According to Sanford Meisner, “acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” To achieve this aim, Meisner developed a series of repetition exercises based upon Constantin Stanislavsky's method of acting. The Meisner Technique forces an actor to place their entire attention on the other actor, so that they can respond truthfully and spontaneously in the moment.
Chris Thatcher teaches both traditional and Chicago-style Meisner Technique. Both versions of the technique achieve the same results, but Chicago-style does it faster, and enables an actor to reach a deeper and far more intense experience of the truth of the moment than the traditional version— but it also requires greater discipline and commitment from the actor.
However, because the Meisner Technique is dependent upon having another actor to work with, doesn't provide reliable tools for emotional preparation, and is weak in characterization, the Michael Chekhov Technique is the perfect complement. Chris teaches a unique combination of these two techniques that is reliable and effective under any circumstance.
Students of the Meisner Technique include Robert Duvall, David Mamet, Diane Keaton, James Caan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Goldblum, Eli Wallach, Dylan McDermott, Gregory Peck, and many others.