ON CAMERA ACTOR'S WORKSHOP
Lena Harris Lena Harris' workshops consist of a basic boot camp for beginners and an on-camera technique class; "The Master Class". Lena teaches actors how to draw on their imagination with emotional preparation, and the use of Stanislavsky method of using Physical Actions to induce feelings and emotions. To quote Stanislavsky, "In the doing, the emotion will come." Stanislavsky believed that the use of "sense memory" (meaning the actor's private and/or painful memories to portray a character's emotions) would be detrimental to the psyche of actors; and that to draw from the imagination was more valuable to the development of a character. This is never more apparent than in the case of youthful actors who by the very nature of their youth have little frame of reference. The actors are given their scripts 24 hours prior to class. During class, the scene is broken down rehearsed, blocked and then filmed in one take - a system that parallels the usual audition procedure in the industry. Lena teaches techniques that are based on The Stanislavsky System and Sanford Meisner exercises. She teaches the mastery of these techniques resulting in the actor becoming relaxed, spontaneous, reactive, fully-present in the momentand truthful under the given circumstance. In the beginners workshop, Lena additionally offers scene study and work on monologues allowing the actor to apply the techniques step by step. Lena also gives the actors a relaxation technique. The actors master dialects, and impediments (for example blindness or an addiction) while deepening their emotional preparation and working to make their actions specific. During the 50's Stanislavsky worked closely with Stella Adler, who was a memberof the legendary Group Theater (other members include Marlon Brando, Sanford Meisner, Harold Clurman, Lee Strasberg, Clifford Odets and Elia Kazan.
Call Lena Harris at 310-226-7034» pearlman-acting-academy
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