ACTING SCHOOLS IN LOS ANGELES
Ken Lerner Studio
Objective: Ken brings his experiences as a working actor to
the acting classes he has taught for more than 12 years. When not
working in films such as The Story Of Us, Unlawful Entry and
Senseless, and TV shows such as Judging Amy, Buffy The Vampire
Slayer, Chicago Hope, NYPD Blue, E.R., the Drew Carey Show and
Dharma and Greg, Ken coaches and inspires actors, helping them get
films, TV shows and pilots. Ken uses methods culled from his own
acting experiences as well as his own teachers: Stella Adler, Peggy
Feury and Roy London, who handpicked Ken as his first student
teacher.
Location: Los Angeles
California Theatre Arts
Objective: The mission of California Theatre Arts is to
provide the highest quality comprehensive program available in the
performing arts. Our goal is to offer productions and classes in a
professional and positive atmosphere where both amateur and career
performers can gain a sound technical basis and performing
experience in all aspects of theatre and dance.
Location: Walnut Creek
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
InStone Actors Studio
Objective: The Instone Actors Studio System is an organic and
innovative approach to teaching the craft of acting. The strength of
the approach is that it is entirely tailored and focused on training
the individual as opposed to delivering a general "system" to a
group. The claim and result of this new method is to succeed in
developing strong, independent and free-spirited artists in charge
of themselves and their craft.
Location: Hollywood - Tarzana - Santa Barbara
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]
East Bay
Improv
Objective: Their workshops are fun and a surprisingly easy
way to become more self-confident, creative, spontaneous and develop
your acting potential. Learning to be a great improviser is helpful
in daily life, personal and business as well as on the stage. Meet
new people in a warm supportive environment.
Location: Berkeley
American
Conservatory Theatre
Objective: American Conservatory Theater is one of the
nation's leading resident professional theaters and the recipient of
a Tony Award for outstanding theater performance and training. At
the heart of A.C.T. is one of the most acclaimed actor training
institutions in the nation. Celebrated former students include
Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, and Winona Ryder.
Location: San Francisco
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
Angel
Flight Theatre Instructions
Objective: What makes AFTI so unique is its sincere devotion
and commitment to what it knows best: theatre arts. Today, many
acting programs are short term enterprises that sacrifice artistic
integrity for quick profits. AFTI’S goal has always been to provide
quality training at an affordable price, for all, without ever
jeopardizing artistic quality. Another reason AFTI is truly unique
is its experience in dealing with all cross sections and walks of
life: from the inner-city of Long Beach to the suburbs of West
Covina, AFTI’s aim is to work with the best talent.
Location: Hollywood area
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
Study with John Anthony
Objective: Teaching in the tradition of Strasberg and
Stanislavsky, John Anthony teaches beginning and advanced actors who
are serious about their craft. The class is designed to allow each
actor to work at each session and address their individual acting
problems. Mr. Anthony studied with Lee Strasberg, Vera Solovia - of
the Moscow Art Theatre, Ned Mandarino - author of The Transpersonal
Actor, and John Sarno - Lee Strasberg's protégé, who was honored by
the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Hollywood community as
Teacher of the Year in 1999. Mr. Anthony has appeared in numerous
stage, television and film roles. Private classes are also
available.
Contact: Call 212-517-5359 or
Email for info.
Location: Hollywood area
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
Michael Byron
Objective: Helps actors become more confident when
interviewing with agents, personal managers, casting directors,
producers and directors. Has been in Hollywood for 20 years and is
professional. Also coaches for auditions and will work one-on-one on
camera.
Address:
P.O. Box 4833
Valley Village, Ca. 91617
Phone: 818-295-0025
Email:
Michael
Byron
Location: Van Nuys
Studio
Actreel
Objective: It is our sincere desire to inspire actors to
actively embrace their own passion for the art and craft of acting
that has brought them to us in the first place. At the core of this
work is the actor’s willingness to take risks and allow spontaneity
to supersede analysis. The focus of the training is a balance
between Scene Work and Improvisation, a vital skill for actors
auditioning and performing in Feature Films and Television.
Location: Toluca Lake
Theatre
Group Studio
Objective: Training in the Stanislavski method for actors,
directors and writers.
Location: Los Angeles in the SoRo district
Mime
Theatre Studio
Objective: In the only public, ongoing, weekly mime class in
Los Angeles, Lorin Eric Salm teaches actors, dancers, and comedians
how to "make the invisible visible," using the body to express
thought and emotion, and to physicalize the actor's interaction with
his environment. Salm is a 3-year graduate of the Marcel Marceau
Paris International School of Mimodrama, and has been teaching for
over 12 years, including work for Disney and DreamWorks Animation
studios, Ford and Reebok television commercials, and feature films.
Location: North Hollywood
Chas
School of Film and Television
Objective: A professional actors studio geared for getting
its students work in film, television, theater, commercials and
modeling. We offer the finest on-camera, scene-monologue,
auditioning and "the business" courses.
Location: Belmont
Alexia Robinson Studio
Objective: Alexia Robinson Studio is a Los Angeles area
acting studio that provides technique and scene study classes for
beginning and advanced actors. Classes are taught by working
professionals with extensive film and television credits and provide
a supportive and nurturing environment where actors can spread their
wings and fly.
