Acting Schools
Acting Schools & Acting Classes information
Acting Schools are essential to build your craft as an actor. Some casting won't even call you in for an audition if your resume doesn't suggest that you have taken an acting class in an reputable school. Some Acting schools in the United States are famous for turnining out some of the most well-respected and employable actors in the world. You can get your acting education and training off to a good start by checking out our list of acting schools..
Do you want to add or feature your acting School / Class?
Acting Schools in New York
Juilliard School
Objective: After more than a quarter-century, The Juilliard School's Drama Division has remained faithful to the mission described in its very first recruitment brochure:
"We are trying to form an actor equipped with all possible means of dramatic production, capable of meeting the demands of today's and tomorrow's ever-changing theater, an actor who is capable of participating in those changes and who is inventive enough to contribute to them. For in the final analysis, whatever experiments may be attempted through fresh forms of writing, on new stages, using the latest technical devices, everything ultimately depends on the human being - the actor."
Location: New York
Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute
Objective: Lee Strasberg, legendary teacher of acting, was a man of great vision, responsible for the tradition of artistic truth and reality in acting that began in America over 50 years ago. The dream lives on. At the "The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute", his concepts are taught to the serious actor of today.
Location: New York
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Objective: The American Musical and Dramatic Academy has excelled in its mission to train young artists toward success in the extraordinary world of the performing arts.
Location: New York
TVI Actors Studio
Objective: In the course of a decade, TVI has grown to be well-respected by industry authorities and working actors alike in both New York and Los Angeles. Constantly looking for new ways to offer services needed by actors developing their careers is why TVI Actors Studio is the nation's premiere center for professional actors.
Location: New York
The Tom Todoroff Conservatory in New York City
Objective:The Tom Todoroff Conservatory in New York City is an in-depth professional training program for empowering actors, located in the heart of New York's Theater District. The Conservatory faculty is comprised of the most accomplished professionals in film, TV and theater, hailing from NYC, LA and London. The Conservatory offers holistic training of the highest caliber to a select group of international artists. The first year provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of acting, voice, speech, and movement. The training is diagnostic, prescriptive and all-encompassing. You will develop an unshakable skill set based on each individual's needs. The second year focuses on the application of the skills developed and preparing you for the transition from student to working professional. Student Visas are available to qualified Conservatory applicants. Actors must be 18 years or older to apply. Remote audition options via Skype. Visit www.tomtodoroff.com/conservatory for details; email nycstudio@tomtodoroff.com to arrange your interview and audition.
Location: New York
American Academy Of Dramatic Arts
Objective: The Academy trains actors for stage, film and television by means of a structured, professionally-oriented program that stresses self-discovery, self-discipline and individuality. Academy training is, above all, practical. At each stage of development students are challenged to put what has been studied in classrooms to the test in performance.
Location: New York
New York University
Objective: Finishing on time and within budget is Hollywood's No.1 mantra, and the same goes at NYU. During the first year students make a number of short exercise films. In the second year, everyone completes a documentary on digital video, followed by a third-year agenda that requires shooting a thesis film and writing a feature-length screenplay.
Location: New York
New York Film Academy
Objective: The New York Film Academy was founded ten years ago on a belief that a top quality education in filmmaking should be accessible to anyone with the drive and ambition to make films. The school opened in Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Center. Today the New York Film Academy occupies its own building, formerly known as Tammany Hall, as well as a complete school facility at Universal Studios and locations in numerous countries.
Location: New York
Actors Theatre Workshop
Objective: The Actors Theatre Workshop is a professional non-profit theatre company committed to addressing the conflicts and issues of our community through the creation of theatre. ATW develops and produces original, classical and contemporary works for stage and film. Through The Scott Acting Conservatory, ATW trains professional theatre artists in the art and craft of acting and writing and teaches original creative techniques that open up intuitive abilities, unlock curiosity, develop the imagination and liberate creative expression. ATW also teaches our original creative techniques to individuals from all walks of life, from business professionals in our Creative Expression Workshop for Non-Theatre Professionals to formally homeless children in our theater arts mentorship program, The Builders of the New World. These techniques reveal the wonderful, powerful creative force in all people and demonstrate that creativity is the great equalizer of human beings.
