Our Legacy… continues…

Our Legacy... continues...

Danielle Vega

1st Year Graduate

“My experience with the first year of Meisner was amazing, but not without it’s difficulties. I went in not knowing what to expect, but having heard many horror stories of yelling teachers and lots of tears. This was not my experience. Wait – they were lots of tears, but Ranjiv Perera is not a yelling teacher, though still very serious about the work. The abilities that you learn from just the first year are incredibly useful. I’ve learned to be more present, to listen and respond versus simply reacting. The emotional preparation work has been my favorite so far. The difference it makes to go into a scene completely full of emotion is huge. I feel so much better prepared for auditions and set work now than I had before.

Before Meisner I had only taken general acting classes with more scene study work – never a true technique class that focused more on acting as a whole and not only on specific scenes. I have been acting professionally since the age of nine and wasn’t sure it was really necessary since I had so much experience. Once I realized what real growth meant to me, my opinion changed. I felt I needed a class of Meisner caliber to have in my repertoire to take me to the next level of my career.

Meisner for non-actors is still just as beneficial as it is for actors. By the end of the first year, you’ll be a better communicator and listener. You’ll be more in touch with your own emotions and feelings and more aware of how others feel. It’s a win/win either way.”


Jada Merritt

2nd Year Graduate

“Before I found the Meisner Center I had only taken a couple of short lived classes that were full of exercises, some that were derivatives of Meisner even, but there was no technique. I decided I didn’t want to go to another cold read/scene study class where I stood up in front of a group of strangers and uncomfortably flung whatever emotion I thought I was expected have out in the open to be followed by eagerly vocalized collaborative judgement. I was instinctually searching, longing for more. Well seek and you shall find, I thought as I remember the feeling I had when I found the Meisner website. After reading all of the testimonials I knew I had to get accepted into this program. This will be my golden ticket, the education I desired, that which I was desperately seeking these graduates had and it was finally my turn to gain a solid foundation to build on, to understand how it feels to connect to someone and to allow myself to be truly effected by them, to have command of a full range of emotions especially the ones I usually run from any other time, and best of all confidence.My first year I learned that I have to be completely open and truthful not intellectual and judgemental of myself or others! This is the place to discover the depths and colors of your truth and abilities. It’s not about escaping, putting on or playing a different person, becoming a “character”…this work allowed me to become Me. With Ranjiv as your guide trust me when I say he gets it, and even better he can see you when you try to hide, when you’re too afraid, when you haven’t done the work, when you’re struggling, when you’re genuine, when you’re missing something, hell even when your non-artistic life is getting in your way… at times I thought he had to have been a fly on the wall in my apartment reading my journals ‘cuz he was all up in my business!!! Believe me this work is not for the faint of heart! Now that I’ve graduated Im even more grateful for the Meisner technique, and Ranjiv and Marty.  I was given a place to create, to lift my voice and be heard, to dive into the depths of my soul and even on nights when I thought I wouldn’t make it back Ranjiv was right on the other side with a life vest and his very best facial expression of “But did you die!” Followed by his signature laughter. But seriously if you are allowed to attend class I urge you to be fully committed to this journey, trust Ranjiv, trust yourself, dive in heart first always knowing that you are fully capable of doing the work, knowing that you are enough, knowing what it is that you Need and fucking go get it!!!”

 

 Tanya Bettencourt

Tanya Bettencourt

2nd Year Graduate

“I used to think I knew all the depths of myself – until I studied this technique.

I didn’t always like what I discovered and what my peers saw. There were times I cried out of frustration and wanted to quit – but I didn’t. I knew I was discovering the truth and I had to allow myself to unravel piece by piece.

By stripping away all of the guardedness, of all of that armor that I thought was protecting me (but really only inhibiting me), I was able to build myself back up and become stronger. Personally, and in my art I feel braver, more open and so much more present. I used to think showing vulnerability was a weakness. Not anymore.

The Meisner Technique has given me what I feel is a sixth sense. It has taught me how to really see what’s right there in front of me. To see who is right there in front of me. To sense how I feel and how the other person feels and how to let go and connect and believe under imaginary circumstances. I have discovered abilities I would have never thought I was capable of.

