Martin Barter review: unfit to teach/crazy 35

wow. i completely missed the acting class thing. I would say, stop going to the school, and tell everyone you know.

This man is an absolute menace. Not only is he abusive and manipulative, he also doesn't even teach Sanford Meisner's method correctly. He makes bizarre claims like, "I can see the air move. If you study here long enough, you'll see the air move too." It seems as if his main concern is to try and get his students to cry, and after he has successfully done so by repeatedly attacking them personally, he then smugly turns to the rest of the class and says, "See? That's real acting."

He is a very good teacher. He is not for everyone. He tries to help the student break down the walls that he/she has built up over the years so that he/she can be a more open, responsive actor. That can often lead to confrontations, discomfort and pain. But if one's goal is to be a better actor from the inside out, the ground up, then this is necessary. I for one, who have built many walls over the years, appreciated the opportunity to break them down (which I sadly did not accomplish as I dropped out of the class after just a couple of months - nothing to do with Mr. Barter or the school, I just decided that professional acting was not for me). I would highly recommend Mr. Barter to anyone who is serious about becoming a good actor AND is willing to put in the work it takes to do so.

I have to disagree with "exactor." There are many ways to help an actor break down walls. Most actors are already fragile and being abusive and confrontational is not the mark of a good teacher. Also "seeing air" sounds like he's a bit off to me. It seems if someone is already experiencing discomfort and pain adding to that pain is not going to help them grow. Also, Mr. Meisner's work is based on "the reality of doing" not on emoting. Sandy had a saying something along the lines of "if acting were about crying then my aunt Rifke would be a great actress."
Abusing a student until they cry and then turning to a class and saying "See? That's real acting." doesn't seem to be in line with Sanford Meisner's work to me. I'm very fortunate to have found a great Meisner teacher. He also claims that his school is home of 10 Academy Award winners and 8 Emmy and 6 Tony. The school has only been opened since 1998 and I think he's claiming winners from the Neighborhood Playhouse. How does he get away with this false marketing. I'd steer away there are too many good acting teachers to deal with someone who it sounds like has a monster ego and making a living on using Sanford Meisner's name. Too bad.

Martin Barter is definitely the real deal.

He worked at the Neighborhood Playhouse for years.

Sandy was even his best man at his wedding.

He was personally trained and approved to teach the Meisner technique by Sandy.

The school was opened under Sandys name with his approval for Martin Barter to teach the technique/direct.

Marty doesn't break people down. Nor does he ever go after people for the sheer purpose of making them cry. I've never ever seen that. He will push you to really be emotionally full. Sometimes people will finally become emotionally full and they will cry. He knows the talent tpeople really have and he won't settle for less.

I have also never heard him say "you will see the air move." Not once.

I have been training intensively at the meisner center for months. I hang out with all the current students and even several former students. Everyone has glowing comments about the center. Everyone who studies and dedicates their time at the center grows tremendously as an actor and as a person.

Marty can be rough. He will bruise your ego, I know firsthand. His class is not for everybody. But he does everything with the sole intention of bringing the fullpotentialout of all of his students. He truly is a caring person.

I have trained at many places and none are as transformative as this. A+++++++ to the Meisner center.

It sounds like you chose to have your ego hurt rather than listen to the message of his teaching. I've studied with him a few years ago, graduated, and then come back for Master's class, so I am very familiar with his style. Martin Barter is one of the best acting teachers alive, and he is the closest you'd ever get to true teachings of Sandy Meisner. In case you never heart, Sandy used to through tables out of windows and break walls, he got so passionate about the work, Marty is tame compared to Sandy. They did that not because they wanted to make actors cry, but because they were teaching you what it means to express yourself without your brain and ego getting in the way. Martin is one of the best cheerleaders I've had throughout my career, and he was always the first one to acknowledge my success and growth as an artist.

I don't think the true Meisner Technique is for everyone, but if you are brave and want to learn how to speak from the heart without even ever saying a word, if you want to feel comfortable in your skin as a person and as an actor, and want feel ready for anything another actor would through at you at any time, then go study with Martin. Studying with him was one of the best things that ever happened to me, and to this day the wisdom of his words and teaching inspires me and makes me want to be a better person.

