Best Acting Classes NYC: Find Courses & Onsite Training

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The Latin verb agere (to set in motion, to drive, to perform) has actus for its past participle, which yielded the Middle English to act, which, by the 1590s, had acquired the meaning of to perform on a stage. Although acting as a word in English dates only back to the sixteenth century, acting as an activity has been around, in some form, probably since the dawn of humanity. Just about every world culture has some kind of performing tradition, often originally built around religious ritual, which, more often than not, spun off into the secular sphere.

Acting is pretending you’re something you aren’t for the benefit of an audience, generally with the aim of telling a story. Not by accident is the Greek word for actor hypokrites. The Ancient Greeks also gave us the word we associate with performance spaces: from theasthai (to behold), they got theatron, from which the Latins got theatrum. Hang a quick left at Old French and you get the English word theater.

Although different traditions are legion (contrast our Western theatrical praxis with the Japanese Noh and Kabuki schools or with China’s Peking Opera), Western acting has its roots in the Ancient Greek tragedy and its highly stylized performing conventions that included masks for the performers, a chorus to comment upon the action, mythological subject matter, and the Unities of Time, Place and Action that focused the audience’s attention on the noble protagonist’s struggles and provided it with a satisfying emotional release (catharsis in Greek), born of the pity and fear the play engendered.

All that is found in Aristotle’s Poetics, which also advances a combination of history and legend to the effect that someone by the name of Thespis invented acting by stepping out of the chorus (performances in the seventh century BCE consisted of choral recitations rather than acted plays) and addressed the audience as though he actually were one of the characters. To this we owe the English word “thespian” to describe actors

It’s a long way from the Oresteia to Hamilton. The road from the former to the latter leads through the often bawdier Roman theatrical tradition to religious spectacles like the Oberammergau Passion Play through the glories of the English Elizabethan theater, the French theater’s golden age with Molière, Corneille, and Racine, the semi-improvisational Italian commedia dell’arte, the German Romantic dramas of Goethe and Schiller, sung opera in Italy, danced narrative ballet in France and then Russia, which also had its list of great playwrights such as Chekov, Turgenev, and Ostrovsky, before the 20th century arrived, theater became ever more experimental, and we somehow got from Brecht through Beckett to Hamilton.

Theatrical experimentation in the 20th century wasn’t reserved for playwrights alone. Acting, as it’s understood today, dates back really only until the beginning of the 20th century, with Konstantin Stanislavski’s work at the Moscow Art Theater and then his series of studios in which he developed a system for actors that stressed experiencing a role rather than merely representing it onstage. That included tapping into the actor’s personal affective memory, the development of subtext, and imagining the character’s timeline through the play (where was a character before going onstage?; where does the character go after exiting?), all of which have become such commonplaces that actors today take them for granted. As Stanislavski continued to refine his ideas, he came, late in life, to a less analytical, more physical understanding of how roles should be prepared, which came to be known as the Method of Physical Action.

Stanislavsi’s system has had an interesting history in the West. It came to the United States through people such as that most venerable of actresses, Maria Ouspenskaya, who came to New York on a tour with the Moscow Art Theater and decided to stay and open an acting school. That was in 1922, so what she taught didn’t take into account the later development of Staniskavski’s theory of acting. It did, however, and chiefly through the person of Lee Strasberg, evolve into the so-called Method, whence the term Method actor. In a highly reductive nutshell, Method actors plumb their own experiences to bring up emotional memories that are used to make their impersonations real. This fostered a revolution in American acting style, both on stage and by actors from Strasberg’s Actors Studio who went to Hollywood, including James Dean, Montgomery Clift, and, most notably, Marlon Brando.

The Method wasn’t without its critics. No less a personage than Sir Laurence Olivier was famous for having asked Method exponent Dustin Hoffmann, “Why don’t you just act?” instead of going through his exhausting rites for getting into character. The most recurring criticism lobbed at Method acting was its relentless focusing of the actor’s energies inward rather than outward toward the other actors and the audience. Alternatives to the Method duly sprang up, including the improvisational school pioneered by teachers like Viola Spolin, who believed that actors could develop their interpretations and interactions with their fellow actors through unscripted games that brought about an understanding of how a character might act.