There is nothing perplexing about what you learn at The Sanford Meisner Center. It’s not some complicated mystery. It really is so simple. It’s not an intellectual journey. It’s an emotional one. You start at the bottom of the mountain and you climb up at a gradient. It’s a climb everyone should experience.”


DeShaude Barner

DeShaudeBarner

2nd Year Graduate

“Meisner is more than just a “technique” it’s a life changing experience both on and off the stage. All actors have the ability to “act”, but Meisner helps bring out the true story teller within to deliver performances we never imagined possible. By stripping me down to my truth and forcing me to develop and believe in my imagination like never before, Meisner has helped me to truly become a stronger actor. The 2 years spent learning from Martin and Ranjiv are something I will never forget and forever be thankful for.”


Brandon Quinn

2nd Year Graduate

“I was a working actor for over 15 years but as I got older, I noticed a level of depth and consistency missing from my work. It got to the point where I would fear most scenes that required anything more than casual conversation. I knew that if I wanted to work consistently for the next 15 years and beyond, I needed to let go of my ego and fears of “class” and get to work.

If you say you want to be an actor then investing in yourself and career is an ABSOLUTE must. It’s too competitive a business not to.  Yes, it is hard work and a lot of time, but I have NEVER grown and learned more about myself and my craft more than I have over my two years studying at the Meisner Center.

I am forever grateful for the hard work and persistence Ranjiv puts into every one of his students. I’ve never met a person with such intuition and understanding of human behavior and connection and after all, isn’t that what acting is?  The more I learned and uncovered about myself and my emotions, the deeper my work became. Before this class I struggled to look a person in the eye during conversation and noticed I was doing the same in my work. How do you connect and react naturally if you’re not taking your partner in??  Meisner is so simple in theory “The ability to live truthfully under the given imaginary circumstances.” yet takes years to master. I’ve learned that you must never stop pushing yourself and growing…

This class/course is an ABSOLUTE must if you’re in the business of being a step ahead of the rest! I have worked so much more since studying at the Meisner Center and the level of my work and consistency in which I can bring it was WELL worth the time and commitment!! Thank you, thank you and thank you!!”


Malgosia Tolak

Malgosia Tolak

2nd Year Graduate

“This technique, studio, classes, and mentors has completely changed how I work in my artistic life and how I see the world in my personal life. Yes I am serious. It has had that profound of effect on me. Prior to, I had been auditioning and had been taking a few classes (improv, scene study, commercial, etc.) but always felt a puzzle piece missing. On the other hand, I had many apprehensions around committing myself to any foundation class or studio. I heard horror stories of instructors breaking people down and not helping or caring enough to build actors back up.

This studio was the missing puzzle piece that I needed. Ranjiv and Marty do an amazing job at arming you with the tools you need to be successful out in the real world. They don’t break you down and leave you in a puddle on the floor. They strip you of detrimental, unproductive, bad actor habits that are at best defense mechanisms and at worst greatly inhibiting your acting. They really care about you and your journey. Yes there were days that I wanted to toss in the towel but I knew that this was the real deal. I knew if I had left, if I could not hang in there, in this class then what was I doing trying to be a working actor? Through the triumphs and challenges, they have given me extremely critical tools that have and will continue to take my acting to the next level.

Before working with Ranjiv and Marty I thought I knew what my personal 10 was and when I was really “feeling it” while acting. But this technique and class blew that personal 10 out of the water. It got me out of my head and living truthfully. It has made me a much stronger actor. It really unearthed the depths of my abilities. Depths I didn’t know I had and am now shocked I hadn’t come across them before. I am so much more confident in my abilities and cannot wait to see where this technique takes me. This technique and studio along with Ranjiv and Marty will always have my back. That’s the feeling I got from day 1. There is no half-assing it here. “


Matthan Harris

Matthan Harris

2nd Year Graduate

I really enjoyed the two year acting program at The Sanford Meisner Center. It was a challenging, inspiring, and enriching journey. Year 1 helped me strip away all previous notions of acting and start again from a more truthful human foundation. Year 2 raised the stakes even higher, and challenged me even more in the best possible ways. Some of it was very daunting but I never gave up because I fully trusted the Meisner technique. I knew that I could reach the top of the mountain if I just kept climbing. It’s like Ranjiv often reminded us, “do the work.”