Rat Poison is 90% good corn. Martin is a lost soul. I feel sorry for him. I truly hope he gets help.

I just stumbled upon this and have to comment.

When I first started studying w/Marty, I had a pretty big ego. When he called me on it, I was defiant. He was able to see past the BS and work with me in a way that was psychologically safe but confrontational until I could no longer avoid what was true. This is when I began to open up emotionally so that I could absorb what was being taught and do the work. I became a better, more grounded person as well as a good actor with a solid foundation. And yes, I do work professionally.

He is the best teacher that I have ever had teach me anything. He was Sanford Meisner's protege, and teaches as Meisner trained him. Every teacher isn't for everyone. If he isn't for you, then just find someone who is more suitable to the way you'd like to learn. This is what I needed, and will forever remain grateful for the experience. I may not still be acting today had I not studied with him.

Marty is a great acting teacher! I would not be the actor or even the person I am today had I not studied with him. He was hard on me but that was what made me good. The first day of class a girl ran out crying and he said she wants to pay for a class where they tell her she's good when she's not. I thought to myself I am in the right place because I don't want someone to tell me I'm good when I'm not. I want someone to tell me what I'm doing wrong so I can fix it. Some people can't handle that.

MARTIN BARTER IS THE BEST TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD! LEARNED MORE ABOUT ACTING! GOT TONS OF ACTING WORK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY UPON TAKING HIS YEAR ONE MEISNER CLASS. YOU NEED TO LOSE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR, OR MARTY WILL BE HARD ON YOU. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR EGO IN ACTING. ANYONE WHO IS COMPLAINING ISN'T A REAL ACTOR IN THEIR SOUL, JUST A PERSON WHO MAKES EXCUSES FOR NOT TRULY LIVING IN THE MOMENT AND DOING THE WORK. IF YOU ARE LAZY OR EGOIC, FIND ANOTHER TEACHER AND WASTE THEIR TIME.

Martin Barter is no acting teacher. He does not teach the Meisner Technique and I'm wiling to bet he wasn't as chummy with Sanford Meisner as he likes to tell people. Back in 2009, I had the unfortunate displeasure of choosing to take an acting class taught by this ###. He did nothing but beat us down with his ### and go on and on about his religious experience like he's ###ing Jesus or something. I know con men, my step-father has been putting people like Marty in jail for years, and Martin Barter is a con man. He will often interrupt your performance exercises to tell you something that usually conflicts with what's in Sanford Meisner's book. He would often tell me that silence is not a moment, when every actor knows that silence is a moment and can carry powerful emotions for actors to work off of...Meisner, himself, even says this. He will also get you to spill your deepest darkest secrets in front of everybody under the guise of finding your "emotional motivation." This is ###, as where you get your motivation from is nobodies business but your own...Meisner also says this in his book. He even allowed an experienced, PROFESSIONAL actor to take the beginner's class... Huh? Said actor was a nice guy and cool to talk to, but come on dude...you know you're better than the beginner's class. Martin Barter even had the balls to speak to him like he was a newbie, or something. I remember one time when he tried to have a go at said actor and the guy straight up told Marty that he doesn't ### with his work. I think my ###ing soul smiled that day. Oh yeah, Marty doesn't like the word "think" and will constantly waste time fighting you over semantics...yeah, that's what you need to pay $800 for. Save your money and go somewhere else. Do not believe this loser's ### and certainly don't let him berate you. Marty, you a true piece of ### and a complete liar. Get bent and, more importantly, get out of Hollywood...stop robbing people! P.S. -- Don't listen to the positive comments about Martin Barter. These are weak minded, gullible people he has indoctrinated with his laughably emotional ###. Think for yourself, read Sanford Meisner's book and cram it up Martin Barter's ###. Take a true Meisner class from someone who's qualified to teach it.