Whatever their technique of choice, actors are rarely treated like ordinary human beings. They were either idolized (as is the case today, and as was the case in Ancient Greece) or outcasts, often doomed to be buried at crossroads rather than in churchyards. While something of the immoral reputation of actors and actresses (who often moonlighted as, or were viewed as no better than, prostitutes) goes to explain their liminal position vis-à-vis society, a more interesting explanation is that the chameleon-like ability of actors to transform themselves into other people can be viewed as sorcery of sorts. Bear that in mind the next time you catch yourself seeking out celebrity gossip on Instagram.

Why Learn Acting?

There are some good—and some ill-advised—reasons for learning to act. The latter include quitting your job in the hopes of becoming a great Broadway star. If your dream is to pursue a career on the stage at all costs, you deserve kudos for following your dream, but the path to that dream is paved with an inordinately large amount of rejection.

Perhaps the best reason for learning to act is that it’s fun. Even if you don’t end up acting on a stage in front of an audience, improvisation exercises and working with a text are eminently enjoyable activities. They’ll get you out of your apartment, let you play games as an adult, and help you meet people in a city in which that’s notoriously difficult. In addition to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway, New York has more than its fair share of community theaters, such as After Work Theater with its Theater for Fun ethos, which will give you a chance to tread the boards, albeit without qualifying for a Tony nomination.

What You’ll Learn in an Acting Class?

While quite a few acting classes are very serious affairs for people who are very serious about being professional actors, there are some lighter-hearted classes out there for people who wish to explore what acting is like without actually wanting their names up in lights. These hobbyist (or for-fun) classes, more often than not, include improvisation exercises, lessons in how to take a text apart, and some scene work involving other actors in the class.

Improvisational work is a highly respected means of learning how to act and discover both a character and a play. Not just for teenagers at summer camp, improv work gets you into your body and makes you aware of how it can be used to suggest that you’re something you aren’t. One classic exercise involves having you sit on a bench and wait for the bus, playing an age you drew at random from a hat. Another might have you working with invisible props and trying to make them real. Yet another popular improv will have you using gibberish as a means of communication. Although you’ll still have your face, your pretty looks, body language, and tone of voice to communicate your message, you won’t have the potentially mechanical trap of having to recite a printed text. These are only examples. Your teacher will have further exercises to help you make your instrument (that’s your entire body) more expressive, and teach you how to show an audience something without telling them what it is.

Improv is a lot of fun, but the audience for an evening of acting improvisation is justifiably small. It’s a bit like softball: a lot of fun to play, but a chore to watch if you’re not part of the game. People rightly associate plays with a playwright and a given text, and an acting class’ main goal is to teach you how to approach words on a page and bring them to life. This is similar to the work Stanislavski did early in his career, where you’ll be called upon to imagine your character’s through-line to create a subtext you can play. What, after all, did Titania have for breakfast? (Apricocks and dewberries?) There are also purely technical ways that a text needs to be broken down: figuring out where the pauses go, teasing out the things the text says about your character, and making sure you know what all the words mean, especially if your teacher has passed out Shakespeare monologues to study (acting teachers often do.)

Maybe the most fun of all in an acting class is getting to work on scenes. Monologues are great, but there’s nothing like having other characters to whom you can react and other actors with whom you can collaborate. And you can do it all without stage fright, as you’ll have found a supportive group in your class. Scene work is the culmination of where improv and text study lead you. It’s a putting it all together kind of exercise. And, yes, it will arm you with some experience and some technique for tackling further thespian ventures.

You’ll learn a few other things, too. Your class may include some vocal technique work, not enough to get you a job with the Metropolitan Opera (if that’s what you want, you can consider some courses in singing, however), but probably enough so you’ll know how to support the voice and project it properly into such spaces as you may need to fill, including the conference room back at the office. And there’s no question that a few acting classes will help you to stop looking at your feet and mumbling when you have to give a presentation. You’ll be more aware of your body and of how people perceive your body language. An acting class isn’t a public speaking class, of course, but many of the lessons are the same, and the acting class is going to be a whole lot more fun than the public speaking one.

Skipping over the potentially useful skill of being able to tell a convincing lie to escape a terrible first date, taking an acting class will also give you an in-depth look behind the scenes of what professional actors go through in order to prepare their own performances. And knowing more about the mechanics of acting will make you a better judge of other actor’s performances and help you to appreciate something extraordinary when you see it.

How Long Will it Take to Learn Acting?

