CLASS CONTENT

Stage Two focuses on guiding the professional actor through the development of a clear Psychological Profile and a cohesive, moment-to-moment Thought Process for the character. This work provides a rigorous foundation from which actors can create truthful, potent, and repeatable performances.

Building directly on the skills established in STAGE ONE: The Meisner Intensive Workshop, these sessions offer a structured yet flexible process for researching, analysing, and performing a character efficiently and effectively. The work encourages an organic and vibrant exchange between scene partners, grounded in active listening and immediate response, resulting in a consistent and authentic connection to the character’s emotional life.

In this stage, actors will learn how to:

• Develop a comprehensive yet streamlined approach to researching both the play and the character, allowing for maximum insight with minimal excess.

• Translate research into performance by actioning scenes and monologues through concrete, action-based Tasks and Tactics, creating a justified and cohesive Thought Process.

• Identify the character’s Archetype to uncover essential behavioural patterns that inform tactical choices moment-to-moment.

• Clearly recognize points of Discovery and points of Decision within a scene that motivate shifts in behaviour and justify tactical adjustments.

• Integrate all elements to fully submit to the Given Circumstances, allowing instinctive, compelling performances to emerge through a rotation of active listening and immediate response.

• The result is a disciplined yet instinct-driven process that supports truthful behaviour, emotional specificity, and a living connection between actor, character, and scene partner.

Upon completion of STAGE TWO, you will be ready to move on to STAGE THREE: Action into Transaction

STAGE TWO: Character Preparation is delivered online via Zoom once a week for seven weeks. Each weekly session is a two-hour meeting with both partners and Steve as actors learn more effective, efficient, and engaging ways to research and analyse both the play and character, together with a more concise and productive approach to breaking scenes down into Tasks, Tactics, Obstacles, Discoveries & Decisions. We will also explore how to adapt your preparation when working under different rehearsal timescales. These sessions will commence the week of 25 October 2026 and finish no later than the 18 December 2026.

Please apply for STAGE TWO: Character Preparation by completing our application form. The Application form can be found under the Application page on this website. Once we have received your form, we will arrange a free no-obligation online consultation. During this consultation, we will discuss how we can make your best, better by creating an agreed plan of action.

Click here for Payment & Fee details for  STAGE TWO: Character Preparation