Real Tears and the Meisner Technique

No one ever told me that babies don't cry real tears when they are born. Maybe this was a common fact (as many new things I have learned since I've become a parent), but I was not aware. For the first month, when Ethan cried, it would be solely based on the various sounds he makes. During the past two weeks, when he cries, you can now see the teardrops forming in his eyes and it really does break your heart. When the tears actually flow out, I am definitely going to lose it. I already tear up when I see his eyes tear up. :( He starts with a grimace, his lips curl up, and then sometimes his jaw starts to quiver before the tears start to form.  It's definitely true that your child's cry goes right through you.

Yogi and Ravi have been training in the Meisner technique in their acting classes so of course it has become another joke in our house. Both have been able to cry upon demand by utilizing the Meisner technique. Next time you see them, ask them to perform for you. An interesting talent to have... With the Meisner technique, actors observe and respond to the other person's behavior and the subtext within the language. Two actors would face each other and repeat the observations of each other back and forth. "You're upset." "I'm upset." "You're upset!" "Yes, I'm upset." Ideally each person's behavior will be impacted directly from how the other person's behavior stimulates him/her. Now, anytime anyone cries, the Roth members refer to the crying as Meisner.

Here's Ethan perfecting the Meisner below with his facial expressions--an Oscar award winning performance. I won't put him actually crying on the site because it really is too sad....