Part of the reality of life as an actor is the acceptance that successes and setbacks are inevitable. We should understand however, that not getting what we want, whether it’s a job, money or meeting our own expectations as an actor are momentary glitches in the rich fabric of our lives. To be a successful actor one has to learn how to move on and overcome the very real and deeply personal hazards of the acting world.
We expect that our goals in life and work will not always be easily achieved and obstacles will always challenge our resolve to soldier on. The actor however, unlike other professionals is presented with these obstacles daily, wearing down not only self-esteem, but also capacity to achieve personal satisfaction and contentment while moving along the chosen path. Such an assault on worth and the value of aspirations can have devastating effects on the ability to lead a fulfilled and happy life.Anthony Meindl is acutely aware of this. He has developed an innovative and effective teaching method that addresses these obstacles to a contented life while working on the stage or before the camera.
Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop (AMAW), with branches in Los, Angeles, New York, London, Vancouver and Sydney is proving to be incredibly popular with veteran and novice actors of all ages. As a cautious client you should check out the reviews on Yelp, watch Anthony’s videos of classes on the AMAW website and finally audit for free one of the classes. The only obstacle to getting into a workshop at AMAW seems to be the waiting time before an opening becomes available. That’s about as good a sign as you ever could expect. Yelpers say “I have never come across an acting studio where I felt safe enough to be as free as I’ve been here at AMAW,” “Every class is uplifting” and “Tony's unique approach helps people remember why they love acting.”
Anthony and his staff who act as class teachers, or more correctly, mentors or leaders, compassionately encourage every student to discover themselves through acting. The approach is simple and as with all things we often dismiss as simple, the effects of attentiveness, focus and intense self-evaluation are quite spectacular.
Anthony’s method of releasing one’s inner acting is based on the principle that acting comes out of self-understanding. “Acting,” Anthony, rightly observes, “is more subjective than objective.” His students are guided first “to understand how to be themselves.” With this self-knowledge in hand actors avoid getting in the way of telling a story. The only difference between acting and living is that the former involves a fictional world but that world is created from what we are. When we know the truth of who we are, we imbue the fictional world with truth. You as an actor, listening intently to others in a scene, “start to really live it as you are,” and thus your performance will be truthful. Anthony says that when this happens, “you don’t even know you are acting.” This is the power of the presence of the moment.
Acting at AMAW is understood as a living relationship. This relationship changes from moment to moment so that the actor can, through an internal conversation, base their actions on what they want to do, going forward rather than dwelling in the past. The past, particularly one’s experiences in auditions, can be a serious impediment to positive action. One of the most interesting videos on Anthony Meindl’s You Tube channel is on entitled 10 or More Ways to Audition. It is incredibly upbeat and positive and pointing the way to overcoming your obsessions about the past.AMAW has been praised by students for its absence of pretense, the gentleness of its leaders and the simplicity of the concept of acting through self discovery. Anthony says, “Actors, when performing, are truthfully living in a fictional world. Their work is complimented by the audience that is cooperating in the project by suspending disbelief.”
If you happen to be put on a waitlist for a class at AMAW you could use your time profitably by reading one or all of Anthony’s books. Alphabet Soup for the Grow-Ups and At Left Brain Turn Right will rev up your mindfulness and get you in a state of “don’t worry be happy.” Anthony has also written Book the F#©king Job! which is full of practical information on auditioning and thoughts concerning your feelings as you work in this part of the profession. The same kind of down-to-earth practical, face-to-face experience is offered at AMAW in a regular schedule of workshops with visiting agents, casting directors and other people in the industry.
The AMAW acting philosophy may not be to everyone’s taste because it involves a much different kind of effort than is normally required in an actors’ workshop. Just because you won’t have to memorize and perfect lines and deal with a stream of acting directions from your teachers doesn’t mean you won’t have to work. An actors’ workshop is a place where work is done. In this case your work on yourself will be mentored by compassionate leaders and supportive classmates with whom you will inevitably bond in a cooperative environment.
AMAW has tapped into a very real need in the contemporary acting profession and its success is positive proof of this. It provides an innovative approach to developing acting authenticity through honing of essential real-life skills such as acceptance, gratitude and empathy and yes, love.
Alan McNairn, a regular contributor to Casting Quarterly, is a writer on art and film.
