Acting Workshops

Our acting workshops include Meisner Levels 1 and 2, scene study, and a clear Shakespeare roadmap, building strong technique, emotional truth, and confident, connected performances.

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The Meisner Technique: Authentic Acting at Its Best

What is the Meisner Technique?

The Meisner Technique focuses on spontaneity, emotional truth, and moment-to-moment reactions. Developed by Sanford Meisner, this method encourages one to respond authentically within a scene, creating performances that feel natural and compelling.

Paul Hopkins’s Training and Expertise in Meisner

Paul studied the Meisner Technique with renowned teacher Jacqueline McClintock and trained in Los Angeles alongside accomplished artists, refining his skills through this transformative method. His training draws from these experiences, helping students connect with their inner life and develop emotional depth in their performances.

How the Meisner Technique Enhances Character Development

Through structured exercises and scene work, Paul’s Meisner courses help performers fully inhabit their roles. By staying present and embracing the unknown, students learn to build nuanced characters that resonate with audiences. This approach benefits both new performers and seasoned professionals seeking to refine their character development​​.

Many acclaimed actors have trained in the Meisner Technique, including Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, James Gandolfini, Jeff Goldblum, and Naomi Watts. Gandolfini, in particular, credited Meisner’s teachings for the emotional depth and raw realism of his portrayal of Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. Tom Cruise and Michelle Pfeiffer also honed their skills using Meisner’s approach.

The Atelier

Meisner Level 1

In this introductory course, we delve into the foundational exercises pioneered by Sanford Meisner to hone the skills of actors. Whether you're a seasoned actor or new to the craft, this course is tailored for you, as well as other professions in theatre, film, and television. 12 hours of instruction

Rooted in the legendary work of Sanford Meisner, this technique helps actors develop the muscle of true presence — the ability to respond truthfully in the moment. Through repetition, listening, and doing, actors train to get out of their heads and into authentic connection with their scene partners.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your craft, this class offers a powerful foundation for truthful acting — in theatre, film, or life.

Led by Paul Hopkins, whose 30+ years of stage and screen experience bring clarity, care, and craft to every session.

The Atelier

Meisner Level 2

Working alongside artists who are already familiar with the rudimentary Meisner exercise, this course will offer customized instruction with a limited number of students. The first half of each session will focus on building upon the Repetition Exercise (scales for actors). Drawing from the principles of Meisner, the second half will delve into specific areas such as Knocks and Activities, stakes, cold reads, and monologues—tailored to the needs and interests of the enrolled student 12 hours instruction.

Rooted in the legendary work of Sanford Meisner, this technique helps actors develop the muscle of true presence — the ability to respond truthfully in the moment. Through repetition, listening, and doing, actors train to get out of their heads and into authentic connection with their scene partners.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your craft, this class offers a powerful foundation for truthful acting — in theatre, film, or life.

Led by Paul Hopkins, whose 30+ years of stage and screen experience bring clarity, care, and craft to every session.

Workshop

SET LIFE

SETLIFE is an intensive filmmaking and acting workshop culminating in the production of a short film over two immersive weekends.

This hands-on production workshop brings actors and crew together to collaborate on an industry-standard short film. Participants receive structured, practical training tailored to their role on set. Crew rotate through key production positions while performers gain real on-camera experience in a working set environment.

The program blends foundational instruction, applied technical training, and professional mentorship in a focused, immersive environment.

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The atelier

Scene Study

The Atelier Meisner Scene Study Class fuses Paul Hopkins’ decades of experience as a seasoned stage and screen actor and director with the foundational tools explored in Meisner Level 1 and 2. Building on repetition, emotional preparation, and truthful behavior under imaginary circumstances, this course is designed to deepen the actor’s craft through practical, on-your-feet exploration. Each class begins with an extended Repetition warm-up to ground presence, build focus, and cultivate authentic connection - the bedrock of compelling performance.

From there, the class mirrors the rhythm of a professional on-camera rehearsal: actors engage in script analysis, first read-throughs, blocking, director feedback, and multiple scene takes. You’ll explore character objectives, stakes, physical environment, and text structure while learning to stay flexible and responsive. Whether you’re new to scene work or bringing years of experience, the ensemble-focused environment encourages both courage and collaboration - all in service of telling the story truthfully and fully in the moment.

The atelier

Acting Shakespeare Roadmap

This workshop is designed to give you a clear and practical roadmap to confidently approach Shakespearean text, even if you’ve never performed it before. Blending the grounded, impulse-driven principles of the Meisner technique with classical structure, you’ll learn to break down Shakespeare’s language, find emotional truth in heightened text, and bring the words off the page and into your body. Whether you’re new to Shakespeare or looking to deepen your craft, this class helps bridge the gap between modern acting training and timeless material.

Paul Hopkins brings over 30 years of professional acting and directing experience to this work. He served as Artistic Director of Montreal’s Shakespeare-in-the-Park company, Repercussion Theatre, for eight seasons, performed in two seasons at the Stratford Festival, and trained under Michael Langham at the Atlantic Theatre Festival. In 2013, he was named a finalist for the Christopher Plummer Award of Excellence in Classical Theatre.

About the Coaches

Paul Hopkins and Julia Lozano are internationally experienced acting coaches specializing in Meisner and classical training, helping actors build truthful, connected performances at every stage.

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