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In the early part of the last century . . .
The Group Theatre revolutionized the
American theatre by incorporating a form of training based on the system
of Constantin Stanislavski. The Group became a huge commercial success,
and generated some of the greatest acting teachers of the 20th
century: Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Robert Lewis, and most importantly Sanford Meisner.
However, even in its triumphs, the 'system' was evolving, and competing
schools of thought emerged. Stella Adler and Sanford Meisner broke from
Strasberg's psychological "method" after finding from
Stanislavski that the system had grown from its earlier incarnation. Adler
began teaching classes of her own and incorporated the new innovations,
and Meisner formulated and began to teach "the reality of
doing”, a new "technique". It was a tangible, teachable
approach — it was the next great step in the evolution of the
training of actors.
Throughout the last century, and up until today, these diverse traditions
handed down from Stanislavski, the Group, and its offspring, have been
taught to generations of actors.
Today . . .
The teachers of "method-oriented" training claim to pass on the
psychological
techniques of Strasberg garnered from "25 years of
study" with Strasberg himself, but does it take 25 years of STUDY to
learn (or teach) any other craft besides acting? Some studios have
faculty that "are primarily performing artists,"
and certainly they are committed performing artists, but are they committed Master
Teachers?
Teachers of the "Meisner technique" have become academic,
with certificate programs to award anyone who wishes to learn from Meisner's
protégés. Surely these diverse personalities pass on as
best as possible what each of them recalls, but where is the next step?
Where is the next revolution? Isn't there a Master Teacher who has built
upon the venerable work of the lineage of Great Master Teachers — evolving,
revolutionizing, and completing the craft?
Yes.
Stanislavski conceived of a system. Sanford Meisner shaped it into a
teachable approach. Robert Patterson has developed it into a complete
craft. The Work that is taught at The Robert Patterson Studio IS the new
revolution for training in the craft of Acting.
Robert Patterson's complete approach is the result of thirty years of
teaching and is as revolutionary as the Group was 70 years ago. This is
not "technique" from a year of basic exercises and a year of
character work, after which a student applies his bag of tricks for life;
this is acting as a complete craft, learned as one continuous action.
When the student finishes, the work is then applied to a role as one
continuous action leaving no "acting problems," no holes, and
no questions. It is called The Work, because it is just that — it is the
way an actor works, and it is complete.
For more information:
Call: (212) 840-1234 |