You know, I feel bad for the language I used in my last post but the beef I have with this guy and his institution genuinely hurts and offends me. Probably because this was the first experience I had with an acting school in Hollywood and it drives me crazy to think that I wasted my time and money on a guy who verbally beat me down and didn't even teach what he advertised. No, he did not hurt my ego. No, I am not weak and scared to show people what's deep inside me... Hell, that's why I've decided to pursue acting and a career in the entertainment industry. I found this board and I suppose I just needed to vent. Reading some of the positive comments is what really got me going. Maybe some of you don't understand, but some c*** that happens in life is completely unnecessary and can mess you up. I didn't have much money back then and I chose to give it to this guy under the pretense that it was going towards my professional education. I got nothing out of his classes and he made my struggling -- no real roof over my head, little to no money and hardly any food -- that much harder. I am an American citizen and a patriot and I have the right to speak my mind. I still say you'd be better off shopping around for a better acting teacher.

As someone who has a MFA in Theatre and wrote a thesis on acting
theory - I can attest that much of what Martin 'taught' the class was
the antithesis of Meisner's own published literature. He was obsessed
with affective memory as the gateway to emotional availability and
seemed more of a Strasberg guru than a disciple of Meisner. Of course,
the studio was run more like a cult than an actual conservatory - roping
off Meisner's seat (so no one else could sit in the chair). To say he
was abusive is like saying 9/11 was 'unfortunate.' For some reason he
didn't understand that screaming and degrading actors perpetuates their
inhibitions and emotional barriers. He never ONCE came on stage with us
or even guided or taught the class a basic warm-up routine. When
inquiring about aspects such as Linklater work or Alexander Technique he
disregarded these practices as '###.'

And in regards to the 'no artistic credibility' comment. Where are the
alumni from the Meisner Center? Not on the big screen. Maybe Kelli
Koppel but that's it. The studio claims Academy Award winners but it is
referring to the Neighborhood Playhouse. It's all the work of a
charlatan.

I was new in LA and was referred to this ### Martin Barter in 1996. He treated me like I am stupid. He was abusive to everyone in the class. He was yelling and screaming at us. He assigned me a scene partner "Who was a very needy guy and was after all the girls". I had to practice this scene for two months twice a week either at my place or his. There was a lot of kissing in the scene. I asked Martin, if I had to kiss my scene partner during rehearsals. His answer was "Do you want to be an actor, if you do then you have to kiss him during your rehearsals". I was naive and took the torture and had to kiss him every time.
He assigned me another scene partner "Who would not memorize his lines and would just talk about everything else but our scene". When we went on stage and we didn't do well as a result of our rehearsal, Martin screamed at both of us. He humiliated everyone in our class. Then he told us that he was an alcoholic and trying to recover. And he has a thing for blonds. He seriously discriminated every one for his blond favorite girlfriend or students. Once we graduated and joined the theater, his abusive blond girlfriend was running everything and everyone. She was very ###. And they were both fighting and miserable.
Once I decided and left the theater, I came to realisation that he is an abusive man. And he tried to put everyone down.
Back then the tuition was $200 monthly for 9 months each year. Most of us really felt like we wasted two years of our lives and all that money. None of his graduated students made it in the professional world of acting. Some got some breaks including me. But he always used to mention the success of his past students were because of him, but they are ungrateful people for not thanking him for his success.

I would like to offer something here.
Thank you to freesoul for the comment above. I have never studied in USA or with Martin Barter.
With regard to 'I can see the air move...' It is possible Marty is talking about energy manifestation here.
Having practised Qigong and Meditation for quite some years, one becomes very 'tuned' to changes in people's energy(their aura if you like). When watching students in class and when they have prepared particularly activating circumstances for themselves, during the ensuing exercise, the energy of the scene changes at certain points(goes deeper usually) and I sometimes SEE this energy change in a student's aura...yes, the air moves around them.
The amazing thing about the Meisner Technique, in my opinion, is that it provides the foundation for real, high quality work when we leave our brains(thinking) and egos behind.

Please be so kind as to add Ranjiv Perera’s name to this list because he was taught/trained by Marty. His entire goal is to make you cry like others have suggested and he gets an extreme kick out of torturing his students. I never even attended any of his classes; this alone was just from the interview. Someone out there is looking out for me because finding this complaint board made me realize how grateful I should be for not being accepted into the school. Ranjiv is a sri lanka psychopath. He told another friend
of mine, who was accepted that he would not like him during the teachings when he enrolled, which only equates to (I will make your life a living H e l l).

