for years. This book is like being in Bill's class and I am savoring it like a fine wine, taking my time, making my enjoyment last and last.

As Mary Steenburgen said: "It's the best book on the craft of acting", - if your using the Meisner Technique by Bill Esper - you'll find that his teaching style is sensible, creative, and compassionate. It makes you want to run to New York and get this class in person. I can see why his students love him.

I have read this book, and I studied with this teacher from 07-09. I graduated from the program under Bill Esper(william esper) himself, not one of his associate teachers. I have read here that some others have said that they were not happy with their experience because the class was over crowded. Everyone has their own experience but my first year had about 22 students(which was a "large" class) and my 2nd year went down to about 16 or so. Our sessions approached close to 4 hours so he gave plenty of attention to the students. If you're not happy with the size of the class, REQUEST TO BE MOVED TO A DIFFERENT CLASS OR TEACHER! But on to the book. I read Meisner's book before ever even coming to nyc. I thought the book was good and thought it was interesting enough to attend a good meisner school in nyc. I can say that after attending the 2 year program and reading William Esper's book, the book accurately describes the experience. Bill is VERY intuitive and the experiences and examples described in the book seemed like they were straight out of my own class/group. (btw, it wasnt, as he was finishing the book as i started the program). This book also filled in A LOT of gaps I wasnt even aware of from Meisner's own book. If you compared the two, Meisner's book describes most of the first year of the program. Bill's book describes both years in much more detail. In a way, Bill is completing Meisner's work. The book does an excellent job of describing meisner's process brick by brick, so if it's a particular method that interests you, read the book. Or, if you're considering studying in nyc, it's probably the best studio you can pick if you're a serious actor. *Btw, rule of thumb for those wanting to study in nyc; If you're looking at some expensive school that requires loans or your trust fund, it's probably overpriced. The real master teachers in nyc don't charge much by comparison. Hope this helps! Happy Reading!

I recently had an interview with an agent in New York to become a model/actor. One of the prerequisites in the development stage was to read this book. I can see why this was crucial in that William Esper really breaks down the basics of repitition, emotional contact, and the uselessness of intellect in acting. A great read for it places you there, in class, with other students. Amazon was timely and very cost efficient in the delivery of this book. Thanks!!

Had the honor of only being a summer student the last year Mr. Esper taught at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Small number of students, there were two alternating student classes a day. our star pupil turned out to be Holly Hunter, and in the other class was Amanda Plummer, whose parents were alumni of the school, Lee Grant, and Christopher Plummer.

That said, Esper studied with Meisner and taught at the school for years under him, he knows the man's teachings inside and out. His three hour repetition class was priceless. "Act before you think" posted on the wall was his mantra. oddly enough,he and meisner had a falling out that year and was asked to leave because of artistic differences. Mesiner thought Esper was ruining his theatrical students. Esper's focus on keeping it real, Meisner felt, took character out of stage performance. don't know who was right and who was wrong, but i could usually tell an esper student on broadway, simply from the honesty of the performance. I'd never look at the playbill until i spotted it, and would check to see if i were correct. i was always right. Personally, i felt it took theatre to a new level, which i'm sure was Esper's intent.

For the film actor, his teachings are perfection. i can't think of another coach alive today who can match him. he knew how to wear the repetition down until you were real. he brilliantly interrupted over and over until he was satisfied you were keeping it real and reacting honestly. he repetitively said in class that he witnessed some of the best, most pure acting, there, in his class. not in most film, not in theatre, (which he loathed many actors on broadway for being untrue to themselves). I was a lousy student with not an ounce of focus, but i witnessed a master at work who taught me was geat acting was and the merit of exemplary character of being a good human being was. can't talk highly enough of this man as a person of high integrity both personally and in his profession. i understand what the first commenter here speaks about. his acting was stale from some success. his acting was dead or fake.
so this book should be a companion to ALL actors out there, no matter how big or small, successful and grand or novice. you always go back to the basics or to your roots and this is why he focuses on first year being the most important. Long live Bill Esper, who unknowingly took Mesiner's method to the next level of real for film and theatre.

This book is really nice. If you want to learn about craft of acting - it's your choice!