The Meisner Technique
By Candice Rankin, Executive Speech Coach
Candice Rankin Speech Coach / Actor
When William “Bill” Esper (1932- ) was a young man, he saw Eli Wallach and Maureen Stapleton in a touring production of The Rose Tattoo … “[I] was so struck by the acting … [A]fter the play was over, I decided to go around the corner to get a cup of coffee so I could think about it some more. I walked into a little drugstore, and Eli was sitting there having a bite to eat … he talked to the actor [and] Wallach told him he had studied at Sanford Meisner’s Neighborhood Playhouse … [A]fter college he moved to New York and began studying with the teacher [Meisner] who was famous for his exercises in repeated dialogue … “I started directing. I started coaching people … “[I] lost my love of performing.” [1]
In 1965 Esper founded the eponymous William Esper Studio. Among those he has coached and taught are Aaron Eckhart, Richard Schiff, Timothy Olyphant and Oscar-winner Kathy Bates. The studio moved from its original location at 261 West 35 Street to its new facilities at 208 W. 37th Street in New York City.
Contact information is at the Studio’s website.
