The Meisner Technique Studio - San Francisco, California

Aaron D.

Whether you've always wanted to become an actor or are simply curious but ready and willing to work hard, The Meisner Technique Studio is top-quality training. I remember searching for acting training in the Bay Area two years ago after deciding to pursue this strong, intangible feeling that I believed could be my dream. Now, after completing the 1.5-year formal training with Jim, I am overwhelmingly grateful for choosing to work with him, as it has undoubtedly been the best decision I've ever made.

I’ll admit, at first, I was skeptical, as some of you reading this might be. The whole thing seemed too good to be true—the website, the overwhelmingly positive reviews, and even my interview with Jim, who came across as such an authentic and genuine person who truly CARES.

However, after completing the training and everything that comes with it, all I can say is that it really is that great.

Jim will teach you CRAFT—the craft of becoming a grounded, truthful, and present actor. An actor who doesn’t act from the head in the moment, but rather acts from the gut with truth and perspective. This craft is not something you can immediately pick up and master; rather, it’s something you can hone for the rest of your life. This alone makes the training invaluable.

However, craft is not the only thing you will learn, and I’m sure all my classmates and the alumni would agree. This training forces you to learn about yourself in every facet. This isn’t only crucial for being an actor, but also immensely valuable for navigating life with purpose. I am 100% certain that even if you choose not to pursue acting after the training, it will still undoubtedly be worth it. But if you do choose to pursue acting, you'll have a solid foundation, a great start, and a community that you can call your artistic family!

IKE T.

I just completed the formal training with Maeve Montgomery, which took place over 2 years since I began in the intro training. Writing this is a bit unreal as it has not hit me that I am done. Prior to coming to the Meisner Technique Studio, I was skeptical having been to a ton of subpar offerings that felt like it was more about making money and less about the craft of acting.

I remember reading the reviews about how this training is more about life than anything else and now I know what they mean. Not only does this school provide a safe and healthy environment, but you learn from the ground up. Everyone receives the same tools, but you may get challenged differently based on your journey through the program.

I am proud to be a member of this family and legacy. I also took specialized offerings such as the Meisner for Film as well as the Audition & Business Intensives, all of which are reasonably priced and provide fundamentals that set you apart from the rest. I have been on set and on stage and can see how this training has benefited me artistically.

I will not sugar coat this for you. This is a serious school. You will work. The program is rigorous, but if you commit and are open to growth, you will change your life as an artist and more importantly as a human being. Jim, Kyla, Filaree and Maeve are second to none.

Maeve Montgomery was my teacher in the formal training and she taught us with kindness, care and love while maintaining the standard set forth by Sanford Meisner. I will forever be grateful for this school. I hope you seriously consider it because you will not be disappointed.

Emma K.

If you're reading these reviews, thinking about taking a leap of faith and sign up, if you're doubting yourself if you can do this - pretty please trust yourself and GO for it!
I just graduated the formal training. I have no words. I entered the studio day 1 with a dream to become an actress - and I have left with so much more than that. This training has absolutely changed my life. I would say I'm a completely different person - but it's not that. It's that I now, having completed the training, I finally feel like I am my true self. Jim is an incredible teacher, and you and your dream will be in the best hands studying with him. His passion and standards set an example that create a community of some of the most passionate, dedicated, and supportive people - your classmates and peers.

It truly takes my breath away to think where I would be - as an actress and a person if I hadn't found The Meisner Technique Studio.

Amir U.

Awesome studio! Taught me everything I know about being an actor.
Maeve Montgomery gave a strong foundation to persuade my dreams and goals!

Edit: it’s been 18 months since my review and now I finished Meisner Technique Formal Training. It’s been amazing 2 years of my life. I’m looking forward to what my future holds for me in this profession. But it all thanks to Jim Jarret, Maeve Montgomery and genius of Sanford Meisner. I’m that I got a chance to learn Meisner Technique from Jim Jarret.

If you’re really serious about acting and your creative soul demands to take action - The Meisner Technique Studio IS to place to learn

Norma V.

I had a year of experience with Meisner before starting at this studio. That being said I still didn’t have the confidence to call myself an actress. After completing the 2 year program at the Meisner Technique Studio I truly feel like I have the right foundation in my craft to call myself an actress. Thanks to my instructor Maeve, I learned so much about myself, my instrument, and how to dive deep and hone my talent to be able to act no matter what is going on in my life and remain healthy with it all. I came out of this experience with a newfound confidence in myself even outside of my craft and with the best artistic family I could have asked for. I couldn’t recommend this studio more. You truly won’t regret it.

