You can’t pass an acting conservatory without hearing the words “sense” and “memory” floating through the air like pollen. But these are incredibly useful tools in enhancing the emotional timbre of a performance. And according to veteran acting coach and studio director Terry Knickerbocker, they’re firmly rooted in classical techniques—including those of legendary acting sages Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg, whose approach Knickerbocker teaches in his Brooklyn acting school.
“Every Strasberg class starts with relaxation and then goes into sense memory exercises, which are not necessarily about memory,” says Knickerbocker, citing the now-ubiquitous coffee cup exercise. “You practice at home with a real cup, and you detail with the five senses. What does it smell like? What does it taste like? What does it look like? What does it feel like in my hand—the touch, the weight, the heat? And then you put the cup down and close your eyes and see if you can recreate that space with your hand.”
What Is Sense Memory and How Should Actors Use It?However, Knickerbocker warns that this type of conjured reality does not apply to all roles you may be called upon to play. “Most people who play drug addicts that are withdrawing haven’t necessarily shot heroin, so it’s an imaginary thing based on research. But senses are a key to unlocking the imagination and creating an experience of something essential, because that’s how we experience the world.”
These techniques also hark back to the Russian methodology. Knickerbocker says, “Stanislavsky showed people in the Group Theatre what he would call ‘affective memory,’ which would be about remembering a traumatic event, like the day your dog died or something like that, and going back in time: remembering how you got the news, how you interacted with the vet, what you heard, etc., to get connected to an experience of sadness or grief.”
But Knickerbocker warns it’s not helpful to take these approaches to a traumatic level. “I think our memories are important, but what’s problematic is that you could retraumatize yourself. Some things might also not be ready to be messed with. Those are the downsides of using memories. However, everything we’ve experienced is what makes us who we are.”
So, as an acting teacher who sees people conjure these emotions on a daily basis, is it useful to, as it’s often stated, “see the work”?
“I don’t think I would be able to tell, watching Meryl Streep, where she gets her stuff,” says Knickerbocker. “And I don’t care; that’s inside baseball, and it’s not useful for me. What I want to do is I want to believe the story. And if I believe the emotion, I’m going to believe the story.”
Terry Knickerbocker is the studio director of Terry Knickerbocker Studio in Brooklyn, NY. He has 30 years of experience as an acting coach and professor for institutions such as Yale University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. His past and present clients include Sam Rockwell, Natasha Lyonne, Chris Messina, Yul Vazquez, and Emmy Rossum.