From some of the posters descriptions Ranjiv sounds just like Martin Barter. I mean seriously? Another similar brother, but from a
different mother. Ranjiv even told us during orientation that if we talked to any of The Meisner Center’s student, it would seem like a cult and many have already stated that. So thank you all for confirming what I already have figured out.

I am extremely different from most of Ranjiv’s students. I am not weak and would have called him out on his b.s. He wears his Sandy/Marty stamp of approval on his chest like he is god or something. Belittling students and treating them like crap is no way to produce positive learning experiences or anything akin to learning. I was in the service and during Basic Training that was the system they used before they decided it wasn’t working.

Alex Taylor, another teacher who is one of three, along with Ranjiv in that group of teachers, who was specifically taught to teach Meisner, has backing by The Meisner Estate. He left The Meisner Center due to a conflict and it makes me wonder if it wasn’t due to
wacko Ranjiv. Everyone is keeping quiet as to why he left, but who’s to say really?

It totally seems like I need to avoid anything and anyone associated with Martin Barter.

I have to agree with the above poster about that Ranjiv fellow. He is a cockroach. I'm just being honest. You can tell because the whites of his eyes are always brown. What kind of condition is that, something from Sri Lanka? This man is a sadist and psychotic person and hides his true self really, really well, especially to those who he feels are his superiors. He acts nice only when he needs to, but seeks out students who he can manipulate and are weak minded. This is probably why The Meisner Center isn't as well known as Playhouse West, people run away from this place and no one with any name clout has been taught by Ranjiv, the cockroach. Do yourself a favor and audit his class first before you decide to join, if you're accepted, because he will grind your heart and soul into the dirt and spit on your ashes.

Bwahahahah I had to laugh at some of these comments especially the one by (Meisner Student). It’s obviously that same horrid teacher the previous poster mentioned, because teachers are always the first ones who claim they are so good. But get this, it’s the students who judge the teachers who are good, not you the teacher. You don’t teach yourselves. Besides, this speaks volumes about you as a teacher.

You have nothing better to do besides looking to extoll Pain and Discomfort on another student that you find it necessary to troll a complaints board? Pathetic. I don’t see legitimate professors on ratemyprofessors, trying to refute what others say about them.

Listen RunfromRanjiv Perera, you’ve probably already looked back and saw what a huge bullet you’ve dodged and I’m sure in the long run, you will be grateful. I appreciate your post.

this is all so sad to me. i studied with Sandy while martin was training. marty just sat quietly and only expanded on the lesson when sandy's voice was more limited. NO abuse by sandy was witnessed and i can only assume that there is something of a more personal nature has taken over marty through the years. i had a dance teacher that went "nuts" after too many years of teaching. so as i can't speak to marty's actual class, it saddens me that he doesn't have a great reputation...i mean where there is smoke there is fire. there are always 2 sides to every situation and i have witnessed young actors with big egos not understand the lesson and want to lash back. but the Meisner Technique is a great one! marty was the last hope for a great "heir" to pass on this technique...i know that was the hope when he was there in our class. as we move further and further away from sandy's REAL LIFE teachings i see that we have only "HIS BOOK" to go on. well the first day in my class with Sandy...someone asked if we should read his book. sandy was emphatic "NO...buy it for your grandmother" "this is something that you do, not read about...it's not to be in your head but in your body" "it is in the doing, some people just wanted to make money off of me writing a book" LOL...yes some of this was funny, but there is this string of truth. sandy did NOT write that book as a definitive instruction manual and so it can be mis interpreted. and i fear that with the "loss" of marty not being a better teacher that...like the telephone game...the original Meisner Technique will be changed...morphed, corrupted, etc. and THIS is what makes me sad.

It is so funny to read some of these comments. I've never met Marty so I cant speak about him. But I have been taking Ranjiv's class for several months now and am constantly amazed at how fragile most people are, judging by the grossly over-exaggerated "critiques" of the class.

Here's a good one from "DonnaKaren":

"Do yourself a favor and audit [Ranjiv's] class first before you decide to join, if you're accepted, because he will grind your heart and soul into the dirt and spit on your ashes."

LOL! I've seen the people who break in this class and I'm sure this is how they felt. What a weak-minded pathetic bunch of losers. Stop trying to act. You don't want to actually grow as an actor, you just want to feel good. That's why you don't like Ranjiv.

