The day started with two presentations on on the Meisner approach to acting – the approach builds a system of habits in the actor similar to playing the piano where the pianist doesn’t think but lest the music flow for the page to his fingers without conscious thought. Meisner stresses imagination as the source of emotion rather than emotional memory – saying it is healthier for the actor. Very few people have enough experience to have an emotion that works for every circumstance the actor might find himself/herself in.

Acting is living (behaving) truthfully (emotional truth) under imaginary circumstances.

Character is found in the point of view (reacting not acting). Listening is a key part.

Don’t do anything until something outside you makes you do it. What you do depends not on you but on the other person.

Keep attention and focus outside you.

Meisner said: 85% of acting could be improved by just picking up your cues faster.

After that we had a session on creating a non profit theater. Not much new.

After lunch, we had a long talk with Anne about the lab and what was happening in theater and what was working for us in the theater and what wasn’t.

One topic was the loss of younger audiences. I said that I’ve heard that for decades. Today the young people are both working are raising families and don’t have the time or energy to come to the theater. I suggested that they would be back when they reached their 40’s. It wasn’t taken well. I don’t know – kind of shoot the messenger or this guy’s too old to know what’s going on.

After the session we had a party then off the to bar for the real party. I got home about ten.

We have a party in Brooklyn Sunday.

More later.