Link to go directly to Reading List at bottom of page.
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Waterfront Conservatory’s Meisner Technique training is designed for those looking to become professionally trained working actors. When enrolling in the program, consideration for the following is imperative:

Program Information:
Every level of experience is welcome in class. Commitment to work, punctuality, and discipline are an absolute requirement. At this point we only accept applications from actors over 18 years old.

The time commitment for this program includes 3-4 hours of classroom time per class, plus a minimum of 2 hours of rehearsal time outside the classroom each week. This is an intense program that requires deep emotional involvement, in addition to a hefty time commitment. As with anything, what you put into it will determine what you get out of it.

Relevant contact information for instructors, classmates and Waterfront Conservatory staff, as well as location of workshops and courses will be emailed to each registered participant. Facilities are to be left in the condition in which they are found. Students will be responsible for any damage they may cause to facilities.

Cell phones are not permitted in the classroom. Do not turn them on vibrate. They are to be turned off. Period. Your classmates will thank you.

Auditing:
Auditing of classes is not allowed. However, if you wish, we can provide you with the contact information for former students who can speak about their experience. A free Meisner workshop is offered a few times throughout the year. Check the Waterfront Conservatory website periodically for details.

Course and Workshop Payments, Fees & Required Materials:
All fees paid are non-refundable.
Enrollment in courses and workshops is not guaranteed until your deposit is received. All remaining balances are due by the day of the first class. In the event of withdrawal from a Level more than 30 days prior to the start date, students are responsible for 50% of full payment of that Level. In the event of withdrawal from a Level, a) less than 14 days prior to the start date or, b) during the Level, or c) in the event of dismissal from class during the Level, students are responsible for full payment of that Level. Please go to www.WaterfrontConservatory.com for course specific deposit and payment details. Payments can be made through PayPal on the Waterfront Conservatory website or by check or money order through the US Mail or hand delivered at the beginning of the first class.

Private Coaching Payments and Fees:
Payment for coaching is to be paid upon scheduling the session. Please go to the "Classes" page to make payments and for instructor specific payment details. Private Coaching fees are non-refundable. In the event of your needing to reschedule, you are responsible for the room rental fee for your originally scheduled session ($20-$35).

Attendance and punctuality:
DO NOT MISS CLASS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. Missing two classes is grounds for dismissal. If you are dismissed and would like to continue training through Waterfront Conservatory, you must repeat the course from which you were dismissed. If you are sick, find a quarantine bubble or a tyvek suit, bring your pillow and blanket and lie down in the back of the classroom. You’ll learn through osmosis (we’re not actually serious about the quarantine bit, but you better be highly contagious or deathly ill if you miss class because you are “sick”). The ONLY excusable reasons for missing class include acting related activities: auditions, call backs, etc and MUST be cleared with your instructor well in advance. If you have rehearsal for a show, work with your director to schedule around your Meisner class. Yes, this is a serious policy, one that is strictly enforced.

DO NOT BE LATE FOR CLASS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. If you are not in the room at the designated time, the door will be locked until there is an appropriate time to interrupt the class. If there is an emergency, call your instructor personally and inform them immediately. If you are late more than twice, it is counted as an absence. And again, two absences are grounds for dismissal. Don’t be late. Period.

Participation:
Meisner Technique courses are emotionally challenging, sometimes grueling and require a serious commitment in order to fully benefit from the program. It is required that you rehearse outside of class a minimum of 2-3 times per week.

Upon enrollment, please sign up on http://groups.google.com/group/waterfront-conservatory. This online group format allows you to communicate with all other actors in the Program to set up rehearsals, as well as to communicate about all topics related to the craft and business of acting, directing, writing, and producing. This includes projects you are working on, recommending events and anything else involving or benefiting students in the Program. This is not a recommendation; it is a requirement for the Program.

While the site is indeed a forum for communication between members, please understand that any classes, events or services offered by members on the site are not endorsed by Rachael Adler or Waterfront Conservatory, unless otherwise specified.