This program helped me get completely out of my head, connect wholeheartedly with my scene partner, and bring more emotional life to my work than I had been able to achieve in prior acting classes. I love the effectiveness of burying my lines rote; it eliminates any falseness such as ‘line readings’ or ’emoting’. The personal monologues were truly wonderful and helped bring out the most visceral of emotions, many of which we might not have been able to express otherwise.

Ranjiv Perera and Martin Barter are both incredibly committed to their students. They have a keen eye on what you’re doing right and what you need to do better, and they’re very good at verbalizing it. Ranjiv really takes the time to talk with you one-on-one and bring out the best in your work. Martin is astonishingly passionate and will definitely give you his all when teaching you. It was an absolute honor to learn the Meisner technique from Ranjiv and Martin. I highly recommend the two year program to anyone who is serious about taking their acting abilities to the next level. This is without a doubt the best acting class I’ve ever taken. After graduation, I had tears of joy in my eyes and I realized what a wonderful journey it was. Now it is time to carry my Meisner tools with me and find the next mountain to climb.

 
 

Aaron Bitzer

2nd Year Graduate

“Taking the two-year program at The Sanford Meisner Center is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Though it is not for the faint of heart, I would recommend it to any actor serious about deepening their craft and bringing meaningful artistic truth to the world.

Ranjiv Perera is an excellent teacher. I knew right away when I interviewed for the class that he was reading me like a book and would call out my truths (and my bullshit) even when I wasn’t even fully aware of them. In class I was challenged to break out of shallow social niceties and behavioral habits and instead to not only recognize my own truths, but to live them deeply and fully, show them to the class and most importantly to trust them.

I had no acting training before this class, but even after the first year I was receiving genuinely positive feedback from seasoned actors I had the privilege of working with. It was also encouraging to hear my classmates who had taken other classes continually praise this program as being the best they had experienced. It all helped reaffirm that I was studying at the right place. As a graduate, I really feel that I know how to do my work to prepare and show up at an audition or on set ready to have fun and bring it rather than getting caught up in my head. That being said, I see very clearly how far I still have to go to really develop myself as an artist, but I’m definitely off to a good solid start!

Something I really valued about this school in particular is the sense of connection to the legacy of Sanford Meisner and all the actors who have gone through his two-year program in completion. Having Martin Barter, who assisted Meisner in opening the school, occasionally come and teach especially contributed to that feeling. And he is just an incredibly inspiring teacher who always showed me how much farther my work could go.

This class was the most challenging thing I have ever done and the most rewarding.  It’s impossible for the work done in class to not spill over into one’s “non-artistic life.” I grew stronger as a person as I explored and got to know myself more and through my relationships and work with my fellow classmates. It was a privilege to see the growth in them as we we all took this journey together. Nothing can really compare to this experience.


 Heidi Shon

Heidi Shon

2nd Year Graduate

“Before I started training at the Sanford Meisner Center, I audited a couple of classes. They all talked about getting to the truth and working on instinct along with a lot of motivational talk. I would leave feeling inspired and in agreement with what was said but had no idea how to do any of that. I wanted concrete tools that I can use as an actor.

The Meisner Center with Ranjiv Perera at the helm gave me those tools. There is so much I will forever carry with me from Ranjiv’s teachings, but I couldn’t have realized any of it unless I had put in the work, practice, and work. Only by DOING did everything come together. It took a while and a lot of work! (Have I mentioned that the training here requires a lot of work?)

The Meisner Center gave me a process to work with that I was desperately seeking. I know that my training is not over, that it’s just beginning, but I now have the confidence to move forward. I am eternally grateful for Ranjiv’s dedication and the Meisner Center for giving me a strong foundation to build on”


Clayton Bury

Clayton Bury

1st Year Graduate

“My experience in the First Year program at the Sanford Meisner Center is one I will always cherish, as it has been instrumental to my growth as an artist. It challenged me to face many questions about myself, particularly the relationship I have with myself and my work. 

