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

by: William Esper and Damon DiMarco

Published by: Anchor Books

Reviewed by Sharron Stockhausen

Whether you’re a fan, a novice actor, or a seasoned professional, you’ll find something to like in this book. Bill Esper apprenticed with Sanford (Sandy) Meisner for seventeen years, then spent another thirty years working with Sandy’s technique. Esper extended the Meisner Technique to areas Sandy didn’t have time to explore.

For the uninitiated, the Meisner Technique practices structured exercises that concentrate on the actor getting in touch with his or her emotional core. Most artists use tools to create their art—pens for writing, paints for painting, charcoal or pencils for drawing, etc.—but actors have only themselves to use as tools for acting. Learning to work from their inner-life emotional core helps actors use their experiences, imagination, sensitivity, observations, and physical body to become as unique in acting as they are in life.

Much acting draws on the nineteenth century Stanislavsky method, but Meisner works better in the twenty-first century because actors face challenges Stanislavsky never imagined. These include challenges in preparation time (days instead of weeks), various media (television, film instead of stage), and technology (actor doesn’t rely only on loud voice and exaggerated gestures to reach the audience). The Meisner Technique can be applied to any challenge today’s actor faces.

DiMarco chronicles Esper’s class, and you feel like you’re the fly on the wall observing the work of the master with his students. Esper encourages his students to react in the exercise as they would in life. That’s the best way to keep acting real.

Esper asserts that acting isn’t about thinking or intelligence, but rather it’s real life in imaginary situations. By learning to live spontaneously, actors improve and develop their own style rather than become like every other actor.

As a non-actor, I found this book enlightening. Those familiar with acting will enjoy watching the students go through the exercises and learn from them. If you’ve ever wondered what acting school is like, you’ll want to read this book. Then you may want to read Meisner’s book, Sanford Meisner on Acting, also available from the publisher.

Armchair Interviews agrees.