Location:
New York
Michael Howard Studios
Objective: Since he began the Michael Howard Studios in 1953, Michael Howard, a veteran of the Neighborhood Playhouse and member of Actors Studio, has retained his core belief that there is no single "method" of acting, that all actors must be exposed to a wide array of skills and processes in order to develop their own method. Michael Howard Studios offers actor training of the highest caliber, taught by experts who are not only well-versed in the long traditions of their craft, but professionals, innovators and artists in their own right, eager to guide and mentor today's professional actor through the demands and possibility of the new century. We offer ongoing text and scene study classes (monthly enrollment); specialized weekly and intensive workshops; and professional conservatory programs.
Location: New York
ROBERT X. MODICA Acting Studio
Objective: In his 40 years of teaching, Robert X. Modica has dedicated himself to helping students develop their talent by guiding them to discover and express the truths of themselves in personal, meaningful, and imaginative ways. His teaching is based on the premise that one cannot realize the truth of the character without first knowing what it is like to "live and behave from the Gold one one's own Truth." The definition of acting that he works from, handed down by Sanford Meisner, is "acting is the ability to live and behave truthfully under imaginary circumstances." Mr. Modica co-taught with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse and was one of the few teachers chosen by Meisner to carry on his work. Mr. Modica's commitment to truth within the work is as unwavering as is his belief in and respect for the uniqueness of each individual actor. Actors who study with Mr. Modica can expect to discover more authenticity, consistency, spontaneity and humanity in their work. John Turturro "a master acting teacher of great dedication, passion and insight."
Address:
Carnegie Hall Studio 809
881 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019
212-245-2089
Location: New York
The New Actors Workshop
Objective: The New Actors Workshop was founded in 1988 by Mike Nichols, George Morrison and Paul Sills to offer to a new generation the twin influences that determined the course of their careers. It is a two-year, full-time training with equal weight given to Performance Improvisation technique as developed by Viola Spolin (Paul Sills' mother) including weekly performances, and Stanislavski Method scene work as taught by Lee Strasberg. The program includes extensive work on voice, speech, and three different approaches to the body. We are small -- less than 50 students -- ensuring individual attention and continuity of instructors.
Location: New York
The Stella Adler Studio of Acting
Objective: Since 1949, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting has been one of the premiere acting schools in New York City. Offering a wide range of acting classes and acting programs, the studio aims to embody Stella Adler's primary belief, that growth as an actor and growth as a human being are synonymous. A world class faculty coupled with the Harold Clurman Art Series, the Stella Adler Outreach Division and many other Studio programs are designed to work together to support the belief that the actor is an ever evolving human being. All programs, curricular and extra-curricular, support a single vision of actor training based on the insight that growth as actor and growth as a human being are synonymous. This conviction informs all that the Studio does, from classroom projects to curriculum to poetry readings and jazz and classical music concerts and beyond.
Location: New York City
Acting Schools in Los Angeles
Stella Adler Academy Of Acting
Objective: The two year program is a certificate program. Each year includes three 12-week sessions and a summer session. Classes are offered during the day and evening. A full time course load consists of four classes per semester. The two-year program prepares the student for the competitive challenge that awaits him in the acting profession by providing the student with a technique to develop and strengthen his craft.
Location: Hollywood
UCLA
Objective: UCLA's department of film and television offers programs of study in the history and theory as well as the creative and technical aspects of the moving image. The department provides a scholarly, creative and professional approach to the study of both media and seeks to help each student discover his or her powers as an independent artist and communicator.
Location: Brentwood [Los Angeles]
Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute
Objective: Lee Strasberg, legendary teacher of acting, was a man of great vision, responsible for the tradition of artistic truth and reality in acting that began in America over 50 years ago. The dream lives on. At the "The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute", his concepts are taught to the serious actor of today.
Location: Los Angeles
TVI Actors Studio
Objective: In the course of a decade, TVI has grown to be well-respected by industry authorities and working actors alike in both New York and Los Angeles. Constantly looking for new ways to offer services needed by actors developing their careers is why TVI Actors Studio is the nation's premiere center for professional actors.
Location: Los Angeles
The Actors Workshop
Objective: "This highly respected film/television workshop is Orange County's oldest film acting program. The Actors Workshop was founded in Hollywood in the early 1970's and later moved to its current Laguna Hills location. Under the direction of film actor Rob Adams, the classes are conducted at all levels from beginner through advanced in a state of the art broadcast TV studio. Along with film actor and founder R.J. Adams, workshops are offered in audition techniques, cold readings, on-camera scene work and weekly showcases with major L.A. casting directors. Classes are twice weekly for each level.
