Out of the gate

This is my first post on my new blog. I used to write a weekly column on the arts when I wrote for the Standard-Times, about different arts events and artists, but this will be more than that. This will also be my thoughts and ideas as a creative person in the midst of being creative, whatever the hell that means. I am reading a book about Meisner's acting technique called Meisner on Meisner. As an actor I have to tell you it has some great tips and techniques for actors on how to get out of their head and into their emotions to connect with their character and make them more vivid and alive, more real and in the moment.  There are some real gems here.

But I have to tell you I think Meisner the man is an idiot from  the reading of the book and his comments on the various actors in his class. He is vain and self centered. To Meisner, he is the god of theater and oracle of acting and he continually calls down other acting teachers, etc on a regular basis. As if they are nothing, which they are in his self-absorbed viewpoint. No one else matters but him and his views on acting. The training I got in acting was the Stanislavsky method, better known as "the method." Basically Meisner says that good ole Constantine didn't know what he was talking about and his methods take precedence without exception over anyone else Period.

I taught for 34 years and used to regularly tell my students in art, this is how I do it, if you can think of some other way to do it go ahead be free. So long as it works. I did not view my position as a teacher as that of dictator, my way or the highway. I think it had a lot to do when I was studying algebra in high school. Math was never my best subject. Simple math I was passable, but more complex, look out. So my father, who had to quit school in the 6th grade back in the day to help support the family, jumped in to help. Now you must be thinking how can a man with s 6th grader education figure out algebra. Damned good question. The man was brilliant when it came to math and could do calculations in his head no matter how complex It always left me amazed in open mouth delight. He was damned near a savant when it came to doing math, with an innate understanding of it that never failed to impress me.

I had nothing to lose and everything to gain here. I would be no worse off than when I started when we finished, so what the hell, why not go for it. So we did and he showed me how to do algebra and from that point on I always ended up with the right answer and understood what I did to achieve it. Not the cse with the method I learned at school.

So suddenly my test scores improved and the teacher thought I was cheating. She couldn't  prove that but she did confront me to find out why the sudden and radical improvement in my ability to do algebra. She she gave me problems and I did them in front of her ending up with all correct answers. She asked me where I learned to do it and I told her. She then insisted that it was unacceptable, no matter that I understood the process and get the right answer.  I did not do it HER way so it was unacceptable.

That comment was unacceptable to me. When I became a teacher years later I NEVER used that approach with my students. Ever. I don't think ANY teacher of the arts should ever do that. Unless perhaps you sat with the burning bush and got the direct low down and how it all is. Probably not gonna happen. EVER! So that is why I feel the way I do about Meisner the man, not his techniques. Techniques valuable, man, an arrogant jerk.

Outside of these things I spent a lot of time this week submitting poetry to new markers and got four poems accepted at two magazines. I also did research on venues to review my Pulitzer Prize nominated book of poetry. Hey, every bit of press helps, ya know?!