Zainab K.

I can’t recommend the Meisner Technique Studio enough. If you want to be an actor, study with Jim! Jim is a phenomenal teacher who shows up for his students. I’ve never met such an incredibly passionate teacher who cares as deeply as Jim does, and his passion is inspiring. Jim expects his students to bring the same level of work, integrity, and care that he does. I loved having a class of people who showed up, cared, and did the work. I could feel myself constantly growing and couldn’t wait for the next class. I would leave class and be psyched for the next one on the drive back to San Jose.

Before starting the training, I knew I wanted to be an actor, but I didn’t know how to go after my dream. After completing the formal training with Jim, I’m confident in my craft and that I have the tools I need to pursue my dream.

Not only did I learn the craft of acting, but the training transformed me as a person. I move through the world differently—more sensitive, open, and responsive.

I’m incredibly grateful to have gone through the formal training with Jim. It was one of the best decisions of my life—both as an actor and as a person.

PRECIOUS P.

I first met and interviewed with Jim Jarrett in December 2020, and two years later, in this past December 2022, I completed the 2-year formal training. The short review is basically that my life is forever changed. The lengthier review is below:

I will never forget my first meeting with Jim. I don't remember the exact words I shared in our first conversation, but I remember the feeling that my life was about to change. Even though it was a zoom meeting, I still felt Jim's presence through the screen. His energy felt pure, warm, and wise. I immediately felt safe with him. Somehow, I ended up pouring my heart to him. It felt like a dam broke and there was nothing that could stop me from sharing my heart to him. Looking back, I believe it was the first time I felt truly safe to share my dream of acting. While I don't remember everything I said to him, some words exchanged that I do remember (and will never forget) was when I apologized for my tears, he was quick to respond to say, "Never apologize for caring about your dream." It was the very first lesson I received from Jim. The first of many lessons. And, he wasn't even my teacher yet. This story alone is proof of how clear, firm, giving, and sensitive Jim is as a teacher.

The lessons that I have gained these past two years go beyond the craft of acting, because I am now more clear on what it really takes to be a "professional dreamer." I came to this school as a recent engineering graduate with little to no acting training. After completing the 2-year program, I can confidently say that I am an actor and understand what that truly means. However, even more important than that, this training has challenged me to become a better, more healthy, more balanced, and more grounded human being.

When I think of Jim, my classmates, this school, and this training, my heart is immediately filled with joy and gratitude. Not only is Jim an incredible teacher, but the students that I have met at The Meisner Technique Studio have been some of the most kind, empathetic, and brave people that I have ever met in my life. (This makes sense when Sandy's genius of the Meisner Technique is all about freedom and truth.) My world is more vibrant because of these people and this training. I am forever grateful to this school and am confident that I will always have an artistic home at The Meisner Technique Studio.

For anyone that is hungry for more in life, and serious about taking their life to the next level, I highly recommend studying at The Meisner Technique Studio.

RA

If you are serious about being an Actor, stop you search right here and apply to the Meisner Technique studio.

This 1.5 year intensive program is not for you if you are 1. not committed to your dream of being an actor, 2. if you don’t care about being good at your craft, 3. if you are not self-motivated to put in the hard work required to realize your full potential.

However, if you are ready to dedicate your time and energy to mastering the craft of authentic acting — the one that makes people feel something — this is the place for you. Most people think that being serious about acting as a career means moving to LA. In any other profession, the same person would start with learning the skill first — if you want to be a software engineer, you start by learning how to code. Be smart, learn to walk before jumping into the marathon, and learn to walk here, with Jim Jarrett. There might be many Meisner training institutes in the world, but there’s only one with Jim.

With Jim Jarrett, the last teaching protégé of Sanford Meisner, as your teacher, you’re getting the same training that the likes of Sandra Bullock and Diane Keaton got, in the purest, unadulterated form. Jim’s passion and dedication to the craft of authentic acting will inspire you to hit highs as an actor that you didn’t know were possible.

Once you join the training, you are in for an emotionally charged ride, a fun and liberating one (if you have the right mindset), one that brings you closer to yourself, and as it should — to be able to truly reflect the human experience, one must be able to hold up a mirror to their true selves. You will leave here more open, present and sensitive to the world around you. You will get tools that will guide you for the rest of your life, as an actor, and as a human.

Studying Sandy’s Technique from Jim has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and if you have ever wanted to be an actor with all your heart, it’s my sincerest hope and wish for you that you get to experience this training under Jim.