clockwise, from upper left: Angela Meyer, Shakespeare 1; Joe Graf and Joe Crea, Beckett, Pinter, Albee, Mamet; Rachel Sexton and Kahlill Palmer, Principles of Realism; Pimmie Juntranggur and Anderson Wells, Shaw, Ibsen, Chekhov.
Welcome to STUDIO ACTING CONSERVATORY: a place of learning, discovery and artistic growth. We are a community of dedicated staff, faculty, leadership, students and over 12,000 alumni who come together through the power of theatre and performance.
Here, we connect with the DC performing arts communities, as a part of a growing, vibrant group of artists and theatre makers, and with our Columbia Heights neighbors. We cherish each person who becomes part of the Studio Acting Conservatory family as the circles of community radiate outward and back to our home.
Almost 50 years ago, founder Joy Zinoman established the Conservatory, and soon thereafter founded Studio Theatre. Today, as an independent organization on Holmead Place, the Studio Acting Conservatory stands out in its reputation as a home for many of the region’s most renowned performers, directors and leaders, and as the only dedicated program with an established curriculum focused on rigorous, time-honored training. Our students find their stage, embarking upon new ways to express themselves and their experience of characters.
The Studio Acting Conservatory holds steadfast to its commitment to become an anti-racist organization. We strive to be a community that is inclusive to students, faculty, staff and board, and that at its heart, remembers the humanity that joins us all. We further understand that as an educational institution we have a responsibility to embrace change in our world and community, and by example, to prepare students for the real life demands of professional artistic work. We invite you to find your stage with us, and to join our community of support, passion and art.
Emily Morrison Executive Director
The Conservatory’s acting curriculum, developed by founder Joy Zinoman, is Stanislavsky-based with an emphasis on realism, the critical and necessary foundation for all actors. The curriculum is structured into three years of study: Realism, Classics, and Styles. All students begin their training in Realism, taking either Actor’s Process or Principles of Realism. Students continue along the acting curriculum after successfully completing a course at a time. All acting classes end with a public showing of the students’ work.
There is no audition required to join our program, and you do not have to make a three-year commitment: students can take classes at their own pace. In addition to our acting curriculum, the Conservatory recommends a variety of classes that focus on the study of the voice and body-essential to the work of all actors-and classes that diversify the students’ skill set.
YEAR 1: REALISM — The foundational work of realistic playing and characterization ● Actor’s Process ● Principles of Realism ● Character and Emotion
YEAR 2: CLASSICS — Classical technique with heightened language and imagery ● Shakespeare 1 ● Greek Tragedy
YEAR 3: STYLES — A variety of comedic styles and playwright-focused scene study ● Comedy ● Directing ● Advanced Scene Study classes
beginning class
ACTOR’S PROCESS
Develop and sharpen self-awareness, observation, creative imagination, improvisational skills, and the articulate use of the body and voice. Build and heighten responsiveness to action. Work on a monologue.
No prerequisite: Call for placement
beginning class
PRINCIPLES
Develop a process using stimulus-response, motivation, characterization, interplay, text, and subtext. Includes pantomime, improvisation, and scene work on a character from a realistic play.
Recommended with Movement 1. No prerequisite: Call for placement
CHARACTER AND EMOTION
Further develop skills in characterization, realistic playing, and emotional connection.
Recommended with Voice 1. Prerequisite: recommendation of the faculty after successful completion of Principles of Realism.
Identify, relax, and warm up parts of the body that hold tension. Develop free movement and expressiveness. Work on posture, gesture, walking, and expanding physical potential.
Recommended with Principles of Realism.
No Prerequisite
BEGINNING STUDENTS CALL FOR PLACEMENT.
VOICE 1
Provides basic techniques for vocal preparation and performance. Develop projection, vocal quality, range, energy, and expressiveness through relaxation exercises and basic physical work.
Recommended with Character and Emotion.
No Prerequisite
Encourage response to stimuli with honesty, spontaneity, and creativity. Focus on sustained and relaxed awareness, resulting in more dynamic play and interactions.
No Prerequisite
Basics of singing with an emphasis on freeing the body; expanding breath capacity and the ability to create sound; learning to sing on pitch; exploring and understanding lyrics, rhythm, and emotion of a song; and singing with a piano.
No Prerequisite
Provides tools and strategies for speakers with regional dialects or foreign accents. Learn basic and advanced tools for accent modification and dialect acquisition including: articulation warm-ups, speech anatomy, and the International Phonetic Alphabet. Apply to text using the General American Dialect.
No Prerequisite
Students who pair an acting class with a Voice and/or Movement class in the same semester receive a $125 discount on the non-acting class tuition.
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D’Angelo Rashad Woods, Sara Hernandez, Mariam Hathor, Anika Harden, and Larry Weiss, Greek Tragedy
SHAKESPEARE 1
CLASSICAL
ALEXANDER
MUSICAL THEATRE
VOICE 2
SHAKESPEARE 1
Learn classical acting techniques, focusing on vocal and physical clarity, textual interpretation, vocal-emotional connections, diction, the use of imagery and tone color, utilizing soliloquies and scene study.
