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Today, his work is - Youand: The Art of Mutual Understanding which aims to raise awareness about the great need in the world today for "mutual understanding" between people. Youand employs practical exercises from the performing arts and human relations best practices that, once internalized, greatly increase the quality, and especially the authenticity of one's relationships with family; co-workers; in social relations; business; and cross-culturally. Adaptable for any human relations situation, he teaches his THE ART OF CONNECTING course for The School of Visual Arts, which is Youand, customized for Media Arts Professionals.
Presently, "I" (since everyone writes these things themselves) am the Head of the Acting Program for Tisch/NYU Graduate Film School. Where I get to work with some of the most gifted and dedicated young artists and teaching colleagues that I've ever had the pleasure to work with. In the summer of 2009, I directed the world premier of William Inge's "The Killing", for the Summer Shorts 3 Festival. Opening to rave reviews, the production has been hailed as a riveting and central theatrical event, a "fascinating rediscovery" of work of one of our most important American playwrights.
�"'The Killing,� [is] a superb piece of theater . . ." The New York Times, Ken Jaworowski, August 8, 2009 (New York Times Review)
An innovator in the field of human interaction, he has been the exclusive provider of PRESENTATION TRAINING SERVICES and the inventor of the CustomIzed InterActive Video Tele-Training approach for the Force Modernization Division of the U.S. Army Communications - Electronic Command (CECOM), from 2000 - 2002. Dr. Santana received his B.A in Mass Communications from The University of Vermont; where as part of his undergraduate work, he was one of the nations' pioneers of educational video-teleconferencing. As a V.I.S.T.A. volunteer, working with inmates from the Vermont State Maximum Security Prison, he produced over 250 hours of programing for the Interact Network. He is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater, trained by Sanford Meisner, with a Masters Degree in Mythological Studies, his Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology are from the Pacifica Graduate Institute, home of the Joseph Campbell Library.
Reviews
Sanford Meisner Master Class (1988)
Sanford Meisner Master Class: A Sense of Truth
FULL DISCLOSURE:
28 years ago, I was one of the young student actors asked to participate in this documentary. And, to provide some idea about how important I think this program is, most of "my" work in this documentary is almost all total failure; and this embarrasses me.
That said:
Until now, I had been very proud of my participation in the documentary about Sanford Meisner, "The Theater's Best Kept Secret." However, with this program, I've just learned: the secret is out!
"The Sanford Meisner Master Class (DVD)," is astounding in its power to not only convey Mr. Meisner's genius for teaching the craft of acting, but as a student participant in this Master Class it is like witnessing the re-incarnation of a most important figure in my life, and of the 20th Century. It is like the great Sanford Meisner has come back to life, and with his teaching powers fully intact.
Though it has been years since I left the acting profession, and a few years since I also stopped teaching The Meisner Technique, Mr. Meisner's influence on all of my adult work has been profound. His most important influence on me, which this documentary expresses so eloquently, is perhaps Mr. Meisner's most precious gift: his uncompromising devotion to helping students develop their own "sense of truth." This 8 hour documentary shows how Mr. Meisner shared his gift of such a highly developed "sense of truth" as a standard for his students to strive toward attaining. He is the perfect model and embodiment of "a sense of truth."
"A sense of truth," that in the art of theater plays out from present moment-to-unanticipated-moment, between human beings, under the imaginary circumstances of a writer's work. And thus, provides humankind with a model for authentic, meaningful, and truthful human relationship.
Did I say, that Mr. Meisner's great contribution that exists in every frame of this 8 hour documentary is the cultivation and great value for a "sense of truth?"
:)
If you care about any of these things: the model of a magnificent teacher; the great value of learning by trial and error; creating an environment where students feel freedom to fail while striving to achieve excellence measured by the highest artistic standards; theater; the craft of acting; a "sense of truth"; seeing genius at work; a model for authentic human relationship, you will enjoy this program immensely and learn a great deal.
In a world so consumed with the artificial, it is no wonder that the legacy of this most genuine of teachers and his approach to art endures so. Right now, as I view it, this program serves as a potent reality check for me.
"The Sanford Meisner Master Class" is a great credit to the vision of Mr. Kent Paul, Mr. Jimmy Carville, and the people at Open Road Films for creating, preserving and sharing this extraordinary work with the world.
If you've ever wondered what all the "brouhaha" is about "The Meisner Technique" . . . behold. This is like watching Piccaso paint. Word.
José Angel Santana, PhD/Youand: A Neighborhood Playhouse Journal
"The final frontier may be human relationships, one person to another." -- Buzz Aldrin, Astronaut