EAST Acting Studio
Meisner-Based Training in Presence & Truthfulness for Adults
Details
Date: Saturday, June 27
Time: 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: EAST Collective, East Nashville
Enrollment: Limited to 12 participants
Investment: $50
Meisner Foundations:
The Art of Listening
You’ll be taken to our registration page, where you can enroll in the workshop.
“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, 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…
Adults (18+) — beginners and returning actors alike.
No prior acting experience is required.
Only a willingness to show up consistently and engage fully in the work.
Meet the teaching artists
Allison Link
Allison Link is the founder of EAST Collective and Tenn Little Birds, East Nashville's longest-running early childhood music studio. She trained at Westminster Choir College and pursued post-baccalaureate work in music therapy at Belmont University. She studied Meisner-based technique at the Matthew Corozine Studio Theatre in New York for several years and served as Matt Corozine's teaching assistant, working alongside him to support students through the foundational stages of the work.
A performer, educator, and mother of two, Allison brings a decade of teaching experience to EAST — building a steady, supportive home for truthful actor training in Nashville.
Founder & Teaching Artist
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 Harley Coates in the world premiere of May We All (TPAC).
Co-Founder & Teaching Artist
Want to try a class?
You’re welcome to join us for a trial class during the current session, as space allows. It’s a great way to experience the work, meet the group, and see if it feels like a fit.
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.