Recommended with Classical Voice and Movement.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Character and Emotion
Explore choruses, monologues, and scenes from the work of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Emphasis is on oral interpretation and physical control to deepen emotional connection while working in an ensemble.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Shakespeare 1
Vocal production and movement improvisation designed to expand vocal and physical potential. Develop clarity in classical material with projection, range, and energy as focal points.
Recommended with Shakespeare 1.
Prerequisite: Voice 1 and Movement 1
Identify and replace unwanted habits with greater body awareness, poise, and ease of movement. Explore the Alexander Technique to allow for more variety in movement and expression.
No Prerequisite
Enhance your ability to create unique song interpretations, find your character’s arc throughout the song, and explore realistic performance techniques to create bold and vibrant characters. Students will find their true singing voice, reduce singing anxiety, and combine singing and acting skills to choose and prepare repertory. For singers with some experience.
No Prerequisite
VOICE 2
Intensive study of the vocal instrument for those who have already acquired basic vocal skills. Stimulates emotional, physical, and vocal range in order to creatively illuminate the text. Modern and classical monologues are explored.
Prerequisite: Voice 1
Students who pair an acting class with a Voice and/or Movement class in the same semester receive a $125 discount on the non-acting class tuition
An advanced class in comedic technique and style. Scene work in four periods: Commedia dell’arte to Shakespeare, Restoration, Comedy of Wit and Manners, and Modern Comedy.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Shakespeare 1 and Greek Tragedy
For actors, directors, playwrights, and filmmakers. Focus on script analysis and preparation, blocking and movement, business, uses of improvisation and working with actors, rhythm and tempo, theatrical organization, and integration of all aspects of technical theatre. Format consists of lecture and scene presentation.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor
*Applications are always being accepted for our top-ranked bi-annual directing class.
An advanced course which deepens the actor’s experience in classical style. Includes rigorous work in the preparation of monologues and scenes. Special emphasis is on the interpretation of text and vocal intensity.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Shakespeare 1 and Comedy or permission of instructor
An advanced scene study class focusing on multidimensional characters.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Comedy or permission of instructor
An advanced scene study class exploring the styles of the modernist masters.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Comedy or permission of instructor
An advanced scene study class exploring contemporary American identity.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
An advanced scene study class focused on the leaders in contemporary Irish playwriting, covering themes of the Troubles, immigration, and feminism.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
An advanced scene study class exploring the work of modern British masters.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Exploring the special challenges of working with world premieres in the rehearsal hall.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Further work on interpretation of songs for those who have already completed the Musical Theatre course. Includes an exploration of styles and duets.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of the Musical Theatre class
Learn the nuts and bolts of how to audition: work on 2-3 monologues, gain the skills to prepare sides, review the basics of self-taping for theatrical auditions. The class also includes overviews of headshots and resumes, as well as the business of the business.
No Prerequisite
CABARET
Explore the art form, including choosing songs, learning performance techniques, and creating a personal, intimate, multi-song act.
No Prerequisite
Introduces actors to the fundamentals of performing in any accent or dialect. Build listening and imitation skills in the acquisition of up to four dialects for the stage. Utilizes articulation warm-ups, online dialect resources, and broad phonetics to perform authentically and intelligibly in dialect. For beginners and advanced students.
No Prerequisite
12 clockwise (from upper left): Sia Li Wright and Adriana Carlo; Peter Agbro; Keira Pierce, Francesca Debelack, and Imani Turner; Rhasan Glass
Play theatre games and create improvisations! Learn monologues and scenes from some of the greatest scripts in literature! At the Studio Acting Conservatory, kids and teens can discover and explore their artistic potential. The Young Actors Program offers high-quality theatre training taught by our most experienced faculty members. The program is for any aspiring actor ages 10-17, regardless of prior experience. Our classes nurture creativity, strengthen vocal and physical skills, and enhance the Young Actor’s ability to work collaboratively. Fall and Spring classes meet weekly on Saturdays and help students learn the core fundamentals of acting. Our Summer Intensive trains the students’ bodies and voices as they foster their acting skills and other special techniques such as musical theatre. Each session ends with a showcase of the students’ work; friends and family are encouraged to attend and enjoy the presentations!
To register for the Young Actors Program (10 –17), just call and a registrar will schedule your audition slot. Payment is due in full at the time of registration OR pay the $100 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot in class and pay the remaining balance of tuition at the placement audition. NOTE: Registration fee for Young Actors Summer Intensive is $200. Registration cannot be guaranteed until the registration fee is paid.
Half of all Young Actors students receive full scholarships to take classes with our highly trained faculty. Scholarships are based on demonstrated financial need.
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Request an application by calling 202.232.0714 or email info@studioactingconservatory.org
Need space for a meeting, conference, rehearsal, or event? The Conservatory’s four brand new studios are available to rent! For questions regarding availability and booking, please email info@studioactingconservatory.org or call 202.232.0714.
