Somatic Tools · preview

Somatic Tools

The building blocks of a unified, brain-body approach to acting for stage and screen.

Meisner

Live truthfully in the moment.

Meisner brings you into deep contact with a partner: it sharpens your ability to listen and react on instinct, grounded in the “reality of doing,” so honesty and real emotion flow freely.

If you've studied Meisner before, come ready to meet this version for the first time.

Michael Chekhov

Transform beyond yourself.

Chekhov hands you a roadmap into character and given circumstances, activating your imagination through the body, so you can step into a life that's vastly different from your own.

Voice & Body

Free up your whole instrument.

Voice and body work releases the physical tension that holds you back, opens your breath, and strengthens the mind/body connection, so you gain range, emotional access, and real responsiveness to your partner.

Like a violinist's scales or a dancer's barre, it gives you practical tools to train between jobs and warm up before a show or a hard scene.

Combined, these techniques arm an actor with a toolkit to thrive.

Experience the work

These tools have helped actors land roles on Broadway, in film and television, and earn acceptance into top BFA and MFA programs.

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Occasional notes on craft, and updates on classes and workshops.

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Common questions

What is the voice & body work?
A combination of exercises inspired by Fitzmaurice Voice Work, Gabrielle Roth's 5Rhythms, Viewpoints, and other physical theater artists Ellie has had the privilege to work with over the years. It's all about release. You don't need to be fit or a dancer, and the work can be adapted to suit different physical abilities.
Can I do this work with an injury or limited mobility?
Yes, absolutely. You don't need to be in any particular shape or move in any particular way. This is about mind-body connection, and we'll modify the work to suit your needs.
Is Meisner those weird repetition exercises?
While repetition is a fundamental part of the training, it's just one component. The technique involves other exercises and principles aimed at deepening emotional connection, imagination, and truthful reactions.
Who are some famous Meisner-trained actors?
Jim CarreyTimothée ChalametAaron EckhartTina FeyJames FrancoJeff GoldblumAshley JuddDiane KeatonAllison JanneyPhilip Seymour HoffmanSandra BullockWilliam H. MacyTatiana MaslanyTracee Ellis RossNaomi Watts
Who are some famous Chekhov-trained actors?
Ingrid BergmanJohn CleeseJohnny DeppAnthony HopkinsDiane LaneMelanie GriffithMarilyn MonroeJack NicholsonAnthony Quinn

Gratitude & lineage

Ellie is grateful to have worked with these artists, who influenced the work:

Anne BogartSITI Company
Tina LandauSteppenwolf
Amy MortonSteppenwolf
Paula LangtonLinklater Master Teacher · Boston University
Joanna MerlinStudied with Michael Chekhov · founded MICHA
Bethany CaputoMichael Chekhov Master Teacher
Ragnar FreidankMichael Chekhov Master Teacher
Craig MathersMichael Chekhov Master Teacher · Emerson
Kim RubinsteinUC San Diego
Jon LipskyPioneered “Acting through Imagery”
Leslie Buxbaum-Danzig & Adrian Danzig500 Clown
Annie-B ParsonBig Dance Theater
Betsy PolatinAlexander Technique
Roger SmartFitzmaurice Voice Work
Suzanne ThompsonFeldenkrais Method
Dexter BullardPlasticene Physical Theater
Lenard PetitMichael Chekhov Acting Studio
Bud BeyerMime in the tradition of Decroux · Northwestern
Judith ChaffeeHead of Movement · Boston University