Recently I've had a few students who have now started at some of the top Drama Schools in the UK/world get in touch to thank me for the training we provided them and how thrilled they are that Meisner is being taught where they now are. This makes my heart sing. 

For as long as I've been training in and teaching this work it has felt quite underground. The majority of actors I met along the way (The North being more behind than London) either saying they'd never heard of it or they'd heard the name but didn't know what it was. But recently there's been a shift which is seriously exciting. 

There could be many reasons for this but my reckoning is based on the rise of mental health awareness. 

Everyone teaches this work differently, of course they do, because no one is Sanford Meisner apart from Sandy himself but there are some key principles that I'd like to believe go wherever the training is:

• Listen with your gut, not your head
• Learning to be better at seeing and listening
• the most important thing about me, is you
• What happens to me depends on you
• It's not about the past or the future, it's about the now
• The foundation of acting is the reality of doing

Until I discovered The Meisner Technique I believed the only way to be truthful as an actor was by experience, therefore I relied heavily on emotional recall - because that'd what I'd been taught, even from a very young age. But here's the thing, if you've not had the training and grounding to trust yourself and be safe in the knowledge of all those beautiful emotions you're full of, how could recalling the most traumatic event of your life (for example) for the good of your role be good for your mental health? My mum died in 2014. The last week, the last day, the last hour, the last breath was horrific, I had nightmares for months. Is it a good idea to replay that over and over again in order to bring sadness or rage or guilt or relief to my character? I don't think so. 

The fact is, I am made up of hundreds of thousands of experiences and memories and they fill me. Someone could stroke my face how mum once did and that feeling would rush through my veins like lightning. Because it's always in me, it'll never go away. I don't need to go digging for it, it's all there, available to me, if I let it. 

Money is tight. Headshots are important, an investment, your marketing material. Yet for some reason I see so many actors be unprepared when it comes to choosing photographers and attending their shoot.  Here are a few thoughts from me on making every penny count.

1. What do you need?
   A question I ask in the training room and rehearsal room a lot but it’s also relevant here. I do mean literally - are these your first headshots or are they top ups? What kind of pictures do you need? But I also mean what do you need to make you feel good, to get the best out of the session? I believe as an actor, knowing what you need is your best tool. 
2. Choose carefully
   Take your time and research properly, don’t be lazy. Find actors you know and look at their head shots. Are those pictures a true representation of them? Is there a good range? Are they over edited or are they real? If so, see who the photographer is. Just because someone gives you a recommendation, this doesn’t mean you should just book them. Everyone is different. 
3. Trust your gut
   A good headshot photographer will make you feel comfortable, and this should be reflected in their communication with you beforehand. If your gut is questioning your choice, listen to it. 
4. Before you go
   Don’t get carried away in the beauty salon. Of course if you want to do the usual, do it but remember these pictures need to be a true reflection of you. So going and getting a mega fake tan, inch long eyelash extensions and/or your nose pierced the morning of the shoot to make you feel more confident may not be the best plan. Same with clothes - if you're not used to wearing those shapewear knickers or that woolly jumper, now might not be the time to rush out and buy them - think carefully about what items you choose - you want to exist in front of the camera with as much ease as possible. 
5. Be ready
   What can you do with clothes, makeup and hair to give yourself as many basic options as possible? Of course you can’t do all options but what small changes can you make to encourage a casting directors imagination? Make sure you think about this before you go so you’re fully prepared. Beard/no beard. Slick back hair/free down hair. Glasses/no glasses. Hoodie/shirt. Be clever. 
6. Enjoy yourself
   I don’t actually know many actors who like getting in front of a camera so check in with yourself - what small things can you do to allow yourself to be open and to make it an enjoyable experience? Is it that you need to arrive early to grab a coffee? Smells can have a profound effect on our senses and state of mind, use it to your advantage with a spray of your favourite perfume or a few drops of lavender. Might music help, on your way there and/or during the shoot? Even though shoes won’t get seen in the picture, they can have a huge difference on how we feel so why not take a couple of options? Work with the photographer, don’t rely on them to do everything, they don’t know you like you do.
7. Be honest
   If I trust anything it’s that honesty reads better than bullshit. Once you get there if you’re feeling nervous, don’t hide it. Let it be a part of the moment. If you’re shooting different ‘looks’ don’t fake it, feel it - use preparation techniques you’ve tried and tested during your training or work.
8. Most importantly, you are who you are, you have what you have
   These pictures are a marketing tool for you. You are enough, just as you are: your colouring, size, shape, lines, curls, markings are all you. Celebrate it all. Be kind to yourself. Maybe it’s the bits you’re less fond of that’ll get you the role so let them be seen.

Since writing this blog we've actually started to run our own Headshot Days with me (Steph) coaching and James of Shift Focus behind the camera. Find out more HERE.

Just a wee update for those who have entered the website and are new to us. 

You may have gone to the Dates page to see we don't have any courses in the diary at the moment apart from our weekly classes in Leeds. There's a simple explanation for it...

I (Steph) had my second baby, Pip, in July (yay! Zzzz!) so I'm just figuring out life with two small people and how I can gradually build running my courses back into it. Pip and I have already co taught the Voice, Movement and Meisner Intensive together in Leeds in August so I know we can do it, I just need to make sure I can still be the acting coach I want to be whilst also being the mum I want to be. Ah life, it's a constant balancing act ay? 

On Tuesday I packed my bags and headed off for (the not so sunny) Leeds for a 4 day Vocal Intensive with the wonderful Barbara Houseman, completely unaware that I’d leave feeling like I’d found another part of me. It was so brilliant that I have to write about it.

