2018 Meisner Summer Intensive - Maggie Flanigan Studio

2018 Meisner Summer Intensive - Maggie Flanigan Studio Q: You were able to do the Summer Intensive and most of your first year in person, and then COVID hit. What was it like both working in-person versus working online? A: OKOK, so COVID. You go through the first part of the quarantine where you're like, "How much wine is too much wine?" You're like, "What are we supposed to do?" Even in the studio, going from this beautiful in-person experience to feeling the energy of other actors and feeling this emotional prep, feeling these circumstances and these relationships, feeling and then going to Zoom, it's where we are right now, you and I. It feels like we're in the same room, but I could click off whenever I want. Nothing is keeping me here, so that's hard. It was hard movement-wise just because I'm sitting, and after a while, you want to get up on your feet, you want to use your body, but our industry is headed in this direction anyway. The industry has realized, "Zoom is awesome for this. I can see them on screen; I don't have to pay for a room, I don't have to pay for space, the time, everything. I don't have to bring a lot of actors physically into a space. It makes more financial sense as a business to do it this way." After I clicked and realized that, I turned a corner. I almost quit because I was afraid. A big thing that I've worked through in this training is fear of success and fear of finishing. I have this ingrained fear of success because of the responsibility it will bring on and the fear of finishing. Because once something's done, it's done, and that's terrifying to me. The training has taught me; Charlie is the main person who's taught me that what is there to be afraid of about success? When you're trained and build on that training, you're ready for that responsibility. Nobody ever feels prepared. Even people who are doing the leading roles everywhere, the most successful actors, number one on the call sheets, still feel that feeling of "Am I ready for this?" That was mainly the reason why I stayed and also money. Money s****, but it's also awesome. It's this thing that we are all striving for, but also we hate. It's what changes did I have to make because it was either quit and save the money and save the money like a bit of squirrel, or do I invest in my future and my career and go for it, make changes for my art instead. Instead of not? Go back to where I was before auditioning and not being prepared or making changes in my financial life. I moved from New York down to Florida to be near my family. I took two part-time jobs, and I teach voice lessons online. I live more frugally, and I couldn't be happier. Having extra money, not spending money on the studio for this training for how many months it would have been versus living more frugally, making the changes, and striving for the art and the training, it's a no-brainer now. Money is money, and I hate it's still cliché, but it does come and go. What's money at the end of the day if you're not fulfilled as an artist and if you never see where your potential will take you? Yes, things are expensive, but so is our business. You think about headshots, reels. The quality has to be so high nowadays, so why wouldn't the training need to be there? You're only going to get so far if you don't train. The stories of successful people without real training and maintaining long careers are primarily myths, so why not invest in your future and your career and your art? Q: I'm glad you keep using that word to invest because we often don't see it that way as actors. "It's too much money. I'm too old. I shouldn't be doing this. I'm not 23, so I shouldn't be training." A: The best Acting looks effortless, and so a lot of people think, "Acting is easy. I can do it. I don't need to go to class for that. I'm just really talented, and it'll show in work. A lot is going on inside of me. I have a lot of surface emotion, and it's going to come across. I'm going to cry here. They're going to love it." Then you get into the room, and it just doesn't happen, and you're like, "Why isn't it happening?" Then you're like, "Maybe they just didn't like me because I remind them of their ex." It's just like a total mind game, and in reality, it's just because you're not trained. Also, a lot of undergrad programs, there's such a variety that there isn't special training in Acting. Especially if you go to a musical theater, their job is to teach you different ways of choosing the method that works for you. Why not try a very focused, specific training style and see if it works for you, like in the summer intensive as I did for six weeks? Why not go for six and focus on the craft instead of doing a six-week workshop where nobody knows what it's for? Casting director workshops are helpful, but I think they're practical, not as a teacher-student situation. I think it's just like going to that baking convention I was talking about, about taking your brand of cupcakes to a way, your brand. "Here is my brand for you to see," finished. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 (917) 789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/new-york-ny www.google.com/maps?cid=17904951966372592922 twitter.com/MeisnerActing www.facebook.com/MeisnerActing/ meisneracting10001.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/index.html maggieflaniganstudio.business.site/ www.pearltrees.com/maggieflaniganstudio https://flic.kr/p/2kXLXw4