Acting is a craft that professional actors spend a lifetime trying to perfect. If you don’t have a lifetime to devote to the dramatic arts, or have to be at work at nine the following day, you’ll have to ask yourself how good you want or need to be. You can jump right into an improv exercise with no experience at all. If you want to have the skills required to create a character and take part in a community theater performance, you’ll need a little more study, but you don’t need to get an MFA degree to enjoy yourself onstage. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t take an intermediate or advanced class when you’re ready for one. Here’s a good rule for all hobbies: as long as it’s fun, keep with it.

What are the Advantages of Taking an Acting Class?

Acting is a social activity. You need other people with whom to act, and, eventually, you’re going to need people to watch you act as well. If you want to learn to act, you pretty much have to do it with other people in the room. Some people are born autodidacts, but acting is one of the few things you can’t teach yourself to do. You’re always free to give a staged reading of Hamlet in which you play all the parts for the benefit of your stuffed animals, but that’s a little like trying to clap with one hand. Acting is all about convincing your audience, and, if you don’t have anyone to convince, you’re not fully participating in the activity. So, if you want to learn how to act, you’re going to need a public class.

That said, you can learn quite a bit about acting on your own. YouTube is chockablock with video tutorials that can teach you a few things, but, alas, they offer neither feedback from the instructor nor interaction with other actors. Acting is not something in which you want to be a passive participant (for that, you’d make better use of your money by buying a theater ticket), so the usefulness of these videos is limited. Better than YouTube would be reading some of the better books on the subject. Stanislavski’s is a hard slog in places, but it certainly will teach you a great deal about the modern theory of acting. A less hardcore classic is Uta Hagen’s , which offers both theory and practical exercises. If you’re interested in the Method, you can dip into Lee Strasberg’s , or, if you want something more iconoclastic, you can try David Mamet’s . You’ll undoubtedly improve your acting skills by reading these books and others like them, but the true fulfillment of those skills comes when you’re onstage with other actors.

Best Acting Classes in NYC

New York is very arguably the center of the theatrical universe, and the city is brimming over with acting classes of all sorts, from intense professional classes in the Method to others that cater to amateurs looking to have fun and let out their inner thespians. You’ll have to sift through all the possibilities to find a class that’s right for you, but you’re almost sure to hit upon something that you’ll enjoy.

One school with a cornucopia of options is the Barrow Group Acting School, which is part of the Barrow Group, an award-winning not-for-profit Off-Broadway company. Their classes begin at the beginning with a no-experience-required Beginner Acting I: The Basics that gets participants started off on their performing journeys with a classic cocktail of improv exercises, scene study, and text analysis. That’s followed by Beginner Acting II: Getting Serious, which adds monologues to the mix and deepens the techniques learned in the first class. Both classes run for about two months, and are available on weekdays, weeknights, and weekends. If you want just to get your feet wet, there’s even a Beginner Weekend Acting Workshop. Other offerings from the school include classes in Alexander Technique (an approach to posture and movement that, when applied to acting, frees up actors’ bodies by restoring their natural equilibrium) for actors, and, if you want something off the beaten path, toss the script out the window and sign up for the Theatrical Clown Workshop. It will teach you to liberate your inner clown and even give you a chance to wear a bright red nose. The school is located in the Garment District, on Eighth between 36th and 37th, which is also the location of the Group’s theatrical performance space.

The Barrow Group Acting School also offers classes for young people. You don’t need to be the second coming of Mama Rose to enroll your children in an acting class: they can have the same benefits as adults by taking up acting as an amusement without needing to worry about becoming the next Miley Cyrus. The school offers a one-week Kids Acting Camp, a number of programs for tweens, including a Tween Musical Theatre class, and for teenagers, an Improv and Sketch Comedy class that will get your kids away from their video games for a couple of hours each week.

Beginning Acting for the Non-Actor is the name of a class offered by Russell Acting Studio. The first session will have you jumping in at the deep end, with a monologue you’ll have to face cold, and you’ll then learn how to analyze scenes and develop self-confidence on stage. Advice on auditions and headshots is included, as is a question-and-answer session with an industry professional, just in case you get so bitten by the acting bug that you decide to quit your day job after all. The school is located on 50th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue.

The New York Performing Arts Academy offers four-week, eight-week, and 12-week workshops that cover not only stage acting, but also how to perform for film and television cameras. A wide range of techniques is covered to help you develop into a better actor in a supportive environment. This class is perhaps a bit more serious than some of the others described herein, and calls for participants to arrive on the first day of class with a monologue committed to memory. Musical performance classes are available as well, should you feel (as many do) that your inner actor has a singing voice in addition to a speaking one. You’re asked to bring a song that speaks to you instead of a monologue to these classes. NYPAA is located on 54th between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

Laughter Starts Here: Introduction to Improv Comedy is an offering from the New York Improv Theatre. Although not acting classes strictly speaking, these classes can be a great deal of fun with their emphasis on improv games. They’ll do wonders for your self-confidence, and develop your sense of humor, one of the most valuable of all life skills. A one-session version of the class for business professionals is also available. The New York Improv Theatre is located on 53rd Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.

