Sanford Meisner Master Class Review

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(More customer reviews)FULL DISCLOSURE:
28 years ago, I was one of the young student actors asked to participate in this documentary. And, to provide some idea about how important I think this program is, most of "my" work in this documentary is almost all total failure; and frankly this embarrasses me.

That said:
Until now, I had been very proud of my participation in the documentary about Sanford Meisner, "The Theater's Best Kept Secret." However, with this program, I've just learned: the secret is out!
"The Sanford Meisner Master Class," is astounding in its power to not only convey Mr. Meisner's genius for teaching the craft of acting, but as a student participant in this Master Class it is like witnessing the re-incarnation of a most important figure in my life, and of the 20th Century. It is like the great Sanford Meisner has come back to life, and with his teaching powers fully intact.
Though it has been years since I left the acting profession, and a few years since I also stopped teaching The Meisner Technique, Mr. Meisner's influence on all of my adult work has been profound. His most important influence on me, which this documentary expresses so eloquently, is perhaps Mr. Meisner's most precious gift: his uncompromising devotion to helping students develop their own "sense of truth." This 8 hour documentary shows how Mr. Meisner shared his gift of such a highly developed "sense of truth" as a standard for his students to strive toward attaining. He is the perfect model and embodiment of "a sense of truth."
"A sense of truth," that in the art of theater plays out from present moment-to-unanticipated-moment, between human beings, under the imaginary circumstances of a writer's work. And thus, provides humankind with a model for authentic, meaningful, and truthful human relationship.
Did I say, that Mr. Meisner's great contribution that exists in every frame of this 8 hour documentary is the cultivation and great value for a "sense of truth?"
:)
If you care about any of these things: the model of a magnificent teacher; the great value of learning by trial and error; creating an environment where students feel freedom to fail while striving to achieve excellence measured by the highest artistic standards; theater; the craft of acting; a "sense of truth"; seeing genius at work; a model for authentic human relationship, you will enjoy this program immensely and learn a great deal.
In a world so consumed with the artificial, it is no wonder that the legacy of this most genuine of teachers and his approach to art endures so. Right now, as I view it, this program serves as a potent reality check for me.
"Sanford Meisner Master Class" is a great credit to the vision of Mr. Kent Paul, Mr. Jimmy Carville, and the people at Open Road Films for creating, preserving and sharing this extraordinary work with the world.
If you've ever wondered what all the "brouhaha" is about "The Meisner Technique" . . . behold. This is like watching Piccaso paint.
Word.
José Angel Santana, PhD
Founder/Youand:The Art of Mutual Understanading
"The final frontier may be human relationships, one person to another."
-- Buzz Aldrin, Astronaut

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A comprehensive Master Class in acting taught by Sanford Meisner, this8 hour instructional DVD set is the only existing video record of Meisner's teaching. Essential viewing for film, TV and theater actors and directors, these DVDs also offer artists of all disciplines the opportunity to learn directly from a master who is now considered one of the most important acting theorists and teachers of the twentieth century. In 1980, a group of Meisner's alumni recognized the importance of preserving his teachings for future generations. They banded together and filmed a Master Class with Sandy, short clips of which were used in the 1984 PBS special Sanford Meisner: Theatre's Best Kept Secret. Until now, the rest of the 28 hours of footage remained archived and unavailable. This DVD-set finally makes the footage from this class available to the general public; for the first time since his death in 1997, students can experience the Meisner Technique as taught by Meisner himself. A leading acting teacher who trained some of the most famous performers of the stage and screen, Sanford Meisner redefined Stanislavski's "Method" and revolutionized acting with his Meisner Technique.In 1931, a fervent group of young actors, including Sanford Meisner, Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg established the Group Theatre and brought Stanislavsky's Method acting to America. In 1933, Meisner became disenchanted with pure Method acting. From that point until his death in 1997, at age 91, Meisner developed his own technique.Meisner was an instructor and head of the acting department at the Neighborhood Playhouse for forty-eight years. For Meisner, acting was about reproducing honest emotional human reactions. The best acting, he believed, was made up of spontaneous responses to the actor's immediate surroundings. Sanford Meisner taught techniques to emphasize truthfulness and authenticity in art that resonate more strongly today than ever.

