9 Acting Conservatories to Help Hone Your Craft

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If you want to be the next Tom Hanks or Lupita Nyong’o, one of the best ways to get started is to study the craft more in-depth. While acting conservatories may not be the choice for everyone, it’s a great way to dive deeply into your craft. Check out a short list of conservatories to consider.

American Conservatory Theater

One of the American Conservatory Theater’s newest programs is the Citizen Artist Program, in which students are required to attend training on cultural competency, curriculum design, and participatory theater techniques that prepare them to work in ACT’s education and community programs. Although not a requirement, students that complete the training walk away with a foundation of learning that will come in handy if they choose to become teaching artists. Students also have the opportunity to take part in an additional 30 hours of Citizen Artist practice in order to graduate with a “Citizen Artist Concentration.” The conservatory is located in San Francisco and alumni include Denzel Washington and Annette Bening.

American Musical and Dramatic Academy

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy offers students the opportunity to focus on acting, musical theater, or dance theater. In an effort to keep up in the digital era, AMDA has recently updated its curriculum to add teachings on social media networking and branding. Another new initiative that the conservatory has created is the Preferred Name Campaign, which supports students who wish to be referred to by a name other than their birth or stage name. The program has locations in both New York City and Los Angeles, and alumni include Trai Byers and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Boston Conservatory

Originally an independent program, Boston Conservatory merged with Berklee College of Music in 2016 to create a central learning ground for students interested in music and performing arts. In addition to its dedication to foundational teaching, Boston Conservatory finds community outreach a core aspect in the arts. Students studying theater are required to learn other components of performing arts in addition to acting such as speech, dance, and voice. Notable alumni include Katharine McPhee and Chad Kimball.

HB Studio

Founded by Herbert Berghof in 1945, who partnered with Uta Hagen shortly thereafter, the studio’s approach to training has roots in the European classical tradition, but follows Berghof’s approach to acting. The conservatory allows students to customize the curriculum to their own interests by choosing to take one class at a time or be on a part- or full-time schedule. Between terms, actors are also able to attend seminars, master classes, and workshops on a variety of topics. Located in New York City, HB Studio alumni include Jane Krakowski and John Leguizamo.

KD Studio

The Dallas-based KD Studio offers students of all ages the chance to participate in an intensive acting experience. Offering classes for kids, teens, and adults in one of the largest media markets in the nation, the 15-month program gives the chance to learn acting for film, television, and stage. Alumni include Kevin McHale and George Eads.

Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory

The Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory teaches a variety of methods, including Meisner, Adler, Strasberg, Chekhov, Yale, and the Actor’s Keys, a technique developed by the founder of LAPAC. The conservatory features an in-house production company designed for directing students interested in learning how to create high-quality films to be screened at film festivals, inspired by the work of Steven Spielberg. Actors such as Ken Jeong and Sharif Atkins graduated from the conservatory.

New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts

The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts focuses on teaching students on-camera acting skills based on the Meisner technique, as well as managing the business side of acting. Originally founded as a program to train actors for television commercials, the conservatory now teaches the Meisner technique as its main curriculum. The program also teaches the discipline of the camera actor in all media, such as film, sitcoms, commercials, and voiceovers. The school is located in New York City, and claims Ashleigh Murray and Miles Teller as notable alumni.

Stella Adler Studio of Acting

Stella Adler Studio of Acting was created by Stella Adler after training with Konstantin Stanislavski in Paris in 1934 and carries a rich history, including having been the training studio of Sanford Meisner. The school has also partnered with Dream Seeds “Actors Clinic” in Tokyo to allow students from each program to study under the other. The conservatory has locations in both New York City and Los Angeles, and claims Salma Hayek and Mark Ruffalo as notable alumni.

The William Esper Studio

The William Esper Studio is devoted to the Sanford Meisner method, which is taught at many different levels within the program. In 2015, the school implemented ESPER NEXT, a resource intended for alumni of the conservatory. ESPER NEXT is a series of classes, workshops, audition clinics, and talkbacks that are open to anyone who has completed Esper’s two-year professional actor training program. The William Esper Studio is located in New York City, and notable graduates include Tracee Ellis Ross and Kathy Bates.

Want to get a head start on practicing your craft? Check out Backstage’s film audition listings!