I came into the program as a perfectionist who was very hard on myself when my performance didn’t meet my expectations. It kept me in my head, which not only stifled my ability to create and explore, it killed my ability to be emotionally open to my partner on stage.

Under Ranjiv’s direction, I learned to quiet my overactive mind, and to simplify my process by following my heart. This wasn’t easy – it took me a full nine months to figure out – but now on the other side of the grueling first year work, I realize it was a necessary journey for me to let go of being perfect and simply commit to the work I’ve prepared. Through it all, I’ve learned to become more vulnerable as an artist and connect more emotionally with my partners.

I highly recommend this program led by Ranjiv. He’ll push you out of your comfort zone while maintaining a protected environment for you to feel empowered to play, explore, fail, and keep going. You’ll gain a greater understanding of the craft, the human experience, and most importantly, yourself. And with that, you’ll gain more confidence in not only who you are, but how you ‘Art.'”


 Nerlyn Jean

2nd Year Graduate

“The experience within my two year journey with the Sanford Meisner Center was Liberating and amazing. I started there as an actor and left there as an artist, an artist of my craft. I learned my strengths and my weaknesses and the tools to keep me sharp in any given situation. A  true challenge and commitment, it was the best decision I made for my career thus far.

With my talents and now the tools to really master my craft, i’m ready to use what I’ve learned to master my career. I just have this new found appreciation for what it really means to me an artist, a human being and the world that exist in between. Thanks Sandy, Marty and Ranjiv, for this wonderful technique. It seriously changed my life.”


Michael Campion

Michael Campion

2nd Year Graduate

“This program was a truly profound and life-changing experience. It not only made me a better actor than I ever imagined I could be, but it also challenged me to confront my deepest truths and own them. I now have a a rock-solid foundation from which to grow.

The technique itself resonated with my soul. Simply put, other acting classes don’t teach the right skills in the right order, nor do they have the patience to train them fully. This program provided a safe (but surely not comfortable) space for me to fail forward, over and over, for long periods of time, which made me an exponentially better actor.

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have taken part in it and will continue to apply the lessons and techniques I learned to my work and my life.”


Lex Bookstein

2nd Year Graduate

2nd Year Graduate

“When I started training with the Meisner Center I was one person. When I finished their two-year program, I was another. The tools my fellow students and I received in the course of our studying were nothing short of transformative, not only on a professional level but a personal one as well. By using the strong foundation the Meisner technique provides, you are able to discover and connect with the emotional truth of a moment and respond truthfully in kind. You will also discover a greater depth, range, understanding and command of the emotional responses to these truths that will guide you not only through a scene but through your non-artistic life as well.  The steps you will take as a Meisner student will test you on a fundamental level and will require of you no small amount of bravery to face head-on. However, if you meet the challenge and truly dig within yourself you will find the returns far outweigh the investment. If it makes you uncomfortable, go there. If it scares you, go further. The journey will be worth it.”


Alikona Bradford

2nd Year Graduate

2nd Year Graduate

“I had been in theater in high school, but moved into the dance and hosting aspect of the entertainment business as an adult. When I decided to delve back into the world of acting I did my share of a auditing several classes and took two before finding Meisner. One of which was a “cold read” class. I’ll stand on my soap box for 2.2 seconds and just say this, I paid someone to give me a script and have me read/act it out in front of a class only for them to tell me to ‘try it three different ways. Any three ways as long as it is different.’ I say that because I feel like a lot of the classes in LA are just that. Here is a script, go memorize it, do it for the class and you receive minimal instruction. I also audited technique classes with yelling teachers or odd animalistic exercises to help the actors, yet the acting was quite mediocre.

Finding The Sanford Meisner Center was beyond lucky. Now, at first you may find yourself in the beginning feeling like Daniel from the Karate Kid, doing foundational exercises that may not SEEM to make sense, but everything falls into place. Ranjiv Perera has been my Mister Miyagi. He saw things in me that I did not, he pushed me to go deeper, and gave me the tools I needed to approach this art truthfully. The Meisner technique allows you to explore yourself and your art in a way that teaches you how to “unleash” your emotions in ways that will captivate others be it with tears or laughter. To me there is a difference between being a good actor and a compelling actor. Every single one of my fellow classmates graduated as a compelling actor ready to work. The single most priceless thing you will walk away with from this experience…. confidence.”