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Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)If anyone had told me several years ago that one of my favorite programs on television would turn out to be a Canadian import about a Shakespearean theater troupe, I would have had my doubts. But Season 1 of "Slings and Arrows" beguiled me. So droll and sophisticated, but with moments of sheer slapstick, I was absolutely enchanted. Detailing the struggles of a failing company amidst the changing artistic climate, "Slings" presented a colorful band of misfits that formed the unlikeliest of families. The writing was so smart, so funny, and the performances spot on--including Paul Gross and Rachel McAdams (two of the more familiar actors for American audiences). It ended in six episodes and I wistfully said good-bye to a near brilliant show. I had no idea there was more to come.
So I was delighted when I heard Season 2 and even Season 3 were on the way. But I was also doubtful. Could they really mine the same material and come up a winner? To my mind, they did that and even more.
Season 2 contained less back story, so it dealt more specifically with the inner struggle of producing theatrical shows. The comic misadventures involved in staging a cursed production of "Macbeth" was definitely the highpoint. It might have been the funniest thing on TV that season, seriously. One subplot about an experimental advertising campaign to lure new traffic to the theater festival is perfection. As someone who has been a season subscriber in the LA theater scene for over ten years, this was particularly hysterical to me--how much truth there was. Season 3 (which added the always appreciated Sarah Polley to the cast) details how the theater adjusts to success. Its humor is dosed with many moments of melancholy. There is such sadness, yet hope, as the characters begin to make some life altering decisions--it's a fitting emotional tribute to a sublimely funny show.
But, trust me, you don't have to be a theater-goer or a Shakespeare enthusiast to enjoy this program. But you do have to enjoy smart, sophisticated entertainment with top notch performances. I have shown this series to a couple of friends who would NEVER have sampled it on their own. They were surprised how identifiable it was and how funny!!! A great change of pace from much of TV, check this one out! KGHarris, 12/07.


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As seen on the Sundance Channel "Deliciously written" -TV GUIDE "Big and powerful, a corker" -LOS ANGELES TIMES "Charming and complex and lovely" -THE NEW YORK TIMES Showered with awards and critical acclaim, this darkly comic Canadian series follows the fortunes of a dysfunctional Shakespearean theatre troupe, exposing the high drama, scorching battles, and electrifying thrills that happen behind the scenes.Paul Gross (Due South) stars as Geoffrey Tennant, the passionate but unstable artistic director of the New Burbage Theatre Festival. Haunted by the ghost of his predecessor (Stephen Ouimette), he struggles to realize his creative vision while handling touchy actors, a jittery general manager (Mark McKinney), a pretentious guest director (Don McKellar) and his own tempestuous romance with the festival's leading lady(Martha Burns). The backstage bedlam mirrors the onstage angst as Geoffrey directs three of Shakespeare's masterpieces -- Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear -- one in each season. Guest stars include Rachel McAdams (Wedding Crashers), Colm Feore (Chicago), Sarah Polley (Go, The Sweet Hereafter), and renowned Stratford Festival actor William Hutt in one of his last performances. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE cast interviews, bloopers, deleted and extended scenes, photo galleries, production notes, trailers and song lyrics. Plus exclusive bonus disc: "A Look Behind the Scenes" featurette, more cast and crew interviews, and on-set footage.

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Hamlet Review

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(More customer reviews)"Hamlet" doesn't need any introduction -- the tortured Dane, the ghost, meditations on suicide and a climax full of death. But while many adaptations of Shakespeare's classic play feel stuffy and distant, this "Hamlet" has it all -- sleek elegant sets, powerful acting, and clever modern twists on the age-old stuff. And the best part is the brilliant performances by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart.
Prince Hamlet of Denmark (Tennant) is understandably upset when, only a short time after his father's death, his mother Gertrude (Penny Downie) marries his uncle Claudius (Stewart). But when Hamlet encounters the tormented ghost of his father (Stewart again), he learns that his dad was murdered by his uncle -- but he's plagued by indecision, since he's unsure if the spirit was truly his dad.
Hamlet's behavior becomes more bizarre and erratic -- he dumps his girlfriend Ophelia (Mariah Gale), arranges a play that mimics real life a little too closely, and generally acts like a loon (yodeling with a fake crown?). But when an argument with his mother ends in tragedy, Hamlet's fate is sealed as Claudius begins plotting to get rid of him too...
"Hamlet" is one of those plays that only really comes out two ways -- either you have a passionate, intense tragedy full of very human characters, or you have two boring hours of some whiny guy talking to himself. Having suffered through the latter in the past, it makes me appreciate a well-done performance all the more -- and this "Hamlet" is full of energy, vitality and wit.
A lot of that comes from Tennant, who is simply brilliant as Hamlet -- loads of energy, and a weird edge to his "madness" (example: freaking out Polonius by pulling a weird face). And he runs the entire emotional gamut here -- love, pain, puckish comedy, loathing, sorrow and shock, with the absolute peak being the hauntingly sad "to be or not to be" scene.
And Patrick Stewart is casually brilliant in his double role -- Claudius seems like a genial guy, but Stewart lets out little hints of his true nastiness; on the other hand, the ghost is all heavy intensity. Downie is excellent as Gertrude, and Gale is rather flat in her first few scenes, but after Ophelia goes mad she's amazing. Ripping off her clothes, leaping around, smacking Gertrude -- it's frighteningly good.
And the settings and costumes are similarly amazing. The entire play is done in a sleek, elegant modern style ("mad" Hamlet runs around in jeans), but the grandeur of a royal court is still there -- lots of elaborate formal clothes, and a looming, columned black palace-stage. There are some clever modern twists (Polonius spies through a one-way mirror and security cameras), and there are some truly brilliant bits of symbolism sprinkled through the story (Gertrude seeing the mad Ophelia in a shattered mirror).
This adaptation of "Hamlet" is a solid piece of work, with the smooth feeling of a classic play done by insanely talented people. Also: David Tennant is astounding.