Location: Laguna Hills
Screen Actors Studio
Objective: Training professional actors for Film, TV and Commercials. On camera classes for kids, teenagers and adults at "Westside Casting". Agent Showcases and Casting Director Workshops help students break into the "biz".
Location: Los Angeles
California Institute Of The Arts
Objective: This campus is a magnet for studio talent scouts. This film/video school offers three programs: Experimental Animation, Fildm and Video, and Film Directing.
Location: Valencia [45 minutes North of Los Angeles]
San Francisco State University
Objective: Low-budget, independent filmmaking is the specialty at this school. First year students make a short 16 mm film. The next year, several short projects are followed by such assignments as making a film inspired by Plato's allegory of the cave. Each student must draft a personal manifesto, and many experiment with other art forms.
Location: San Francisco
University of Southern California
Objective: USC offers specialized programs in producing, screenwriting and production. In the first year all students make five short films; in the second year, students team up for a "crew" project, which in turn is pitched to the faculty. If selected, USC finances the final product.
Location: Los Angeles
Playhouse West
Objective: Playhouse West is both a school for actors and a Repertory Theater which serves as a training ground for actors, directors, and writers. All Playhouse West productions are acted and directed exclusively by those trained here and many of the plays in our repertory are written by our own members.
Location: Hollywood
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Objective: An actor's talent, it's been said, begins in the soles of the feet and ends in a spirit that can vault beyond the stars. The American Academy of Dramatic Arts has been serving that talent for over a hundred years. It has trained more actors for professional careers than any other school in the United States. Many of them have been honored for their contributions to theatre, film and television.
Location: Hollywood
Actors Center
Objective: The Actors Center is an ongoing professional scene study class taught by Michael Butler. We are located in Los Angeles, California. Our website is designed to give people information about the art of acting, and also serves as an online brochure for our classes.
Location: Los Angeles
David Kagen's School of Film Acting
Objective: David Kagen has been teaching for over 35 years, having worked with such actors as Alec Baldwin, Robin Wright-Penn, and Ted Danson. There is a maximum of 12 people in each of his classes and you work twice on-camera every single class. You get videotaped each time you work, and you take your tape home with you to watch after class. All the on-camera classes are 2-camera video classes and you're videotaped on a split screen so that when you watch your tape you can see yourself and your partner. That's very important because one of the things critical to all acting, and especially film acting, is that you see what's going on with your partner emotionally and you respond emotionally to what you see. David uses a book called ON ACTING by Sanford Meisner as a textbook. He doesn't teach the Meisner Technique and doesn't do Meisner exercises. Instead, he does everything with scripts. The skills he's trying to teach are the same skills Meisner talks about in his book. That is, that the heart your talent comes from your instincts. And that in addition to playing off your partner emotionally, what you're supposed to do is bare your soul. You're supposed to reveal the most personal, private feelings you have in the course of doing a scene.
Location: North Hollywood
Jeffrey Marcus Acting Class
Objective: Jeffery's goal is to help actors find what's behind the words and bring the behavior and soul of the character to the work. There are tools, if you feel not quite "the part" but like you're just saying words, to help you meld your life with that of the person you're playing. He works practically for the demands of the actor in Los Angeles. He has taught for eleven years and has worked with actors on films and television series. As an actor, he has starred on Broadway, had a TV series, been in feature films and TV movies. Free class audits available. Actors may contact Jeffery through his website or at 323-965-9392.
Location: Los Angeles in the pico/fairfax area
Dell'Arte
Objective: Dell'Arte is the American center for the exploration and development of physical performance, attracting students and audiences from all over the world, and sending productions around the region, the country, and the globe. Their facility in Blue Lake, California is home to an internationally acclaimed touring company, a full-time professional actor-creator training program, summer workshops, a Bali residential program, original performances by resident and guest theatre artists and an innovative arts in education program.
Location: Blue Lake
The Actor's Intensive
Objective: Kirk Baltz is an acting coach in Los Angeles with over 20 years experience as a working actor and 15 years experience teaching and coaching. He gives private acting lessons (1 hour sessions) to beginners and professionals.
Location: Los Angeles
OPEN AUDITIONS LISTINGS ARE ALWAYS FREE AT Talent Pages