Andrew Carter

Andrew Carter

2nd Year Graduate

“In the fall of 2013, I entered the Sanford Meisner Center strictly as a writer/director. I had no interest in pursuing acting as a career. Hell, I didn’t even know if I was going to complete the first year program, let alone two full years.

I had worked on an acclaimed movie the year prior with some very good actors, one of whom was trained in the Meisner Technique in New York. He told me to take a Meisner course, to put myself through the ringer because then I’d be “light-years ahead of others that say they want to direct but have no clue how to talk to actors.” He was right.

This class taught me so much about how to talk to actors, the craft of acting itself, and the tools that are required to hone it. Each lesson was delivered in a straightforward, no-nonsense way, and for the first time in any acting class I had ever taken, I was required to hold myself accountable for completing the work, both in and outside of the classroom. It was by far the most challenging educational and artistic experience of my life.

However, the biggest surprise to me was that it awakened the two thousand pound grizzly bear inside of me that was my desire to act. He was hibernating, but he’s here now, and he’s hungry. I’ve had this inkling my whole life, mind you, but this class and Ranjiv Perera helped me to realize that. More importantly, my time in that headshot-covered room on Magnolia Boulevard helped me to believe that I actually could be an actor. Now, I am finally comfortable saying that I am one. And it feels great.”


Kayla Williams

Kayla Williams

2nd Year Graduate

“There are other techniques, other schools, but I cannot imagine the reasons why anyone would choose differently. The Meisner technique is transformative whether you have the opportunity to receive it through an intensive or a two-year program. You will unearth so many things within yourself emotionally that you might otherwise ignore. Initially, that might make you feel uncomfortable, but eventually you will want to go to those places and you will need to for the sake of your art.

What I felt developed naturally while studying this technique was an even greater respect for my craft and an unwavering amount of confidence in my abilities as an actress.”


Cody Saintgnue

Cody Saintgnue

2nd year Graduate

“Meisner helped me to stop thinking like an actor, and start FEELING like a human being. And the only human being that I am, which is myself. You are yourself in every role. Just in different imaginary circumstances. Meisner empowered me and gave me the confidence and reassurance to understand that. Meisner has taught me to bring my real truth to every performance I do, which in my book, is the most powerful “choice” one can bring to an audition. Couldn’t be more proud and happy to be apart of such a loving, nurturing, grounding, family. My heart forever lies in the teachings of Meisner.”


William Svedberg

2nd Year Graduate

2nd Year Graduate

“These 2 years of training unlocked so much in me I didn’t know I had and gave me the tools and technique that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, not just in front of a camera or stage but also outside. It turned acting to something fun, creative and expressive and maybe most importantly – built my confidence. I’m eternally grateful for everything Ranjiv Perera has given me and guided me throughout with in this process.


Mikhail Suvorov

2nd Year Graduate

 “You can’t become an actor because you want to – only if you desperately need to! If you can survive any other way – by all means stay away from pursuing an acting dream! The same is for the Meisner technique – you can’t get it just because it’s gonna look smooth on your resume. The Meisner treasury chest unveils only when you need it more than anything else in the world, even the life itself. You need to sacrifice all the habits of your past life, really let your old self go to explore who you truly are.

The Meisner technique, unlike anything I’ve done before, is something you can’t pull through just sliding on the surface. You’ll have to be brave enough to stop the rush at some point, take a full breath and break the ice, diving all the way down to the very bottom of your soul. As scary as it is – to your wild unexplored core – bad, good and ugly. And that’s a hell of a journey indeed! Though in my case, it felt more like crashing armature of unbreakable ego with the stubbornness of my forehead to reach my heart during the most part of a two year program. And yet I’ve just started the journey! Would I like to go through the 2 year program again? Never! Never ever!!! But if you ask me what title I’m wearing, most proudly, in my life – the title of Meisner actor is my answer!


Alex Montalban

Alex Montalban

2nd Year Graduate

 “I believe every actor needs a home base; a strong foundation from which we may explore and play with our innermost truths. The Meisner Technique provides just that: a fundamental and simple-minded approach for actors to tap into, and more importantly, share their deepest truths.