Studio Acting Conservatory at Logan Place is located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. 3423 Holmead Place NW Washington, DC 20010
The Conservatory encourages all students and visitors to use the numerous public transportation options that are available. We are a 6-minute walk from Columbia Heights Metro Station (Green/Yellow Lines). We are also nearby Metrobus routes (52, 54, 64, H2, H4, H8), the DC Circulator, and multiple Capital Bikeshare stations.
There is limited parking on the surrounding neighborhood streets. There are paid parking garages nearby at the Tivoli Square Parking (next to the Giant) and DC USA Parking (behind the shopping center).
During renovation of our current space, a 20-foot-wide bas relief sculpture of the Last Supper was discovered, depicting Jesus and his disciples as African American men. The relief was created in the early 1980s by Akili Ron Anderson, a noted member of the Black Arts Movement and now a tenured art professor at Howard University. Upon its discovery and subsequent publicity, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American Culture and History (NMAACH) accepted the sculpture as part of its collection, repairing, restoring and digitizing it for a future exhibition, while it remains in situ in our artistic home.
As stewards of this significant piece of artwork, the Conservatory offers public viewings and programming that advance the understanding of the culture and movement out of which it was created.
Studio Acting Conservatory recognizes that our building resides on the unceded, ancestral land of the Nacotchtank, Anacostan, and Piscataway people. We are grateful for this land and are mindful that our work here is possible because the land and lives of people native to this area were stolen.
Captain John Smith created the first detailed map of the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to the region’s geography, Smith labeled the locations of dozens of American Indian towns. His map of “Virginia” – which also depicts what is today Washington D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware – was published in 1612.
Each year, talented artists from around the region come to Studio Acting Conservatory to study with our dedicated faculty in an environment that fosters our students' growth as performers and individuals, and actively shapes the future of the performing arts.
Your tax-deductible contribution will help improve and expand our best-in-class actor training and vital scholarship programs, like the Young Actors Program, which provides free training to the District’s low income youth.
We count on your generosity to help further the school’s mission of excellence in performing arts education. Thank you for your gift today.
Make a secure donation through our website at studioactingconservatory.org/support
Please make checks payable to Studio Acting Conservatory and send to us at:
3423 Holmead Place NW Washington, DC 20010
Please note if your gift is in honor of someone
We gladly accept stock donations. If you wish to give by stock transfer, please email Joe Graf at joe@studioactingconservatory.org or call 202-232-0714 for banking details
Double or even triple the impact of your donation! Many companies sponsor matching gift programs that increase the impact of their employee’s donations to Studio Acting Conservatory. Check with your company about matching gifts when you support us!
Studio Acting Conservatory would not exist were it not for the contributions of individual donors, Board of Trustees, current students and alumni who give generously to the work of the Conservatory. We are also funded in part by foundations and government agencies including:
THE REVADA FOUNDATION OF THE LOGAN FAMILY; DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES; THE WEISSBERG FOUNDATION; HUMANITIES DC; CLARK WINCHCOLE FOUNDATION; MAX AND VICTORIA DREYFUSS FOUNDATION; THE MORGAN FUND; TRUIST FOUNDATION; NORA ROBERTS FOUNDATION; THE SHARE FUND; THE DIMICK FOUNDATION; THE FUND OF THE RICHMOND JEWISH FOUNDATION; AND THE LORRAINE S. DREYFUSS THEATRE ARTS FUND.
The arts are essential to the enrichment of our lives, and quality education should be accessible to everyone. Financial restraints should not be a deterrent for individuals who seek acting training. This is why we offer a variety of financial aid options for our students to pursue their full potential and work toward fulfilling their artistic goals.
Youth On-Stage Scholarship Need based scholarships for Young Actors Program
The Nancy Paris Scholarship in Comedy In memory of long-time teacher and friend, Nancy Paris. The Linda Levy Scholarship Presented by the Lorraine S. Dreyfuss Theatre Education Fund for the Young Actors Program.
The Kathi Redmond Directing Scholarship In memory of beloved student Kathi Redmond
Keith Alan Baker Directing Scholarship In memory of beloved student and director, Keith Alan Baker
Finding Our Stages, Together Supporting artists who have a demonstrated financial need and are District residents, with a focus on BIPOC students.
Work Study opportunities are available for new and returning students to the Conservatory. Every semester a limited number of need-based work-study students are offered the opportunity to assist the Conservatory in exchange for reduced tuition.
Submit a letter of intent detailing your interest in training at the Conservatory and your need for assistance. Letters should be sent to info@studioactingconservatory.org.
Sia Li Wright, Young Actors Program.
Call 202.232.0714 or visit
studioactingconservatory.org
Registration for classes and workshops is open yearround and is on a first-come basis.
To register for adult classes, just call and a registrar will answer any questions and help you with placement. Payment is due in full at the time of registration OR pay the $100 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot in class, and pay the remaining balance of tuition on or before the first day of class. We accept most forms of payment including cash, check, and all major credit cards.
Online registration is available for our adjunct classes, weekend workshops, and our Young Actors Program. Please visit studioactingconservatory.org for more registration details.
For a complete listing of policies, visit our website studioactingconservatory.org