How do I choose the right acting class for me?

The right class moves you forward by years. The wrong one costs money, time, and confidence. Without experience it can be hard to spot the difference. Be honest about what you want — a career or a creative night out. Both are legitimate; they point to different rooms. This industry has plenty of people who care about the money above all else. We learned to spot them the hard way and wrote it down. Use this list on us, too. The full checklist: Green Flags & Red Flags

Can I audit a class before I enroll?

Yes, and we'd encourage it. Auditing is free, and it's the only real way to know whether a room is right for you. Just fill out our audit form and we'll match you to an upcoming Scene Study class. You'll observe and we'll be available for questions afterwards! Request a free audit

What class should I start with if I'm a beginner?

Our weekly Scene Study classes are designed for actors of all levels, and they're where nearly everyone begins. In each class you'll find a mix of students — from actors currently working in film and television to those just beginning their training. What unites them is a shared dedication to the craft. Every student here is serious about doing the work, and each brings something valuable to the room. We believe actors grow best by learning from one another, regardless of experience level. This ensemble-based approach is drawn directly from the professional studios and conservatories in New York and Los Angeles where our teachers trained. All that's required is your commitment to showing up, staying curious, and doing the work.

Do I need experience, headshots, or a monologue to start?

Nope. You don't need training, credits, a headshot, or an agent to get started. Come as you are. If you have trained elsewhere, that's welcome too. Scene Study is built so that actors at different stages and with different prior training (or none) can sharpen one another.

I'm under 18. Do you have classes for me?

Yes. Our Acting for Teens class is built for ages 12–17 and covers scene work, improv, and on-camera audition technique in a collaborative environment. It runs as a six-session Saturday course taught by Laura Holloway and Rick Dacey.Our weekly Scene Study classes are 18 and over. See Acting for Teens on our Classes page.

What should I expect in my first class?

Scene Study is a working class, with time for questions - actors will be up on their feet, acting, and receiving specific feedback. Expect it could feel awkward at first. That's not a sign you're doing it wrong; it's what learning any real skill feels like early on and acting tends to kick up all kinds of fun stuff. Bring something to take notes with!

CLASSES & CURRICULUM

Our curriculum draws on a specific set of tools and exercises from multiple techniques, each addressing a different part of the actor's craft: Awareness of the body as an instrument — identifying and releasing the physical tension that blocks artistic freedom, so the actor's body can respond truthfully instead of pretending. Script analysis in the Practical Aesthetics tradition, so choices are grounded in the text. Repetition exercises, foundational for training actors to truly listen and respond to a scene partner in the moment, instead of performing a memorized response or "Line reading" (see video below). Personalization/substitution — to connect a scene to something real and specific from your own experience, so emotion in the work is authentic and spontaneous rather than indicated or forced. Image work - to learn to access emotional and physical truth in given circumstances, leading to trust of one's creative power rather than force. "As if" - useful for raising stakes to a degree previously not relatable to the actor. Tactic exercises - focused work on identifying potential tactics in the pursuit of an objective in a scene, so actions are active and intentional rather than rehearsed or planned line delivery. Each actor typically begins their personal journey in class with awareness of the instrument and script analysis, though each student learns tools needed on a scene by scene basis and not necessarily in a set linear progression.

What technique do you teach?

What are the requirements for Acting for the Camera?

Do you offer On-Camera Classes?

Yes. Two ways in: Open to everyone: our self-tape & audition workshops. No application, no prerequisites. If you could use some practice or new tools for a strong self-tape, start here. By application: Acting for the Camera, our on-set intensive. It's built for actors who already have working technique, so the weeks can be spent on the craft that's specific to film - hitting marks, matching takes, playing to a lens, staying alive across coverage — instead of on fundamentals. Why is the on-set intensive application-based? Because we believe in setting actors up for success. The purpose of Scene Study is skill-building: learning your instrument, how to listen, how to respond truthfully, how to make discoveries and stay present inside imaginary circumstances. That kind of growth takes courage, repetition, and a willingness to fall a few times — just like learning to ride a bike. In our experience, filming that early stage can actually hinder your growth. Cameras make new actors self-conscious, shifting the focus to how we look instead of what we're doing. When that happens too early — and we've seen it time and time again — actors get in the habit of performing instead of exploring, which slows real growth, or stalls it completely. Once those tools are second nature, the camera becomes a thrilling extension of the craft rather than an obstacle to it. Most people have no real idea what acting actually is until they walk into their first professional-level class. And here's the paradox: making it look like you're simply being requires a set of tools — repeatable, reliable ones you can call on take after take, night after night.

This one is different from our other offerings: students must already have professional TV/film experience, months of professional-level training, or both. It's a highly technical class about working on a set — not a class where you learn the craft of acting. Over four weeks you'll progress from two-person scenes on a tripod to handheld work to a Steadicam walk-and-talk with a full crew, shot on an ARRI Alexa Mini or Sony FX9 by cinematographer Corey Allen and directed by Laura Holloway. You'll also learn on-set crew roles, because understanding what everyone around you is doing makes you better on a real set. Seats are limited to ten. Available at select times throughout the year. If you don't yet meet the requirements, audit a Scene Study class — that's the path in.

Do you offer private coaching or audition taping?

Yes. We offer private audition taping and one-on-one coaching for actors preparing for a specific audition, self-tape, or callback — whether or not you're currently enrolled in a class.