Finally, kids will find a wealth of classes from which to choose at Actors Technique NY Kids & Teens. Starting with Tots Intensive Musical Theater & TV/Film, the school has classes that run all the way through such involved topics as Meisner technique classes for Young Actors (ages 11 to 14.) Along the way, the school also offers summer musical camps in which kids ages seven to 17 work on one of several shows, including Carrie and that perennial favorite High School Musical. Working with professional directors, students get a glimpse into what rehearsing a Broadway musical is really like. Classes take place at the Pearl Studio on Eighth Avenue between 35th and 36th streets, except for the High School Musical camp, which takes place in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Live Online Acting Classes

As stated above, acting classes are social phenomena in which actors need to bring their bodies to class in order to interact with each other. Although you can learn a lot of things online, acting isn’t really one of them. (And, since you live in New York, you can’t exactly say that you can’t find an acting class where you live.) Still, there are online classes that teach what can be called acting-adjacent skills that you can then put to work for you in a more formal acting setting.

Being able to speak intelligibly, and, better, commandingly is a valuable talent to have at your disposal. The Linklater Center for Voice and Language has premises in the Garment District, but teaches its classes online with a live teacher. Accelerated Voice 1 will teach you how to free your body’s tensions and let your voice out. At the end of the course’s six sessions, you’ll be in touch with your body’s resonators, know how to overcome pesky jaw tension, and be able to use your voice as the expressive instrument it was intended to be. You’ll also be ready for the Voice Level 2 class. The Linklater Center also teaches Drop-In Warm-Ups on weekend mornings that are designed to free up the vocal mechanism by releasing tension throughout the body.

Another aspect of an actor’s vocal training is the ability to speak with an accent. The Level 1 Accents for the 21st Century Actor class, taught live online by Actors Connection New York, will teach you, not only a full bouquet of local accents (British, Russian, Southern, Irish, German, and, just in case you don’t sound like you’re from New York yet, New York), but also an understanding of how accents and dialects work. You’ll receive instruction in how to assemble a performing dialect that will sound authentic and can be assumed in any acting situation, including when you’re trying to impress a first date.

Finally, if you want to take the plunge and explore Method acting, the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute offers a live online Method 101 class that will introduce you to the Method and take you on a very different acting journey than you’ll find in more improvisation-based classes. There is a follow-up Method in Focus course for which you’ll be eligible upon completion of the Method 101 class, which will help you to understand and emulate (without copying) what Marlon Brando is after in A Streetcar Named Desire.

NYC Acting Courses by School

Here are some of the top NYC schools offering Acting training, including The Barrow Group Acting School (18 courses), Actors Technique NY Kids & Teens (18 courses), and Acting School for Film and Television (10 courses).

The Barrow Group Acting School

NYC location: 520 8th Ave,, New York, New York

The Barrow Group Acting School is a New York City acting school founded in 1986 by Artistic Director Lee Brock. They offer classes and workshops in a variety of acting disciplines, including scene study, monologue work, and audition techniques for actors of all levels. The school's alumni include Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway, three-time Emmy winner Jennifer Landon, and Emmy winner Tony Hale.
- Beginner Acting I: The Basics
  - 30 Hours
  - $545
- Alexander Technique for the Actor I
  - 8 Weeks, 2 hr/wk
  - $395
- Beginners Acting I: The Basics
  - 10 Weeks, 3 hr/wk
  - $425
- Beginners Acting II: Getting Specific
  - 10 Weeks, 3 hr/wk
  - $495
Acting School for Film and Television

NYC location: 150 West 46th Street,, New York, New York

The Acting School for Film and Television is a New York City acting school that offers classes and workshops for actors of all levels including scene study, monologue work, and audition technique. The school was founded in 1984 by Artistic Director Michael Howard and is known for its practical approach to training actors for the film and television industry.
- Full Term 03
  - 99 Hours
  - $4,950
- Half Term 01
  - 49 Hours
  - $2,400
- Half Term 02
  - 49 Hours
  - $2,650
- Get Your Act Together
  - 123 Hours
  - $8,300
Russell Acting Studio

