Fall '26 | Meisner Foundation | M2

About this event

The Independent Activity

Mondays | November 9-December 14 | 6-9pm (no class Thanksgiving week)

taught by Vali Forrister

$300

Prerequisites: M1, Priority given to current cohort.

>>Legacy students please email vali@actorsbridge.org to confirm placement before signing up.

Meisner famously described good acting as “the ability to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” The Independent Activity puts this maxim into practice by giving students a difficult but tangible task that must be completed in a short amount of time for a compelling reason. The focus on the "doing" rather than the "acting” allows actors to bypass the temptation to perform emotions and instead channel their energy into authentic actions.

IN MODULE TWO, STUDENTS WILL:

• Deepen “actors faith” and ability to create and believe imaginary circumstances.

• Respond instinctively to stimuli with emotionally authentic behavior.

• Gain an awareness of “public solitude” and how to build it.

• Apply Meisner’s principle “to act before you think” in order to move from “impulse to impulse” rather than “cue to cue.”

Important details:

*Attendance and participation is required for the benefit of all in the class. If students miss more than one class per module, they will need to retake the module before moving on to the next.

**Cancellation policy:

If you need to drop a class before the start of the session, you must give the office at least ONE WEEK’S NOTICE prior to the start of your class or workshop.

If you do so: any tuition paid toward the class and the non-refundable $100 deposit will be kept on credit at the studio for up to one year, to be applied to a future class or workshop.

If you drop the class ON THE DAY OF THE FIRST CLASS, the full tuition is non-refundable but will be kept on file for up to one year and is also transferable to another student.

If you drop a class MIDWAY THROUGH THE CLASS, you will need to have a conversation with your instructor about when you will be eligible to retake the class. Tuition payment is required to retake the class.

Visit actorsbridge.org or email marketing@actorsbridge.org with any specific questions.

From Actors Bridge Ensemble