EAST Acting Studio
Meisner-Based Training in Presence & Truthfulness for Adults
Details
Length: 8 Weeks
Class Time: Mondays, 6:00–8:00 PM
Location: Tenn Little Birds Studio, East Nashville
Enrollment: Limited to 10 students
Investment: $400
Foundations 1:
The Art of Listening
This is the first step into the EAST Acting Studio.
In Foundations I, 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 it is profound.
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 and Tenn Little Birds, with conservatory training from Westminster Choir College and years of Meisner-based study at the Matthew Corozine Studio Theatre in New York. A performer, educator, and mother of two, she is committed to creating a steady, supportive home for truthful actor training in Nashville.
Founder
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).
Acting Coach
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 not a drop-in workshop.
It is a studio practice.
In this course, we practice:
The Repetition Exercise
Responding truthfully in the moment
Building trust with a scene partner
Quieting self-consciousness
Strengthening emotional availability
There is no pressure to be impressive.
There is 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.