Here's another one from "RunFromRanjiv Perera":

"Please be so kind as to add Ranjiv Perera’s name to this list because he was taught/trained by Marty. His entire goal is to make you cry like others have suggested and he gets an extreme kick out of torturing his students. I never even attended any of his classes; this alone was just from the interview."

This person is clearly not the brightest. Enough said.

Anyways, if you value detailed criticism of your work with the aim to open you up and transform you into a more emotionally truthful actor, take the class. If you are very sensitive and lack the ability to process criticism, then join the multitude of sensitive, delusional, mediocre "actors" out there who would take issue with being told that they're not perfect, and don't take the class. You'd probably start crying and leave because up until this point in your life, everything was awesome, like in the lego movie, and now you're suddenly confronted with your own inadequacies, but you fundamentally lack the heart to truly transform them. So you go online and blame the instructor. Because that's how insane your fear of your own self makes you.

He assigned me another scene partner "Who would not memorize his lines and would just talk about everything else but our scene". When we went on stage and we didn't do well as a result of our rehearsal, Martin screamed at both of us. He humiliated everyone in our class. Then he told us that he was an alcoholic and trying to recover. And he has a thing for blonds. He seriously discriminated every one for his blond favorite girlfriend or students. Once we graduated and joined the theater, his abusive blond girlfriend was running everything and everyone. She was very ###. And they were both fighting and miserable.
Once I decided and left the theater, I came to realisation that he is an abusive man. And he tried to put everyone down.
Back then the tuition was $200 monthly for 9 months each year. Most of us really felt like we wasted two years of our lives and all that money. None of his graduated students made it in the professional world of acting. Some got some breaks including me. But he always used to mention the success of his past students were because of him, but they are ungrateful people for not thanking him for his success.

I studied with Martin Barter for about 4 months back in 2001 and I found him to be a very good acting teacher. I thought he was insightful and passionate. I had read Meisner's book several times and had studied with one of his students. I love Meisner's technique. Martin taught it as well as I can imagine (sadly I never got to learn it from Meisner himself). so just wanted to add a positive review for Martin Barter after reading so many negative ones. Everyone's experience is different.

My son studied with Martin. I studied with Martin. He was a tough teacher who pushed his students hard.
He would not except less than what he knew they were capable of achieving. Acting is not a profession for the faint of heart. Remembering every line was difficult for me. I worked and worked and worked studying my lines for weeks. I thought I had finally nailed them. I missed one line and Marty’s comment not good enough do it again. Really? He asked me who is your favorite actor?
I gave him the answer to his question asking him what’s so important about that? His reply was great actors just bring the character alive for the viewer by giving them a flawless believable performance. That takes total immersion the actor and the character become one for those moments in time. I listened to Marty, I went home I put pictures of my favorite actor all over my home. I kept repeating to myself I can remember my lines before studying them over and over again. Thank you Marty! Thank you for believing in me. For pushing all of your students to be the best! Next class I got up on stage and I did not miss a beat. My performance was exactly what it needed to be only because Marty would not accept less than what he knew I was capable of. For the negative reviews I am perplexed. Acting is hard work. Great acting teachers know what it takes to bring an actor out of his or her comfort zone. Get over it! “If can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen!”

Martin Barter is the absolute best teacher I’ve ever had. He makes it so safe in the theatre and he pushes you, but it’s up to you to get over your ego and get to the truth and show it. He not only gave me these tools in acting but I use them in my daily life. Once you get these gifts being given it’s hard to turn them off . so, you walk around in the world reading people’s behavior. You can use it to put light and good into the world. You can also use these tools to call yourself on your own [censored]. I’m a graduate from 2002. I’m completely insulted to see these comments of folks that never even got past the first year. Marty changed my life and me for the better. I will be forever grateful to him. He became like father to me. He is someone I would tell anything to without fear of being misunderstood or judged. And, he has ALWAYS made it safe for me to come back in and work any time I feel I need it.

I also wanted to add one more thing. In my class we had a gal who was a Harvard graduated psychiatrist. I’m fairly certain if she saw any type of abuse at all she would have been the first one to quit or report him ,but she didn’t. She graduated in 2002 as well.