Prague Playhouse

Meisner class resumes for spring quarter

April 16th, 2009 at 11:09pm boris

Hi everyone!

I’m Boris Wilke, member of the Prague Playhouse Meisner acting group and will blog about our class activities.

Class started into a new quarter yesterday – and as always, quite a few lessons were to be learned:

Stepping into “it” by facing “the beast” instead of shying away from any unpleasant feelings was and will remain one of the main issues. It’s interesting how some students try to resort to sadness and sentimentality to cover up emotions they are not yet ready to express fully, while others yell and get aggressive. Some “play” unaffected and blithe, while others get cynical. We all have our escape mechanisms. But we all are willing to let go of them. That is a great thing! For a good actor is a vulnerable one. And to achieve that, one has to accept weakness, which, paradoxically enough, is a sign of strength.

Another issue, that I saw yet again and will never cease to be fascinated by is the fact,that each one of us needs a unique approach and is thus treated differently by Brian, our teacher:

What might work for one of us is a no-go-zone for another. Student A might be told to refrain from being offensive while student B is encouraged to finally let his anger spill over and “blow his lid”. Student C should focus on being intimate and seek private and subtle moments while student D ought to be brash, broad and loud.

And yes, I did see frustration on more than one face while having to listen to Brians observations. (OK, I didn’t have a mirror… But I could feel myself blush, too.)

There is this old German saying which goes: “Was zutrifft, trifft.” It translates roughly into: If it hurts, it means it hit home. And we want stuff to HIT us, don’t we?!

A lot of people seem to be involved with projects relating to the Fringe festival these days. Or they are in films or plays.

Congratulations and good luck with everything!

See you next Monday, I hope!

Take care and remember to rehearse!

Boris

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General stuff:

Our acting class consists of some ten active members, who meet every Monday and Wednesday from 6.30 pm to about 8.30. We do Meisner. And the Meisner-technique really rocks!

If you want to connect with your inmost feelings, expressing them freely in an acting environment and thus getting to know yourself better and better, feel free to join us!

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About the author:

I am Boris Wilke, a German expat in Prague. I am a writer at large and have been studying Meisner since January 2008. If any of you know of any kind of acting work, that befits a laddish, tall 40-year-old, please leave a note!

Acting,Classes,General,Theatre