Pole Balancing and a Knock on the Door

Day 2 – Pole Balancing and a Knock on the Door

After last week’s introduction, I was glad to be returning with a little more preparation.  I noticed the class had cut down in half, which I though is okay by me as it will give me more stage time.

The repetition exercise that evening will have us try to balance a pole using one of our hands while our partner engages us into the repetition.

It seemed very challenging as not only will it require concentration on getting the pole balanced on your hand, I am required to listen in and repeat what my partner is saying, add to that, go off on their reaction and initiate another set of repetition.

I surprised myself by being able to balance handle the pole with ease, although not being able to balance it steady, and I was able to say and repeat what Penny* was saying.

When it was time to switch tasks, I sat on the couch and engaged Penny* into the repetition while she was balancing the pole.  It was a little daunting as the pole kept falling towards my direction and I had to duck a couple of times.  Luckily Penny* catches it every time.

Next thing I knew there was a knock on the door stage left, then Lydia* enters then scene and engages me into the repetition so now there is juggling between repetition with a third person with one balancing a pole and trying not to get hit by that pole.

This was truly one of my favourite exercise as not only was I able to do the exercise, I really felt like I was doing a scene, and I just fed off the other student’s reaction to what the three of us were doing.

The way I was able to see and connect to the reactions and emotions of the participants had slowly made me understand what the technique is about.  Although I can’t put it into words yet and although I know I have a long way off from mastering and understanding this technique to its fullest, I appreciate the fact that I am starting to get it, and since that day, I have been observing actors and if I recognize it, I point it out that it is the Meisner technique that they are doing, or at least just as far as I know.

* Names had been changed for privacy purposes