MEISNER TECHNIQUE
with guest artists
Jessica Greco & Patrice Goodman
Connected. Impulsive. Reacting. Listening. Truthful. In the moment. Actors use these words to praise a good performance, but the question is: how do we get there?
From 1935 to 1990, Sanford Meisner was an esteemed acting teacher who founded the renowned NYC acting school The Neighbourhood Playhouse. There he created The Meisner Technique, and an incredibly simple, yet riveting acting exercise called The Repetition. Specifically designed to enhance the key skills of listening and answering another human being fully. In this class, you will repeat with your classmates, embodying the art of “Living truthfully under the imaginary circumstances.”
This class happens in the moment, it cultivates the magic of acting by focusing on behaviour and how that translates out into the world or to another person. The approach puts you in your body, out of your head, and focused on the other actor. Every time you get up to work, (which is twice a class, every class) it will feel vulnerable and scary and exciting and unpredictable. This technique is accessible to all experience levels. Like going to the gym, this technique will keep your instrument alive and spontaneous and strong. Though the class is a Beginner Meisner class, more seasoned artists will find lots to work with here. Ultimately the class is about listening and answering, moment to moment in an authentic way. Grounded and hooked on human connection.
This technique has garnered much success — 37 of Meisner’s students won or were nominated for Academy Awards. Meisner-trained actors include Tom Cruise, Sandra Bullock, Chadwick Boseman, Diane Keaton, Allison Janney, James Gandolfini, Timothée Chalamet, Sam Rockwell, Jeff Bridges, Jim Carrey,Tatiana Maslany, Krysten Ritter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and so many more.
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We offer classes that range from Beginner to Advanced - next classes/workshops will run in September.
Guest Artist: JESSICA GRECO
Meisner Specialist
jessicagreco@hotmail.com
Jessica Greco has been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award, an ACTRA Award, multiple Canadian Comedy Awards. She has worked extensively in film and television for over 25 years. Most recently recurring on streaming series like “Umbrella Academy” (Netflix), “Five Days at Memorial” (Apple TV), “The Handmaids Tale” (Hulu), “How to Die Alone” (Hulu) & “Tiny Pretty Things” (Netflix). The Toronto International Film Festival has been very supportive of Jessica’s career, most recently with premieres including “This Place” in 2022, “Tammy’s Always Dying” in 2019 & “The Humming Bird Project” in 2018. Her scene partners have included Ethan Hawke, Colin Farrell, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Cherry Jones, Jesse Eisenberg, Natasha Lyonne, Ted Danson and Luke Kirby to name some favourites.
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Jessica began working and training professionally as a teenager. A graduate of Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts as a drama major and simultaneously studying privately with Jacqueline McClintock. Jacquline was trained as an actor at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and then went on to get her Teacher Training there, studying directly under Sanford Meisner. Jessica left high school and studied with Jacquline for over 12 years in Toronto and Montreal, as well as a year studying in NYC at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Jessica is also a graduate of the Conservatory Program at The Second City, with a strong background in sketch comedy. Selling out show runs and Fringe Festivals in Toronto, Montreal and Philadelphia with her sketch troupe “Dame Judy Dench”.
Guest Artist: PATRICE GOODMAN
Meisner Specialist
patricegoodman@gmail.com
Patrice Goodman is a Canadian Screen Award winning actor whose career has spanned both comedy and drama. Patrice was a series lead on Overlord and The Underwoods (Nickelodeon), and won a Canadian Screen Award for her work on the sketch comedy hit Sunnyside (CityTV). She has had memorable roles on The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), Platinum (created by John Ridley and Sofia Coppola for MTV), Ghostwriter (AppleTV), Dino Dana (Amazon), Romance Retreat (Reel One), Oscar-winner Chris Landreth’s The Spine (TIFF), Slasher (Shaftesbury), and Law & Order Toronto (CityTV). Patrice has also received critical acclaim for her stage work, notably in the Broadway classic for colored girls who have considered suicide (CG Collective), First Hand Woman (New York City cast), and Touch The Sky (Young People’s Theatre), and she has directed dozens of plays. Patrice has taught Acting or Meisner Technique at Armstrong Acting Studios, Toronto Film School, Little Red Theatre, Mallorca Film School in Spain, and Munich Film Academy in Germany. Patrice trained in Meisner Technique for 15 years under Jacqueline McClintock, including as apprentice teacher. Jacqueline was trained by Sanford Meisner, including the Neighbourhood Playhouse Teacher Training. Patrice has coached actors for auditions that resulted in admission into prestigious acting programs, lead film roles, and series lead television roles.