We learnt the intricacies of our bodies and how every little thing is connected to your voice, from bad experiences to where you hold your head. On Tuesday, we started with the basics of how to breathe, which was a biggie for me as I tend to hold my breath for stupidly long periods. On Wednesday, we moved onto resonance and taking up space, which is something I’d never want to do in any situations so I’d hide behind my voice, or lack of. There’s something about hearing yourself speak so freely and clearly whilst everyone is listening to you. On Thursday we began looking at our texts and using different vocal exercises that we’d learnt to feel connected to them. And then Friday rolled around quicker than ever and we watched how much everyone had changed. I was (and still am) so full up with emotion by the time Friday was coming to an end with how much I’d learnt and allowed myself to know that it is okay to not care so much. It was such a pleasure sharing the room with such beautiful people and watching everyone on their own journey in discovering, you learn so much from other people and everyone was so so open. ​

All the while we had a very special guest in the room, little Pip. I am so amazed at the wonderful woman, Stephanie Morgan,  who introduced us all to Barbara and made it all possible. There’s not a lot of people who can say they’ve given birth to a human in the space of 6 weeks and was still so present and invested in the process. I think everyone in the room can agree that Pip brought a sense of joy and freedom to the week as he is truly the pinnacle of not giving a single fuck. And I got to have a cuddle for a which was bloomin lovely (and I usually don’t like babies). There’s not a lot of teachers out there that I’ve met who trust the people they work with so much, and makes such a safe environment to learn and fuck up. ​

I wanted to write this post to remember how I felt yesterday on the journey home from Leeds. And how I still feel now the day after. And hopefully, how I can continue to feel for as long as I can. I never knew that when I started acting that this would be the journey I’d be going on, or the journey I didn’t know I needed to go on. Especially as someone who hasn’t yet done and might not do their 3 years training at drama school, there’s always this feeling of not being good enough or worthy enough to be in this industry. But when it comes down to it, we’re all as fucked up and clueless as eachother – some are just better at admitting that than others. This training, and my training with both feet is definitely shaping me into the actor (and the person) that I want to be.
Loving yourself isn’t easy. As Barbara had said, just start by being kinder to yourself. The rest won’t be far behind.

Pinched (with permission) from Rhia's personal website.

What a phenomenal week it has been - not many pics as I've had a baby on me a *lot* plus I was far too busy soaking up all the learnings but grateful I got a few :-)

Thank you Barbara Houseman for being such a generous, knowledgeable, practical, funny, inspirational lady - I'll hedge my bets and say I reckon every actor will have left today full of gratitude for what you've gifted them this week sprinkled with deep sadness that they won't be in your company tomorrow.

Actors - thank you for being ready and open and willing to dive into the unknown whilst supporting each other in the process. What beautiful work you all did.

Remember, look back on your notes. Choose the exercises which worked for you and find a routine.
Be kind to yourselves. It's not selfish, it's self compassion. You deserve it.
You can't Do a Don't. So... you might as well just Do. Receive your breath, don't take it.
**Don't be afraid to take up space. You are a gift.**

See you all soon we hope, at the next one?
Steph (& Pip) x
​Ps thanks so much for welcoming Pip into the space with such openness. What a lucky little boy :-)

Wow, what an incredible week: Voice and movement classes intertwined with our Meisner teaching.

Two groups of actors discovering and exploring what it is to be present, physically,vocally & mentally. Newbies learning from regulars and regulars learning from newbies.

Thank you for such generosity and openness to our process, to each other and for the ever changing dynamic a 5 week old baby brings to the space.

Thank you Patricia and Bella for your inspirational teaching. We have loved working with you.

You are who you are, you have what you have, right *now*.
Be kind to yourself.

Now, go and find an ice cream, a cold beer or a [insert cold item of your choice] you deserve it!!!
Huge smiles,
​Steph & Adam x

When I run Tech Gyms I tend to start the day with "what do you need?". I'd rather mold a day around the needs of my students at that moment in time rather than predeciding how it's going to go. This course ended up being about split attention and honing different given circumstances including specific directorial notes and character traits and impediments. A LOT of fun continuing to explore simplicity even when we think it's more complicated than it needs to be. An *actors* job (in my opinion) is *not* to show/convey/explain to an audience, it's to live truthfully under those given circumstances and the audience will follow. For now, that's my last Tech Gym for a while, oh how I'll miss it and these beautiful actors. Don't worry folks, me and baby will be back as soon as we can ;-) Steph x

End of two days with this small yet perfectly formed group of actors at different stages of their journey with us, all who have pushed some boundaries, jumped into the unknown, flexed new and old muscles and worked with new texts in a slightly different way. Thanks you fab lot for being open to discovering. Please continue to trust yourselves, learn the rules to break the rules, and jump in irrespective of how silly you feel inside, the commitment to the unknown will feel soooo much better than the feeling of regret. Steph x

Wonderful 2 days working on 4 great scripts with 8 delicious actors continuing their journey with us. So much beautiful work from first reads and text analysis through to free-writing, exploring given circumstances and taking direction. As always, simplicity is key. But to be simple we need to learn to trust ourselves fully. Which is an ongoing journey :-)
​Steph x

Wonderful couple of days in Manchester running Tech Gym: a damn good work out for these fabulous actors continuing to discover and trust their simplicity and truth. We had a tonne of fun. Thanks so much for hosting us Studio Bee! Next up, Scene Study!