NYC location: 210 W 50th ST, New York, New York

Russell Acting Studio is a New York City acting school that offers classes and workshops for actors of all levels. They offer classes in a variety of acting disciplines, including scene study, monologue work, and audition techniques. The studio was founded by actor and director Russell Davis, who has worked in the industry for over 30 years.
- 8-Week Advanced Intensive Acting
  - 8 Weeks, 2 hr/wk
  - $300
- Beginning Acting for the Non-Actor
  - 6 Weeks, 2 hr/wk
  - $240
Improvolution

NYC location: 115 Macdougal Street, New York, New York

Improvolution is an acting school in New York City specializing in improv-based courses. Students can choose from offerings such as one-on-one coaching, scene workshops, and comedy improv, all taught by professional improv actors. With a focus on building both confidence and creativity, Improvolution provides a supportive learning environment to help their students find their inner comic.
- Intro to Improv
  - 2 Hours
  - $50
Actors Technique NY Kids & Teens

NYC location: 519 8th Ave. , New York, New York

Actors Technique NY Kids & Teens provides a supportive, creative atmosphere for aspiring young actors to hone their craft. They offer a variety of courses, from the basics of acting and singing to more advanced coursework like monologue development and film audition techniques. Their highly experienced teachers help each student reach their highest potential and create successful, happy performers.
- Drop-In Days Pick Your Day, Let Us Know!
  - 10 Weeks, 5 hr/wk
  - $195
NEW YORK IMPROV THEATRE(8 Improv)

NYC location: 318 West 53rd Street, New York, New York

NEW YORK IMPROV THEATRE (8 Improv) offers a comprehensive introduction to improvisational theatre and comedy, with courses available for students of all levels. Courses include basic improv skills workshops and advanced courses on creating long-form productions and films. With instructional staff comprising professional comedians and actors, this school is well-suited for those looking to gain the necessary skills to become professional improvisers.
- Comedy Camp, Times Square NYC
  - 7 Hours
  - $450
The New York Performing Arts Academy

NYC location: 500 8th Ave., New York, NY

The New York Performing Arts Academy offers a wide range of acting and production classes taught in nine different locations in NYC. Their courses are designed for students and professionals of all levels, from beginning classes to specialized production workshops covering improv, film, and voiceover techniques. Their experienced teachers provide generous feedback and guidance, allowing students to explore their talents and develop their skill sets.
- 12-Week: Acting for Stage, Film & TV
  - 12 Weeks, 1 hr/wk
  - $695
- 8-Week: Acting for Stage, Film & TV
  - 8 Weeks, 1 hr/wk
  - $495
- 4-Week: Acting for Stage, Film & TV
  - 4 Weeks, 1 hr/wk
  - $275
Grace Music Studio NY

NYC location: 5th Ave & Douglass St, Brooklyn, New York

Discover Grace Music Studio NY, where passion meets expertise in music education. With a 4.7-star rating across three reviews, our dedicated instructors offer personalized lessons to nurture your musical talent and inspire growth. Located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, we specialize in voice, piano, and acting lessons by appointment.
- Acting Lessons: Audition Technique (Private - 30 minutes)
  - 30 Minutes
  - $65

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Key Insights

Learn More About NYC Acting Courses

Why Learn Acting?

What You’ll Learn in an Acting Class?

How Long Will it Take to Learn Acting?

What are the Advantages of Taking an Acting Class?

Best Acting Classes in NYC

Live Online Acting Classes

NYC Acting Courses by School

The Barrow Group Acting School

Beginner Acting I: The Basics

Alexander Technique for the Actor I

Beginners Acting I: The Basics

Beginners Acting II: Getting Specific

Acting School for Film and Television

Full Term 03

Half Term 01

Half Term 02

Get Your Act Together

Russell Acting Studio

8-Week Advanced Intensive Acting

Beginning Acting for the Non-Actor

Improvolution

Intro to Improv

Actors Technique NY Kids & Teens

Drop-In Days Pick Your Day, Let Us Know!

NEW YORK IMPROV THEATRE(8 Improv)

Comedy Camp, Times Square NYC

The New York Performing Arts Academy

12-Week: Acting for Stage, Film & TV

8-Week: Acting for Stage, Film & TV

4-Week: Acting for Stage, Film & TV

Grace Music Studio NY

Acting Lessons: Audition Technique (Private - 30 minutes)

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Acting Training Locations in or Near NYC

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