Sexual activity between members of the same class will be considered unprofessional behavior and it is grounds for expulsion from the Program.

As the Program requires unencumbered access and full engagement of one’s instrument, drug use, including marijuana, is strictly prohibited. In addition, the use of alcohol is seriously discouraged during the course of study. These restrictions include the rehearsal periods between Levels. Violations of this rule are considered unprofessional behavior and are grounds for expulsion from the Program.

Absolutely no drugs or alcohol may be brought onto stage or into rehearsals. Of course, stage-worthy substitutes may be used for props.

Waterfront Conservatory is not responsible for providing rehearsal space outside of class time. Most students simply use their own homes. If students want to book rehearsal time in the classroom where their class is held, they may contact Rachael Adler at rachaeladler@gmail.com for booking information. You will then contact the desired studio and reserve the room under your own name, etc. Booking is subject to availability, and the hourly rate ranges from $20-$30 per hour depending on the location.

Voice and Movement Training:
This is a training program for professional actors. By participating in this program, it is expected that you also enroll in voice and movement workshops, as they are integral to any actor’s professional development. Waterfront Conservatory offers opportunities in such training throughout the year. There are also many other opportunities in the Bay Area to take advantage of. Please budget accordingly. Waterfront Conservatory keeps workshop costs incredibly low to ensure everyone is able to participate. The workshops being offered are designed to hone skills not directly covered in the Meisner courses, but are critical to your success in the program and as a professional actor.

Satisfactory Progress:
In order to advance in the Waterfront Conservatory Meisner Technique program, students must complete each course in a satisfactory manner. Indications of unsatisfactory progress may include irregular attendance, lack of commitment, and poor understanding of the training process. An invitation to future workshops, classes and the possibility to become involved with the Waterfront Theatre Company or any company related to Rachael Adler will depend directly on the student’s progress in class.

Rehearsals and out of class work are instrumental in the development of each student. Any student who does not attend rehearsals or do the proper out of class work will not be allowed to work in class and priority will be given to those who do.
 
READING LIST:
BOOKS:
My Life In Art (Constantin Stanislavsky)
The Fervent Years: The Group Theatre and the Thirties (Harold Clurman)
On Acting (Sanford Meisner)
The Actors Art and Craft (William Esper)
Intent to Live (Larry Moss)
A Challenge For the Actor (Uta Hagen, Introduction by Stella Adler)
Audition (Michael Shurtleff)
The Perfect Monologue - (Ginger Friedman) The Foreward though p. 35
Elia Kazan: A Life (Elia Kazan)
The Mystic in the Theatre: Eleanora Duse (Eva La Gallienne)
Madame Sarah: Sarah Bernhardt (Cornelia Otis Skinner)
My Life (Isadora Duncan)
Blood Memory (Martha Graham)
On Directing (Harold Clurman)
A Sense of Direction (William Ball)
Zen and the Art of Archery (Eugene Herrigel)
Letters To A Young Poet (Rainer Maria Rilke)
The Shape of Content (Ben Shahn)
Man's Search For Meaning (Viktor Frankl)
Jung & Hesse: A Record of Two Friendships (Miguel Serrano)
The Drama of the Gifted Child (Alice Miller)
The Artist's Way (Julia Cameron)

READ AND STUDY THE PLAYS OF:
Anton Chekhov
Henrik Ibsen
George Bernard Shaw
Eugene O'Neill
August Strindberg
Shakespeare
Moliere
Clifford Odets
Tennessee Williams
Arthur Miller
Edward Albee
John Patrick Shanley
Sam Shepard
Marsha Norman
Caryl Churchill
David Mamet
Tracy Letts
David Lindsay-Abaire
Marsha Norman
William Inge
Shelagh Delaney
David Rabe
Harold Pinter
August Wilson
Lanford Wilson
Neil Simon
Eugene Ionesco
Among Others...