Two Year Acting Program – Gordon Winarick Interview

The two year acting program at the Maggie Flanigan Studio is a professional actor training program that is based on the Meisner Technique, created by Sanford Meisner. In this interview with Katie, Gordon discusses Meisner training and why he decided to come to this studio. [caption id="attachment_9136" align="aligncenter" width="800"] two year acting program - Maggie Flanigan (917) 789-1599[/caption]

Q: Tell me about your background in acting.

I haven't been acting for long, I've been acting for about two years which compared to some people who have grown up with theater, have been in theater their whole lives, I guess is pretty short.

Q: Where else have you studied the Meisner technique?

This is my first time studying Meisner through and through from the beginning and other classes that I've taken they've used components and certain exercises but this is the first time that I've come to a studio to learn the Meisner technique and with nothing else mixed into it. [post_author] I actually came across when I was studying the different kinds of acting techniques that were out there, I came across Meisner and there was a quote that said if you're a director or working with an actor who's trained in Meisner, it's a blessing and that made me dive deeper into it really trying to understand what it was about and why it was such a blessing that they said if you're working with that kind of actor why is it a blessing and it led me to read a few books and then I said, “There's something about the other person, what is this other person doing to you, what is another person doing to you?” That actually really calmed me down because prior to that, I had been very self-conscious and in my head actor and something about Meisner, putting your attention on someone else or what you're doing really just took a lot of stress and pressure off my shoulders.

Q: Well, how is the Meisner training at the studio different than what you expected before you came here?

I didn't have an expectation of what this would be like because the only prior understanding I had of Meisner was from books. When I came here and started doing the exercises, to be honest at first I thought they were a little funny. I was like, “Why am I repeating back to this person, why am I doing this, why am I doing that?” Then all of a sudden it clicked and I started to really understand what we're learning here takes you from the fundamentals of acting and it's a really good base to build a career off of, is taking the time to learn the fundamentals and learn the Meisner technique.

Q: What were the steps that led you to Maggie Flanigan Studio and the decision to commit to the two year acting program?

[caption id="attachment_9135" align="aligncenter" width="800"] two year acting program interview - Maggie Flanigan (917) 789-1599[/caption] I got back from London at the end of August and right when I came back I was still on such a high of studying and kind of just really just diving into what it means to be an actor and learning. I had looked at a couple other studios and something in my stomach just didn't really feel right. When I walked in here I remembered. I remember it was just yesterday. I walked in here and you take a look around and talking to you, talking to Charlie, talking with other students who are here. Then also looking at the videos online, I felt like I was home and that's that feeling, I will always go with my gut feeling. It's like my gut feeling is what brought me here.

Q: What would you say to that person who says they don't need to train for two years?

You learn so much more being around other people who are also practicing and also learning. You learn more about yourself by watching other people. I would also say if you really want to do this for the rest of your life and you really want to make a career out of this, do work that you'd like to do. Two years is not a long time at all. It's worth every single penny that you'll spend on it. It's really worth every single second you're here because it's going to transform you from someone who can do scenes and someone who can act, to someone who's actually emotionally invested and ready to take on complicated material. Not everyone -- you haven't experienced everything in your life to be able to go and be a very small character. That's what training is for. [caption id="attachment_8538" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The Maggie Flanigan Studio proudly announces the start of the two year acting program.[/caption]

Learn More About the Two Year Program and Meisner Training

To learn more about the Meisner Technique and the professional actor training that the studio provides, contact the Maggie Flanigan studio today by calling (917) 789-1599.

The following blog post Two Year Acting Program – Gordon Winarick Interview is courtesy of Maggie Flanigan Studio Inc Find more on: http://www.maggieflaniganstudio.com