The Two Year Acting Program at the Maggie Flanigan Studio is a full well-rounded conservatory approach to actor training. In this video, Jamie Butler, a studio alumni, discusses method acting in college and her decision to train professionally with the Meisner technique at the Maggie Flanigan Studio.
Q: Jamie, what is your background in acting?
A: My background in acting. It consisted of training with a college, my college, my university that I attended. I took the year classes there. I minored in theater there. I’ve been acting since I was a little kid, maybe I would even say three years old. My background would consist of professional training, would consist of college courses, and things of that sort. That’s basically it.
Q: What were you doing before you came to the studio? Where else did you study? You mentioned college, was there any other intensives or classes you were taking?
A: I did monologue training with Nina Nesbitt of Industry Direct. She is the owner of Industry Direct, and I did monologue training with her.
Q: Were You In New York or Down South?
A: It was actually in Charleston, South Carolina. I did train there, and then I trained at South Carolina State University and Claflin University. I trained there. That’s basically it.
Q: Were any of these teachers, the monologue teacher in the universities, were you doing any Meisner work in those classes?
A: No, we were not doing Meisner work in the acting classes. We were doing method acting. Really, it wasn’t Meisner acting. We didn’t do — I hadn’t done any Meisner training before.
Q: What was that like? You were doing method, what was that experience like for you? Did it made you realize you wanted to train but maybe at another technique or how was that experience for you?
A: Well, the method technique, I enjoyed the experience, I did like it. However, I knew that I needed more. I wanted more. I needed a more — I needed to train even more. I wanted to seek that out. That’s why I came here.
Q: What were the specific problems that were coming up for you in classes or auditions or in your own personal life that lead you to seek professional training?
A: The problems that were coming up. Well, I wouldn’t say there were problems that were coming up. I enjoyed the style, but it was on a collegiate level and I wanted a professional level. I was basically recommended. It was once that collegiate level was over, it was, “Okay, now let’s go to another ballgame. Let’s go to the professional level.” That’s when I came here.
Q: Why did you choose the Maggie Flanigan Studio?
There’s a lot of studios in New York. You started with the summer intensive, right? You came here for summer, first?
A: Yes.
Q: Why did you pick this program? There’s a lot of summer intensives out there.
A: I picked this, Maggie Flanigan Studio, it’s a little personal, it’s a little sentimental. I auditioned at the International Modelling Talent Convention in California. There, I met a wonderful woman by the name of Joan See. She is the Artistic Director for the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Film and Arts. Unfortunately, she recently passed away. However, when I was there, she asked me what I was doing with my young and beautiful life. She said — I auditioned for her and she said, “You scored very high.” She said, “You scored higher than anyone that I’ve seen in years here.” And she said, “You need to come to New York and you need to train.”
She said, “You don’t need my school, you need to go to Maggie Flanigan.” So, I’m sitting here and I’m looking at her, and I’m like, “Okay, she said Maggie’s is the best, Maggie’s is the best.” And I said, “Okay.” So, I’m processing everything and I’m like, “Okay, this is — She’s the owner and Artistic Director of — I can go to her school, but she’s saying no, go to Maggie’s.
I trusted her and I knew that she was sincere and I knew that she was genuine and I said, “Okay, I’m going to train in Maggie’s.” I did the summer intensive, I fell in love with it. I let her know how my experience was. I told her that I was going to continue, and she was thrilled.
She recently passed away in April. But that is why I’m here because the Maggie Flanigan Studio has the reputation of being the best. That’s why I’m here.
Learn More About Training and the Acting Programs at the Studio
Learn more about the two-year acting program, the other acting programs and acting classes that the studio provides, call the studio during business hours at (917) 794-3878 or review the studio website content: https://www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/
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