The Meisner Intensive at Maggie Flanigan Studio teaches actors to work from the training of Sanford Meisner. In this interview, Hannah Fernandez discusses what she thought it meant to train and work as an actor before she came to the studio. Q: There are a lot of Meisner Intensives all over the country, not just in New York. What made you decide that Maggie Flanigan Studio was the best place for you to study? A: The studio was recommended to me by a former teacher. I did an on-camera class with her, and she was like, "Take this Maggie Flanigan Studio classes. It's great. You'll love it." I was like, "Okay, sure. That's it. There we go, I'm going to do it." That's that, and I had my interview, and that sealed the deal for me. I felt like, in my interview, Charlie was so intelligent and so aware of everything that it took to be an actor, and perspective-wise, how much it takes to get to a place where you're satisfied or producing fantastic work. I felt like all the conversations we had were buried, and I gravitate towards that. When it comes to the people I surround myself with, I like that kind of atmosphere. I also did some research online, and there was a lot of great alumni that came from the school. What Charlie said about being an artist resonated with me, just that it takes more than looks and a personality. It also requires hard work, and you have to be willing to devote yourself to that hard work, or you're not going to get to the level you want to be. Q: How has being part of the community of students here? How has that contributed to your overall experience this summer? A: I have never been in a place where the students are so welcoming and just receptive and non-judgmental. I feel like in acting programs, it's so unhealthy for people to be judgmental and to make you feel when you get up and do your scene, you're not comfortable because you know a million people are judging you. I've never felt so free and comfortable with the people I'm in class with, ever. Movement class, day two, we were crying in front of each other and just having these real human connections that I haven't had with anybody in my life. Even my close friends, I'm like, I've never looked at this person this way, and I've known you for two days. It's from the get-go I felt like we're just there to support each other. I have never felt that at any place I've ever been. That's been one of the best parts about this whole program, I think, is that you can have great teachers and all that, but if the people around you aren't supportive, you're not going to trust that you can fall and you can fail, or you can succeed, or you can rise, and people are going to support you no matter what, but that's really the case here. Everyone's supportive, and that's comforting to know. Q: How would you describe Charlie as a teacher? A: He's so intelligent. He knows so much about what it means to be an artist and what it takes to be an actor and all that, but also how to sustain it as a human being and how to take care of yourself as a human being. What I love the most is he's so honest. He doesn't say anything to blow his own horn or to make himself seem whatever. He truly wants us to know the best information that we can get. He's intense. He doesn't let anything get past him. I think that's great. You don't want just to be doing a scene and having the teacher phone it in. He never phones it in. He's always there right with you. Whether you're in the morning class, the night class, he's still on, which I think is remarkable for a teacher and also just as a human being. He's so knowledgeable. I feel so comfortable in his hands as a teacher. I feel like he can pinpoint exactly who you are as a human being after day three of class, which is great to know. He is invested in every single person. He doesn't blanket anything. He doesn't blanket the level. He's very specific on what each person is about and what they need to work on. He's on you to get it done and to make sure that you accomplish your goals in the six weeks, which is an intimidating task because it's only six weeks. Most people have the two-year program to get through it, but he's very on you to do your homework. You have to rehearse. You have to be prepared, and then let things go. He doesn't want you to be crazy and messy. That's great. I think he does a right balance of being intense and a great teacher. Very honest but also, he has a just lighter comedic quality to him as well, which is nice. To learn more about the Meisner Intensive and professional training programs at the studio for actors, visit the registration and acting programs page on our website URL. Students who are interested in enrolling in our programs should contact the studio to arrange an interview. Call (917) 789-1599. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599
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