The Sanford Meisner Approach

Artists must be sacrificed to their art.
Like bees, they must put their lives into the sting they give.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
chapter eleven

words of the play.
Larry: Do this a few

Sit down to work.
Close your eyes and get in touch with your circumstances.
Say the doing to yourself.
Then start the beat using only the

do that exercise again, in the same way — with one addition. After you start talking to each other and when I see you get grounded in the doings, I will say, “Go to the words.” When I tell you to do that, begin the words from the script, allowing the words from the script to ride on whatever is happening in that moment. Does that mak

helped them move past explaining themselves or questioni

Tell me the truth Edna, you tell me the

your circumstances in your mind, then open your eyes and look at your partner.
(Nyle and Miryame close their eyes, and after about a minute, they open eyes and look at each other.)
Larry: Nyle, demand the truth from Edna.

Larry: Let’s do the exercise. I want you both to close your eyes, go ove

Keep talking, do not stop.
No pauses — keep talking.
If you don’t have the words, keep talking.
Allow yourself to say whatever comes out of your mouth.
Do not censor anything.
As you talk, say the doing you are working on, to your partner.
If you get stuck, this is another good time to “say the doing.”

Nyle, you might say “Tell me the truth!” and Miryame, you could simply say, “Back off!” This will remind you what you are