Meisner with Tom Radcliff

I just had my first class in Meisner with Tom Radcliff. As if I dont have enough other stuff going on. This was another one of the many things I get excited about when I see an ad pop ito my inbox and decide I can just about afford it. I then I remember I have to do it 3 months later. Them my wife gets upset that I forgot to mention it to her.

The Meisner technique is a type of theatrical training taught by Stanford Meisner before he passed away in 1997. Previous students include the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Stephen Colbert and Amy Shumer. And Tom flipping Cruise. So says Wikipedia anyway. So don’t come after me please..

As a non actor why am I bothering with this? I remember one of my Improv mentors Frazer Robb being quite enthusiastic about it as an excellent way to learn to be connect with my scene partner in the land of improv.

Why do I bother with improv? Initially I did because I though it would make me a better stand up comic, and while i think it can do that (over a long period of time) I think it more quickly helped me to learn to communicate better as a doctor.

Tom Radcliff was student of Meisner himself and I like that he himself was a health professional before as well, mentioning that he once worked as a social worker as well as having a successful career as a stage actor.

So far the class seems full of wisdom on performance and we have explored what acting is, the difference between comedy and tradgedy and exploring the meaning of truth and honesty in theatre. It seems to be about getting back to the 2 year old version of me, sans the shitting myself every day and falling on my face. When I am plastered I tell people I am just getting back to my inner child.

We have done a few of the famed repetition exercises where you emotionally react to to your scene partner using the same words as them but varying the underlying emotion. I appear to be completely shit at this, but the group and teacher are thankfully pretty patient with me so far.

Tom has been encouraging us to let go of control and to be more in the moment being more focused on our scene partner. I dont think too many patients want to see see an out of control doctor nor audiences an out of control stand up. I am pretty sure most audiences and patients would prefer if I was more present and in the moment. So I am optimistic this will be worthwhile journey. If it doesn’t get me removed from the medical register.

Unfortunately I thought that doing this for 3 hours a week on a Saturday for 6 weeks would be enough. Sadly Tom has told us we need to meet up individually online every day to practice if we are going to make the most of this. I better break this to the wife gently.