Location: North Hollywood
Piero Dusa
Acting Conservatory [Flash]
Objective: Come train at one of the most prestigious
conservatories in the nation! Now interviewing for spring and summer
sessions. This training facility is one of the very few that is
registered with the Bureau of Private Post Secondary and Vocational
Education. The Conservatory provides artistic excellence with
professional acting and writing instruction in the film, television,
and theatre industries for a new generation of artists. It has been
honored by such legends as Alfred Molina, David Groh, John Savage,
and Gary Busey, to name a few, who have inspired graduates at annual
festivities. The Conservatory's Programs include: the Meisner
Technique, Advanced Acting, Master Performing Class, On-Camera
Dynamics, Commercial Auditioning Technique, Advanced Commercial
Technique, Auditioning for Film and T.V., Advanced On-Camera
Technique, Master Camera and Marketing Technique, Sitcom Technique,
Fundamentals of Improvisation, a program for kids and teens, as well
as private coaching in house and on location. The most recent
courses that are now offered are the T.O.P. System taught by Nick
Mancuso, Character Preference, Character Expression, Character
Pathology, the writing department's Matrix of Character Preference
with Syd Field, and Creating the One Person Show.
Location: Santa Monica
Constelacion Theatrical Group
Objective: A Non-profit organization since 1992 training and
promoting actors. Founded by Ivan Olivares. To put the dramatic arts
into everyone's reach. They have free acting workshops and their
regular acting, dancing and modeling classes are only 20 dolars per
month. They have also their own Talent Agency, their own Theatrical
Company and a local T.V. Show. Where they train and promote their
talents. They specialize in Latin actors, but welcome everybody.
Location: North Hollywood
The
Actor's Edge Workshop
Objective: Christina Ferra-Gilmore brings her wealth of both
stage and on-camera experience to help students of all levels
prepare for a career in television and film. The curriculum spans
all current acting methods and theories including: Method, Meisner,
Comedy Improv, Audition technique, Cold-reading technique, Scene
Breakdown, Commercial Study, dramatic improv, etc. The idea is to
ensure that all students are well-rounded and prepared for any
audition that they could go on. Free audits for interested actors.
Location: Hollywood
AIDA -
Australian Institute of Dramatic Arts
Objective: Teaching Australian Acting techniques.
Location: Los Angeles
The Joanne
Baron/D.W. Brown Studio
Objective: The Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio has been a
wellspring for the theatrical casting and producing community for
over twenty years. The Studio offers both long-term and short-term
training programs for the working professional and pre-professional
actor, writer, director, and producer. The Studio's programs include
Meisner training scene study, audition technique, cold reading,
on-set coaching, customized private and group seminars, and
Alexander Technique classes. Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer
sessions are available.
Location: Santa Monica
Elisa Eliot
Objective: Yale Drama graduate can be hired privately or by
production companies to provide acting training to actors of all
ages. She has worked with actors on many feature films as well as
Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and musicals.
Location: Los Angeles
The
Marin Actors' Workshop
Objective: In existence for five years now, our small,
dynamic school offers, at its core, a scene/monolog course taught by
veteran actor, Terry McGovern (www.terrymcgovern.com). Terry leans
heavily on the teaching approach of his former instructor, the late,
legendary Stella Adler. Classes are held weekly, with performance
showcases in front of Bay Area agents twice a year. MAW also offers
classes in Voice-Over, Animation and Video Game Character Voices,
On-Camera (both film and commercial acting), Teleprompter, and
features guest speakers from the industry throughout the year. Our
goal is to introduce and develop specific acting goals for newcomers
and veterans alike, so that the actor can grow and prosper in this
demanding field. And have fun doing so.
Location: San Rafael
Mother of
Invention Acting School
Objective: The purpose of the courses I offer is to impart
the Stanislavsky-based acting technique taught by EVAN Yionoulis and
Earle Gister at the Yale School of Drama.
Location: San Francisco
The Acting
Corps
Objective: By the end of this daily, four week course, you
will not only know whether your love of acting is just a passing
fancy or if it is truly your life’s work, you will also have the
beginnings to a strong foundation in acting technique as well as a
firm grasp of the nuts and bolts of scene work and audition skills.
We offer classes for seasoned actors as well as beginners.
Location: North Hollywood
Elisa Eliot's Acting Studio
Objective: Acting studio in Los Angeles that provides acting
lessons for stage and screen.
Location: Los Angeles
The Acting
Corps
Objective: Housed in its new three theater complex, the
Acting Corps offers The Actors’ Boot Camp, a 4-week, daily,
intensive Meisner Course, which includes Scene Study and Cold
Reading. Every actor works extensively in every class and
instructors are currently working professionals. Some actors are
invited to Boot Camp II, which focuses on deepening and expanding
the Meisner work, the Business of Show Business, and actual
On-Camera Technique. There is also an Advanced Program and a
Professional program, which both prepare and sustain actors in
pursuing and attaining careers in the film and television industry.
Additionally, the Acting Corps generates and produces film and
theater projects starring Acting Corps actors.
Location: North Hollywood
The Actor's
Lab
Objective: The Actor's Lab is one of the most well respected
acting schools in America. The Master Class is taught by
actor/director, J.D. Lewis. Class includes Scene Study and Cold
Reading. In addition, each actor is put on a business plan.
(Targeting agents, targeting casting director, networking, creating
projects, etc.). The Lab boast some of the top names in the
industry. The Actor's Lab is also an award winning theater company.
Location: Los Angeles
EMAS
Objective: We have been in Los Angeles for 5 years and are
recommended by NBC's Talent Development Program.
Location: Los Angeles
The
A.C.T.I.N.G. Coach
Objective: This class is designed to help you to listen while
in the scene, become more connected to your character and stay in
the moment. You will learn how to break down the character by use of
subtext and script analysis/scene study. You will find the core of
the character and bring the character to life. Which in the end is
what we are all after.
Location: Costa Mesa, CA. Orange County
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
LA ACTORS & CELEBRITIES ADDRESS