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David Tennant and Patrick Stewart star in this critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare\'s masterpiece from Britain\'s renowned Royal Shakespeare Company. No recent stage production in Britain has attracted the excitement and nearly unanimous critical praise as this Hamlet. Tennant's interpretation was recognized as defining the role for a generation, and Stewart\'s complex Claudius won the Olivier award, Britain\'s highest stage honor. In this specially-shot screen version, filmed on location rather than in the theater, Tennant and Stewart reprise their roles. Dynamic, exciting and contemporary, it breathes new life into Shakespeare's greatest play.

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Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)Written in 1943, it took "A Moon for the Misbegotten" over 30 years to find its place as one of the most important works in the Eugene O'Neill canon. First produced on Broadway in 1958, the play was originally dismissed as second-rate O'Neill. It took the powerhouse 1974 revival directed by Jose Quintero and starring Jason Robards, Colleen Dewhurst and Ed Flanders to finally earn O'Neill's painful reminiscence about his brother Jamie, unforgettably introduced to audiences in "Long Days Journey Into Night," the deserved accolade of "masterpiece."
The story is incidental: dirt farmers Josie and her father attempt to dupe their alcoholic landlord James Tyrone, Jr. into spending the night with Josie in the hopes of initiating a vague stab at retaliation against a scheme that Tyrone has hatched against him. But when the drunken lessor shows up for the assignation, what unfolds is a series of jolting revelations that leaves all of the characters - and the audience - emotionally spent, with only a lingering sense of compassion haunting their well-traveled spirits.
This DVD is the ABC television production of this landmark theatrical event, and admirers of great acting can only be thankful that the production was preserved on video. The performances of Jason Robards, repeating the role he created in the original Broadway production and film of "Long Day's Journey"; Ed Flanders, who received both the Tony Award for the Broadway production and the Emmy for the television presentation; and most especially Colleen Dewhurst, who is magnificent in her Tony Award-winning role as Josie, all offer such brilliantly moving performances that the memory of them will linger long after the final credits unspool.

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Theatrical sparks flew when veteran Eugene O'Neill interpreters Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst joined forces in the celebrated 1973 revival of O'Neill's tender semi-autobiographical drama. In a towering performance, the great Robards portrays a cynical, self-hating alcoholic actor based on O'Neill's elder brother, Jamie. The majestic Colleen Dewhurst plays the earthy, gruff daughter of his scheming Irish tenant farmer (Ed Flanders), with whom the failed actor spends a soul-baring night of guilt-ridden confessions, tenderness, and absolution. Both Dewhurst and Flanders won Tony Awards for their performances.

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CineBox Home 9x5 Backyard Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)I use this equipment with my movie club and we love it! It is just like having a walk-up theater in the backyard. It was one of the best entertainment purchases I have ever made. The only thing I don't like is the noisy blower to keep the screen up, but you may be able to use the screen without it... but haven't tried that yet.


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"CineBoxTM Home rips the roof off the home theater and takes it outside. The inflatable screen is easier to set up than a pup tent and when deflated, the 123-inch diagonal movie screen weighs about eight pounds and fits inside a duffle bag, which you can take anywhere. Virtually any venue can become a theater. Everyone can enjoy their favorite movies by the pool, in your backyard, or at a BBQ on the beach.Open Air Cinema manufactures its screens under the highest of standards to ensure quality, durability and ease of use. Set up is a snap. Simply use the air blower to inflate the screen, plug in the CineBoxTM Home, pop in a movie and you're all set for big-screen, backyard movie-under-the-stars action!"

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