Thousands of students have failed this technique, but the technique has never failed a student. However seemingly simplistic Sandy’s method may appear, this school is not for the faint of heart.

But if you’re willing to check your ego at the door, allow yourself to be vulnerable, and do the work as Sandy intended, the Method will break you wide open, and bring confidence to feelings that most people are otherwise ashamed to feel.”


 Channing McKindra

Channing McKindra

2nd Year Graduate

“Even after years of numerous classes in New York and LA, I felt lost when it came to approaching my work as an actor. I knew that I still lacked confidence and a solid technique.

As soon as I started at the Sanford Meisner Center, that began to change. This is the work that I imagined doing when I first decided to become an actor years ago – imagination based, instinctual, and simple in the sense that it allows me to get out of my head and express my truth.

Now that I have completed the first year, I know how to prepare for an audition and work on set in a way that I never could before. I have become a far more brave and disciplined artist.”


 Kellie Koppel

Kellie Koppel

2nd Year Graduate

“The Meisner technique taught at the center not only makes you a great actor, but a great human. I am thankful everyday for the person that I have become and the path that I travel.”


Will Jorden

will_jorden3

2nd Year Graduate

“As much as I learned about acting I learned even more about myself. From this class I walked away more open and lionhearted, two qualities essential to an actor. I was looking to become a better performer but what I discovered was true acting craft in the Meisner technique. A craft that developed my skill as well as artistry.

All the other classes I’ve ever taken tried to teach good decision making rather than how to live in the moment. They taught tips and tricks to play at the scenes rather than following one’s instinct. Living truthfully under the given imaginary circumstances is what the Meisner technique is all about and it matures actors into giving rich performances as unique as themselves.”


Nicole J. Butler

Nicole Butler

2nd Year Graduate

“The 2-year Meisner Technique conservatory program was the most challenging, yet rewarding commitment that I have made for myself and my career. At the beginning of the program, I already had an undergraduate theatre degree, but I wasn’t able to figure out how to deliver an honest performance EVERY TIME. Sometimes we, as actors, intrinsically understand a character and know how to play it. Having a solid technique is essential for those other times. The times when you aren’t sure where to begin, or when a role is either so close to you that it scares you, or so different from you that it seems like a bridge too far.

It wasn’t until I studied Meisner that I truly realized that acting wasn’t about “putting on” a character, nor was it about emoting and making people believe that my feelings were real. It was about accepting the circumstances of the characters as truth and allowing myself to “be” in that space, in that moment in time. The Meisner Technique taught me that. The Meisner Technique trained me to be fearless in my truth. It taught me to name and access the full rainbow of my emotions. It taught me to recognize the difference between artifice and truth in myself and others. My career and my LIFE have truly been changed for the better, and I will forever be humbled by- and grateful for- this work.

My advice to prospective students: If you sign on for this, you owe it to yourself and those taking the journey with you to commit and submit to the work. What may not make sense now will surely be useful later. Consent to allow yourself to be challenged, with the knowledge that growth will be your reward.”


Torrey Drake

1st Year Graduate

2nd Year Graduate

“Graduating the Sanford Meisner Center, and becoming a 2nd year graduate under the guidance of Ranjiv was the most incredible journey I’ve taken as an actor. I started this class as an aspiring actor, desperate to learn my craft in a way that is consistent, a craft that I could own. Now a graduate of the 2nd year – I have left with more confidence in myself and in my craft than I could have ever have asked for – and I earned every bit of it through the excellence that Ranjiv commands of me and all the other students. The command I have over my emotional life is powerful, and my ability to utterly connect and live in the moment is second nature to me. The moment I receive a scene, no matter the caliber of material, before I read it I approach it with utter confidence that I have the skills necessary to bring it to life. If you want to earn that ability, if you want to earn that level of trust in yourself and in your craft, you have found your home. “


 

 

 Kara Anthony

Kara Anthony

1st Year Graduate

My experience at The Sanford Meisner Center has made me a more confident, capable, courageous actor. I have learned the power of making choices, how to live in my truth, and bring the emotional depth needed to fulfill any circumstance or scene.  After the first year, I now know what I am doing as an actor. I also know how to command auditions, find work, and keep myself learning outside of class through literature and film.

