EAST Acting Studio
Meisner-Based Training in Presence & Truthfulness for Adults
Format: 10-week cohort — three time options
Dates: September 7 – November 16, 2026 (one week off for Fall Break)
Location: EAST Collective, 805 Woodland St, East Nashville
Enrollment: Capped at 12 per section
Investment: $427 (10-week series)
Taught by: Ryan Link, with guest sessions from Allison Link
Meisner Foundations:
The Art of Listening
Investment: $427 for the 10-week series. Capped at 12 students.
“I learned a lot about how to let what’s actually happening inside me come up and affect my partner. I’m excited to apply this to my scene work!” — Izzie H., Spring 2026 Cohort
Get out of your head.
Start listening differently.
This is the first step into the
EAST Acting Studio.
In Foundations, for all levels of experience, we begin at the core of truthful acting: listening. Through structured partner exercises rooted in Meisner-based training, students learn to respond instinctively rather than manufacture emotion.
The work is simple and profound.
In this course, we practice:
The Repetition Exercise
Cold readings
Responding truthfully in the moment
Building trust with a scene partner
Quieting self-consciousness
Strengthening emotional availability
Other Meisner tools, such as the Independent Activity, the Knock on the Door, the Provocative Question, and scene work, will be introduced if the class feels ready.
No pressure to be impressive. No performance required.
This is a space to build presence — to experience how much more alive storytelling becomes when you stop trying and start responding.
Who It’s For…
This course is designed for adults (18+) at any level of experience. Some students will be stepping into an acting class for the first time. Others will be experienced performers looking to reconnect with truthful, moment-to-moment work.
No memorization or performance experience is required. Curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to be present are far more important.
Because Meisner training builds progressively from week to week, we ask students to enroll with the intention of attending the full ten-week session. The work develops through consistency, trust, and the relationships formed within the ensemble.
Why Meisner?
Most acting problems begin with self-consciousness.
We try to be emotional. Interesting. Funny. Convincing. We worry about how we’re coming across instead of paying attention to what’s actually happening in front of us.
Meisner training offers a different approach.
Instead of focusing on yourself, you learn to place your attention on another person. Through simple but demanding exercises, you begin responding truthfully to what you observe rather than performing an idea of what the scene should be.
Over time, something remarkable happens: you become more present, more spontaneous, and more emotionally available—not because you’re trying harder, but because you’re finally listening.
The result isn’t just stronger acting. It’s greater freedom.
Many actors describe Meisner training as the first time they stopped trying to act and started experiencing life truthfully under imaginary circumstances.
Whether your goal is Broadway, film and television, community theatre, auditions, public speaking, or simply becoming more confident in your interactions with others, the ability to listen deeply and respond honestly is a skill that lasts a lifetime.
Meet the teaching artists
Ryan Link
Ryan Link is a Broadway and touring performer, musician, and Meisner-trained teacher based in Nashville. Broadway credits include RENT and HAIR, and he spent 2013-2015 on the first national tour of Once. He trained—and later taught—Meisner-based technique at the Matthew Corozine Studio Theatre in New York, guiding actors to build truthful connection, presence, and instinct through deep listening and partner work.
A dad of two and a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association, Ryan auditions regularly for film and TV productions across the Southeast and continues to train on-camera in Nashville. Recent credits include Nathan in The Colors (a 2026 short film directed by Connor Pannell) and Harley Coates in the world premiere of May We All at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Co-Founder & Teaching Artist
Allison Link
Allison Link is the founder of EAST Collective and Tenn Little Birds. She studied Meisner-based technique for several years at Matthew Corozine Studio Theatre in New York and served as Matt Corozine’s teaching assistant. Allison joins selected sessions throughout the term as a guest instructor.
Founder & Teaching Artist
Questions before enrolling?
We’d love to help you determine whether Foundations is the right place to begin. Reach out anytime—we’re happy to talk about the training and answer questions. hello@theeastcollective.com
What to Expect.
No final performance. Only progress.
This is a structured, partner-based class rooted in Meisner training.
Students will work consistently with the same ensemble each week, building trust and deepening their ability to listen and respond truthfully in the moment.
There is no final performance.
The focus is on foundation, presence, and process.
Class size is intentionally limited to preserve depth and ensemble trust.
Commitment:
Because the work builds week to week, consistent attendance is essential.
We ask students to enroll with the intention of completing the full 8-week series.
This is a studio practice, rather than a drop-in workshop.
