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Konstantin Stanislavsky, the great Russian acting teacher and inventor of Method acting, had two major students and proponents in the United States. Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner began teaching in the middle of the 20th century and counted among their students the greatest actors and directors of that time and beyond. While Strasberg carried on and expanded Stanislavsky’s method, Meisner took a slightly different turn. If Strasberg is “Method”, then Meisner is “Process”.

Flash forward to 1993. I was working at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Spring and summer of that year found me with Lyric’s apprentice program, the LO Center for American Artists, working as assistant director and production stage manager. The opera to be presented that season was a world premiere of an operatic adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play, Orpheus Descending. (Can you imagine the thrill of being a southern actor and singer getting to work on such a project? Tennessee Williams AND opera!) The director had been a student of Meisner, and she made the unconventional and somewhat controversial decision to direct the opera using his techniques. Now typically, when you go into traditional staging rehearsals for a play or opera, the director will give specific instructions to the actors about what to do and where to move, e.g. take two steps stage left on this line, cross upstage of the desk here, kiss on beat two, slap after this word, exit pursued by a bear, etc. By contrast, using the Meisner technique, the director had the singer/actors seated at a table on set, and for several weeks, no kidding - weeks, all they did was a line-reading exercise. One actor would say (not even sing) their line, the other would repeat the line back before saying their line. So it went, back and forth, until they came to the end of the scene, act, show. 

As you might imagine, this made the producers extremely nervous. To their eyes, nothing was happening. This was a world premiere for crying out loud, and technical rehearsals were coming up. Lots of money was on the line. Eventually, one day in rehearsal, an actor spontaneously rose from the table and began to move around the set. Other actors were inspired to follow. Singing and then orchestration were added. Seemingly out of nothing, the opera was on its feet with virtually no traditional intervention by the director. Very few minor adjustments were made in technical dress rehearsals. The opera was a big hit, ready on time and on budget. How did it happen? Process. By engaging in a conscious process of speaking and listening to the lines and to each other, the actors came to deeply understand the libretto (the play). The appropriate actions arose organically and spontaneously out of the process.

How often do we think of prayer and meditation as a process? Prayer and meditation often are not thought of as related. Prayer may not be regarded as a practice of self-care at all, and meditation is sometimes mistakenly thought of by some as entirely non-Christian. Consider this instead: what if we approach a concurrent practice of prayer and meditation as a process resulting in the embodiment of the Trinity? When we engage with God in prayer, we are in relationship, but that relationship is one-sided unless we also listen. Meditation is listening. It enables the relationship to be two-sided. In many languages, especially in “mother” languages like Sanskrit - the language of yoga - breath and spirit are the same word. When we consciously observe our breath, we engage in the act of internalizing spirit. This conscious in-and-out exchange brings us to a quiet place where listening is not only possible - it is inevitable. 

Reformed Liturgy supports this process. How often are we offered the opportunity for silent prayer in worship only to keep “talking” through it, impressing upon God our cares and concerns, making requests or proposing downright deals? Or, maybe we think of it as a waste of time, looking at our watches or phones and wishing the liturgist or pastor would get on with it. I would argue that we don’t give enough time in the liturgy for listening! If we mentally engage with God in prayer, and tune into our breath-Spirit in meditation, we are two/thirds of the way to Trinity. But where is the Christ part? Remember the Meisner process? Remember how long it took for the show to get on its feet? Only after all that interminable waiting, speaking and listening, did the action manifest, and when it did, it was exactly right. No second-guessing. This is the Christ. Walking, talking, listening, breathing, manifested God. When our organic actions reflect the deeper understanding that emerges from engaging with God and internalizing Spirit, we embody Trinity. 

But here’s the thing. We can’t cheat or shortcut the process. There is a LOT of waiting involved. Often, when a voice student of mine is struggling with an element of technique, I will encourage them to keep doing what they know to be right and trust their voice to eventually arise out of that. Process. The same is true in a yoga practice. A difficult pose may not be possible for months or even years. The only way to manifest the full expression of the asana (pose) is to invest in gradually building the physical structure to support it. Process. 

Next time you find yourself in worship or engaged in your personal prayer life and study, try this. Pray: give verbiage to your joys and sorrows and concerns, either silently, out loud, or in a journal. Then, meditate: breathe on purpose and observe the breath. Don’t rush or force the prayer or meditation or look for an instant A-HA. Allow your actions to arise spontaneously, and know that they are right. Trust the process.

Speak. Listen. Manifest. 
Mind. Spirit. Body.
God. Spirit. Christ.

Namaste. 

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