Anyone know how to perform the Meisner Technique?

Question:Anyone know how to perform the Meisner Technique?
i need to learn it by monday and give a 20 minute presentation on sanford meisner.

i need to teach the class one of his excercises
im in high school

pleaseee help

any websites with a thourough explanation would be greatly appriciated thainks!!!

I HAVE TILL THIS MONDAY TO REASEARCH

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Anyone know how to perform the Meisner Technique?
i need to learn it by monday and give a 20 minute presentation on sanford meisner.

i need to teach the class one of his excercises
im in high school

pleaseee help

any websites with a thourough explanation would be greatly appriciated thainks!!!

I HAVE TILL THIS MONDAY TO REASEARCH

Hello,
Meisner technique is really similar to Stanislavski's technique (and info on him is easier to find so you can research him to clarify info you have on Meisner's work).
First word of advice: don't say 'perform Meisner technique', Meisner technique is not about performing it's about a state of being; it's about being alive and present in each moment with no distractions from the outside 'real' world- Meisner's technique is aimed at freeing the actor from the inhibitions we have as people when we're acting (oh no! they think I suck! i said that line weird, i don't know what to do with my hands! ah! where are we up to?? panic panic!).
This is a very common and well-used exercise for training actors and reminding actors where to place their focus:
divide your class up into pairs, they take turns in speaking and they say the first thing that comes to mind about the other person e.g. A: you have a mole above your lip B: You have blue eyes A: you're smiling B: You're laughing. etc. The idea of this exercise is that they let the other person affect them, it's not an exercise about 'getting it right' or being 'interesting' it's just about letting your focus be on someone else and letting them affect you- if you wanted you could get them to go into some kind of script once you think they're in a spontaneous place- just something simple like a conversation between two friends.

As for websites I don't know any off the top of my head- google Meisner Technique and see what you get- you'll ave better luck in a library though.

Oh! In case I didn't say before: Meisner worked with the 'Group Theatre' in New York which was formed by a group of people that included Lee Strasberg (developed Method) who actually developed his technique from Stanislavski- so Meisner is really heavily based in Stanislavski.