Other classes have felt ridged, school-like, or centered around the teacher’s ego.  At The Sanford Meisner Center you are free to be yourself and grow in an environment where the instructor makes the class about molding YOU into a better actor.

For non-actors, The Sanford Meisner Center is a place where you learn how to be a certain and secure individual. You surpass the limitations of socially acceptable behavior and enter the realm of authentic honest human behavior. In essence, you no longer worry about pleasing others; you learn how to simply, unapologetically, be you.


 

 

Shalonda Shaw

Shalonda Shaw

2nd Year Graduate

“This experience was a journey for  my soul.  I learned so much about myself that I didn’t know before I started studying the technique.  I have a confidence that comes out through my performances and a big part of that is because of this training.  This technique not only trains you in acting, but it builds the confidence you need to go out into the “acting world” and trust your work.  The Meisner technique starts you off to building a solid, firm foundation of doing the basics of what an actor should do, which is, listen and answer.  Once that is solid, then the freedom of creativity, and the revealing of your soul, and the expansion of your imagination to discovering your own uniqueness is what makes this technique so special.

Studying other acting classes in Los Angeles only gave me tools, but studying this technique has developed in me a uniqueness combined with a trust in my work that has elevated me to a level of professionalism where I know that I can walk into an audition room and “book the room”.  I know what I’m capable of as an actor, and that is a wonderful feeling.  Ranjiv creates an emotionally safe and positive environment for us to break down our walls, reveal our truths, and discover our own uniqueness, strengths, and weaknesses.  The feeling that I had after graduating from the Sanford Meisner Center for the Arts was better than the feeling I had when graduating college.  I feel so accomplished.  Studying the Meisner technique will be one of the most impactful decisions you will make in your life.  It will change you forever!!”


Dennis Irwin

Dennis Irwin

2nd Year Graduate

“Nothing has made me more complete an actor than the Meisner Center Program. It did not just give me an approach to the craft but also gave me a vantage point to the immense potential I have as an artist. In the beginning you start with mechanical exercises that get you to trust your impulses and release your emotional energy safely and truthfully with your fellow actors. The gift of this method, though, is learning to construct your scenes out of your own thoughts and dreams and ultimately you create your own life on stage.

This life is unique to the stage and will guide your talent to its most vital asset – you. Once you realize how to invest yourself into your presence on stage you then will be unstoppable as an actor. Your performances will be unique and spontaneous – everything a great actor wishes for themselves. With true belief and trust in yourself and the method movies, stage and life will be in the palm of your hands.”


Ariel Jones

Ariel Jones

2nd Year Graduate

“I know this may sound outlandish, but studying the Meisner Technique has truly changed my life. Every class was a challenge and pushed me beyond my limits. I was told to “step outside of my comfort zone” and to let myself be “uncomfortable.” This is when I saw a new me- a me who I had no idea was living inside and waiting to get out. I was a more confident, stronger and better actress. I was able to tap into emotions that I never knew I could show.

Upon completion of my studies, I knew something about me had changed. In my personal life I now had a voice. I was able to truly communicate with people on a deeper level. With regards to my acting career, not a day goes by when I am at an audition and someone asks me “where did you train? What method did you study?” I had not only seen this new strong actor self, but others had noticed it too.

I have taken many different acting classes and the Meisner Technique has been by far the most beneficial. Unlike other classes, we were treated as professionals, and therefore were expected to act as so. I learned to memorize a script in an evening, how to work with partners, how to become the part and most importantly, how to act. Yes, I am a working actor BUT for non actors, I highly recommend this technique. From pitching a presentation to a client or boss, teaching a classroom of fourth graders, to training a client as a personal trainer, everyone should study this technique. It allows you to truly understand human relationships and interactions.”


