My Approach to Acting
My advanced study of acting began in graduate school at Purdue University in 2001, but my professional journey started much earlier. Since 1993, I had been acting professionally, relying on a technique rooted in Stanislavski's teachings, which I learned during my undergraduate training. While playing actions and pursuing objectives provided a solid foundation, it was during my three years of intensive Meisner Technique training at Purdue that I truly honed my craft.
Yes, I’m a firm believer in Meisner—a Meisnerite, if you will. After all, I'm only 4th removed in his direct line of students who became teachers themselves! Sanford Meisner taught Bill Esper, who taught Kristine Holtvedt, who taught me. His method remains my primary approach to crafting truthful, dynamic performances. However, I also recognize that no single technique fits every actor. This philosophy led me to reshape my Acting I course into "Acting: Methods," exposing students to a diverse range of performance theories.
Over the years, I have found that actors thrive when they can build a reliable methodology tailored to their own instincts and strengths. My instruction now incorporates the teachings of Stanislavski, Meisner, Hagen, Strasberg, Bogart, and Michael Chekhov, providing students with the tools they need to develop their own authentic artistic voice.