The Actors Studio

The Actors Studio on 44th Street in Manhattan, housed in a former Presbyterian church

The Actors Studio is a famous American drama studio in New York City (Old Labor Stage, 432 West 44th Street) with a branch in West Hollywood (Actors Studio West). The studio is in the form of a non-profit organization, the members of which are professional, already trained actors. In the studio, actors work together to develop their acting skills in an experimental environment where they can take acting risks without the pressures of commercial roles. The studio offers the opportunity to either watch other members play scenes or to audition yourself and then face criticism from others. The studio has already devoted itself to the training of dramatists and directors with the corresponding departments.

history

The Actors Studio was founded in New York in October 1947 by Elia Kazan , Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis . The studio is known for the refinement and teaching of method acting . It was originally developed in the 1930s by the American drama collective Group Theater and is based on Konstantin Stanislawski's innovations . In 1949, Lee Strasberg , who was a friend of the founders, began teaching there and was soon the sole acting teacher. In 1951 he was appointed artistic director, which he remained until his death in 1982. Under his leadership, the studio achieved worldwide recognition.

Paul Newman was President of the studio from 1982 to 1994, followed by Frank Corsaro and Arthur Penn . Ellen Burstyn , Harvey Keitel and Al Pacino have served as joint Presidents since 2000 .

The studio itself does not offer acting training, but operated the Actors Studio Drama School in New York from 1994 to 2005 together with New School University , where master’s students were trained in acting. Since autumn 2006, the Actors Studio has been offering a three-year Master’s degree (Master of Fine Arts) together with Pace University . Independent of the Actors Studio, there is the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute, founded in 1969 by Lee Strasberg .

The television program Inside the Actors Studio , which is broadcast on American cable television station Bravo , features in-depth interviews with actors, many of whom are graduates from the studio. In Germany it runs under the title Ungeschminkt and is broadcast by 3sat, the third programs of ARD and the digital channel RTL Living.

Famous participants

In its long history, many famous and successful actors, directors and playwrights have participated in the studio's programs, including a.

Edward Albee Carroll Baker Barbara Bain Joe Don Baker Alec Baldwin James Baldwin Anne Bancroft Warren Beatty Marlon Brando Bradley Cooper

James Dean Robert De Niro Johnny Depp Gail Fisher Jane Fonda John Forsythe Dustin Hoffman Martin Landau Sidney Lumet Norman Mailer

Steve McQueen Marilyn Monroe Paul Newman Al Pacino Chazz Palminteri Sean Penn Sydney Pollack Sidney Poitier Julia Roberts Mickey Rourke

Eva Marie Saint Rod Steiger Christopher Walken Eli Wallach Robin Williams Tennessee Williams Paul Winfield Shelley Winters Joanne Woodward Natalia Woerner

Web links

Commons : The Actors Studio  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website
• Profile at the American television station PBS (English)
• History of the Actors Studio (English)
• Actors Studio Drama School ( Memento from October 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
• TV series Inside the Actors Studio ( Memento from May 13, 2008 on the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ^ A Rare Vote For Experience Over Youth , The New York Times , August 23, 2000, accessed April 3, 2016
2. ↑ FAQ, theactorsstudio.org ( Memento of April 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on April 3, 2016
3. ↑ Pacino, Burstyn and Keitel To Lead the Actors Studio , The New York Times , June 20, 2000, accessed April 3, 2016