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Elizabeth Mestnik
There's a gem of an acting studio operating these days in the heart of Hollywood, quietly turning out beautifully-trained, inspired, distinctively individual actors. I discovered it last year, and after several months of observing classes there, I thought I should share my enthusiasm.
Why is this place so great? It's pretty simple, really.
Answer this question:
What really carries you away about somebody's performance on a screen or in a theatre? The collagen in the lips? Highlights in the hair? That perfect nose? You are correct, sir; that would be no, no and no. It's when it feels like the actor is really living it, right? If you can suspend disbelief and imagine that whatever is happening to him or her is really happening.
Actors know this only too well. That's why most of us are on a never ending quest for the truth.Truth in our behavior on stage or on camera, in our interpretation of a script and character, in the life we create for our audience, live or cinematic. (If you're an actor I'm betting you're agreeing with me.) It's the driving force behind every method of acting, or at least it has been since our "modern" acting style began, when actors like Duse and companies like the Moscow Art Theatre, revered for their realistic approaches to the human experience, burst onto the scene.
But even centuries ago, to the best of artists the search for truth was paramount, especially in the realm of acting. Hamlet urged his players to "hold ... the mirror up to nature." Make it real and your audience will take the journey with you. That's the fun part! (Or the savage part, if you're trying to scare the crap out of your uncle Claudius.)
And it's why truth in acting has been the Holy Grail of every acting method, from Strasberg's to Adler's to Moore's to Hagen's. All practicable, effective and fruitful methods for those who practice them, for whom I have nothing but respect. But I would hazard a guess that no master teacher has gone after that elusive truth more voraciously and more singlemindedly than Sanford Meisner and his protege, associate and successor, William Esper. The Meisner Method, which Esper has now carefully nurtured and refined during more than thirty-five years of concentrated work, was built around "the reality of living (or 'doing' as Esper puts it) truthfully in imaginary circumstances." That pretty much says it all. And it's the method that finally worked for me.
When I began studying with Bill Esper at his studio in New York years ago I had been acting professionally for fifteen years and had what he called a few glaring "summer stock" habits. Mannerisms and performance tricks that, basically, kept me from achieving the truth. Over two years he not only knocked those out of me but also gave me a rock solid foundation in the form of a truthful acting technique that's stood me in good stead ever since. For this I will always be grateful to him. There are thousands of Esper students who feel the same way. People like Kathy Bates, Timothy Olyphant, Sam Rockwell, Christine Lahti, Paul Sorvino. Tons of others.
I've always felt wistfully nostalgic that my Esper days were long gone, that I'd never again experience that unique classroom thrill of discovering, in a simple exercise, complete and spontaneous honesty. Sigh. What a rush.
Then I ran into a colleague of mine who teaches the Meisner Technique at the Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio in Hollywood. I was intrigued when he told me that Elizabeth trained with William Esper and teaches the technique quite faithfully to Esper's program. I decided to investigate.
Lo and behold, he was right. A visit to Elizabeth's class took me right back to my days at the Esper Studio.
Elizabeth Mestnik is whip smart and articulate, with an ability to communicate the Esper method in her own style. She earned her MFA with Esper at Rutgers, then worked as a professional actor, then fell in love with teaching. She has worked with beginning actors as well as established professionals such as Ed Asner, Fred Savage and Sharif Atkins. Esper's glowing recommendation speaks for itself: “Elizabeth is a first rate and versatile teacher, compelling, intelligent and dedicated, with a clear method that leads others to bring their ideas to light. I cannot say enough good things about her.”
With a view toward eventually becoming a teacher at her studio, I've been observing Elizabeth's classes, as well as those taught by another of her faculty, Richard Robichaux, also an Esper-trained successful actor and truly gifted teacher. I'm psyched about eventually experiencing all the teachers there (the staff is growing due to demand). Boy, are these classes inspiring. They are small, so every actor gets up to work every time. They are intense. Nobody slides through; nobody's allowed to fake it. Revelations and breakthroughs happen all the time. And it's a credit to this studio that the quality of student is also so high. In my months of observing classes I've seen great dedication in all of the students. It's SO refreshing to see the "New York style" of training here on the West Coast. And personally, it's a special thrill to watch what happened for me happen for a new generation of actors coming along today, all of whom are discovering, in their own unique and exciting ways, the joy of finding, cherishing and acting ... the truth.
For more about Elizabeth Mestnik, her studio, faculty and philosophy, visit her website.
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