Sanford Meisner on Acting
The definitive text on the Meisner technique of living truthfully
Overview
Sanford Meisner on Acting documents the legendary teacher's approach to acting through a year-long account of his class at the Neighborhood Playhouse. It introduces the repetition exercise and the foundational principle of living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.
The book follows students as they progress through Meisner's exercises, from basic repetition to emotional preparation and independent activities. Written with Dennis Longwell, it captures Meisner's demanding but deeply caring teaching style.
How It Works
Essential for any actor interested in the Meisner technique or who wants to develop stronger listening and responsiveness in their work. The emphasis on genuine, moment-to-moment connection is universally applicable.
Available in paperback and digital formats, typically priced between $14-17. Widely available and frequently assigned in acting programs nationwide.
Who Uses It
One of the most important acting books ever written. Meisner's approach to truthful behavior and genuine listening forms the backbone of many professional actors' technique. Sanford Meisner taught at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre for over 50 years, developing an approach that emphasized the reality of doing over the simulation of feeling. His famous definition — acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances — has become one of the most widely quoted principles in the profession. The Meisner technique has produced generations of acclaimed actors including Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, and Jeff Goldblum, and it continues to be one of the most popular and influential training approaches in the United States and internationally.
Pricing & Plans
Sanford Meisner on Acting is available in paperback and digital formats from most major booksellers, typically priced between $14-17. E-book editions are available on Kindle and other digital platforms. The book is widely assigned in acting programs and is available in university bookstores, theater bookshops, and public libraries. Used copies are readily available through secondhand sellers. The book's accessible price point and universal availability make it one of the most obtainable foundational acting texts, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent any actor from accessing Meisner's essential teachings.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
The book's greatest strength is its immersive documentation of the Meisner technique as it unfolds over the course of a year-long class, allowing readers to experience the progressive development of skills from the simplest repetition exercise to complex scene work. The repetition exercise — where two actors observe each other and repeat an observation back and forth until genuine behavior emerges — is one of the most effective tools ever developed for training actors in the art of listening and genuine responsiveness. The book captures Meisner's demanding but deeply caring teaching style, showing how he simultaneously holds students to the highest standards while nurturing their artistic growth with patience and compassion. Meisner's emphasis on the other person as the source of your behavior in a scene corrects the self-absorbed tendencies that plague many actors' work, creating performers who are genuinely present and responsive rather than executing pre-planned performances. The progression from repetition through independent activities to emotional preparation and finally to scripted scene work demonstrates how the technique builds holistically, with each element supporting and enriching the others.
What Could Be Better
The book's documentation of a specific class means it captures one particular group of students' journey, and the exercises as described may not translate perfectly without the guidance of a qualified Meisner teacher who can adjust the work for individual students' needs. The repetition exercise, while powerful, requires a partner and a structured classroom environment to practice effectively — solo actors cannot replicate the exercise on their own, limiting the book's standalone instructional value. Meisner's teaching style as captured in the book can feel harsh or intimidating by contemporary standards, though his directness served an artistic purpose that many of his students have praised. The book focuses primarily on theater acting and does not extensively address how the Meisner technique applies to the specific demands of film and television work, though the principles are entirely transferable. Some of Meisner's strong opinions about other techniques and teachers may feel unnecessary or distracting to readers who simply want to learn his approach without positioning it against competitors.
Our Recommendation
Every actor should read Sanford Meisner on Acting regardless of which specific technique they ultimately adopt, as the principles of genuine listening, responsiveness, and truthful behavior that Meisner teaches are universally applicable and enhance work in every approach. The book is most effective when combined with actual classroom training in the Meisner technique under a qualified teacher, as the exercises require a partner and the guidance of someone who can evaluate your work and adjust the process for your individual needs. If Meisner training is not available in your area, the book provides enough understanding of the approach to inform your broader technique work and to identify elements you may want to incorporate. For actors who struggle with being in their heads, pre-planning their performances, or failing to listen to scene partners, the Meisner technique as presented in this book may be exactly the corrective your work needs.
Pro Tips
Read the book from beginning to end without skipping ahead, as the technique is designed to progress sequentially and jumping to advanced exercises without the foundation of earlier work undermines the learning process. Find a dedicated scene partner and practice the repetition exercise regularly, committing to the discipline of genuine observation and responsiveness that the exercise demands — this foundational work, when done honestly and consistently, transforms your relationship to performing. Seek out a qualified Meisner teacher if at all possible, as the nuances of the technique — particularly knowing when a student is genuinely responding versus manufacturing behavior — require experienced observation that the book cannot provide. Apply the listening and responsiveness skills developed through Meisner work to all your acting, regardless of the technique your primary training uses, as the ability to be genuinely present and responsive to your scene partner is the single most universally valued quality in professional acting. Return to the book periodically throughout your career, as your deepening experience as an actor will reveal layers of wisdom in Meisner's teaching that may not be apparent on first reading.