Meckler attended several academic institutions in the US, beginning with Antioch College for her undergraduate degree, then moving on to study acting at HB Studios.
She moved to London in 1968, a time when many American artists were relocating to the UK, permanently changing the theatre scene in the places they landed.
[2] Once in the UK, Meckler founded the Freehold Theatre Company (1968–72), which, while it did not last long, had a successful and recognized production of the play Antigone.
During this time, Meckler struggled with the constraints of directing traditional scripted plays and the structure of British theatre, as her work in the past had been more creative and experimental.
[2] Meckler was the first woman to direct at the Royal National Theatre,[7] with Edward Albee's Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
[25] Reviewers described Meckler's direction as theatrical; her experience as a stage director clearly present in her on screen work.