 Stephen Phillips

Stephen Phillips

1st Year Graduate

“The Sanford Meisner Center embodies what I value most about acting: the commitment to speaking and acting truthfully under any circumstance. The 1st Year Program challenged me to think about my craft in an entirely new light, steering me away from a need to create characters and focusing my energies on opening myself to great depths of feeling. To that end, I am less self-aware and more open to discovery. I am speaking from the heart, not the mind. I highly recommend Meisner study to those concerned with unlearning the cultural habits of holding one’s tongue and controlling emotion and, within their art, retraining themselves to speak out and respond courageously in order to become actors who are both truthful and brave.”

Click for Student Testimonials

Alex Montalban
Alex Montalban
"However seemingly simplistic Sandy's method may appear, this school is not for the faint of heart..."
Vanessa Parker
Vanessa Parker
"...this class shows you that you can go straight to the heart and the emotion"
Tanya Bettencourt
"I used to think showing vulnerability was a weakness. Not anymore."
Shalonda Shaw
"...I know what I'm capable of as an actor, and that is a wonderful feeling."
Michael Campion
"...other acting classes don’t teach the right skills in the right order, nor do they have the patience to train them fully."
Damith Warnasuriya
"...this is not a class that you sign up for but more like a life course that challenges you..."
Mikhail Suvorov
"The Meisner technique, unlike anything I've done before, is something you can't pull through just sliding on the surface."
Star Don
"Look another person dead in the eye and just FEEL. It’s the simplest yet hardest thing to do."
Tanner Risner
"You have no idea what this class can do for you."
Albert Emery
"I am a better communicator as a result of speaking from my heart."
Nerlyn Jean
"A true challenge and commitment, it was the best decision I made for my career thus far."
Christina Ramirez
"...there is nothing like seeing yourself grow into the person you always were meant to be..."
Channing McKindra
"This is the work that I imagined doing when I first decided to become an actor years ago..."
KoJo Asiedu Head Shot
Yisreal Dubov
"...not only did I walk away with an incredible training in acting; I walked away with a family, and memories that will last a lifetime"
Danielle Vega
"I felt I needed a class of Meisner caliber to have in my repertoire to take me to the next level of my career."
Amir Hasan
"It did not take long for me to realize that my brain was the biggest obstacle holding me back..."
Torrey Drake
"...my ability to utterly connect and live in the moment is second nature to me."
Sierra Smith
"..I learned that ACTING IS NOT ABOUT ACTING."
Michael Roshangah
"I found that I am stronger than I gave myself credit for."
Heidi Shon
"The Meisner Center gave me a process to work with that I was desperately seeking."
Jonathan Freudman
"This is not a Mickey Mouse class, this is serious acting, this is MEISNER.”
Brandon Quinn
"I have worked so much more since studying at the Meisner Center..."
Jacob Dimenstein
"...my advice to you would be to be open to the possibilities."
Matthan Harris
"This is without a doubt the best acting class I’ve ever taken."
DeShaude Barner
"The 2 years spent learning from Martin and Ranjiv are something I will never forget... "
Nicole J Butler
Alessandro Marino
"This class cuts the bull*** and tells you the truth..."
Clayton Bury
"I learned to quiet my overactive mind, and to simplify my process by following my heart."
Juliene Winborne
" I had taken numerous acting classes, but none of them fully embodied what I was looking for."
Cameren Foley
"This class is definitely not the easy route..."
Nina Umpierrez
"Completing this program has left me feeling ready and excited to go out and get what I need!"
Menen Basha
"I’m not quite sure where to begin because so much of this experience is too big to summarize..."
Johannes Aspegren
"The Meisner technique allowed me to really see my progress."
Jada Merritt
"...know what it is that you need and fucking go get it!!!
DeRon Horton
..."the emotional capacity of which i am able to reach now I cannot see myself gaining somewhere else"
Stacey Danger
"The amount of growth I’ve had in nine months far surpasses that of all other studios I’ve trained at combined."
Bryan Shilowich
"You learn to stop “trying” to “act” and instead learn how to feel your deepest emotions..."
Andrew Carter
"It was by far the most challenging educational and artistic experience of my life."
Alexandra Dunmore
"I am astounded that I thought I knew how to act before this class."
Zachary Gordon
"...it has been an emotionally exhausting journey, but beyond rewarding."
Jule Johnson
"I walk away proud, thankful, and immensely confident with the person I’ve become"