I don't have much experience, so obviously I'm not talking about major acting schools. I want to study at The Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre but I have years to go before I would even be considered. Orginally I was going to study at HB Studios in New York, but as it turns out, I'm going to be living in Los Angeles, it's much more convenient to me in terms of affordability, whether and population...

So anyways, I want to improve my acting... i also want to work on improvisation, scene study, voice and dialect...

so i guess what i'm asking is, can anyone recommend me some acting schools in LA that would be the equal to HB Studios in New York? thanks!

Stella Adler Schools take people of all levels.

Schools similar to HB:
Howard Fine
Ivana Chubbuck

Best improv schools in LA:
Groundlings
Upright citizens brigade
Improv olympic
Second City
Cyntha Szigeti

Lorrie and Diane Hull at Hull Studios teach Strasberg at its highest quality if you end up being attracted to methodology. But overall, read books to get a sense of what you gravitate towards. Truthteller has an excellent list that I suggest checking out. There is an LA acting at pretty much every corner of every block.

quote:

Originally posted by ChasingTheDreamzWhileSatisfyingTheNeeds:
Lorrie and Diane Hull at Hull Studios teach Strasberg at its highest quality if you end up being attracted to methodology.

I think they're now the only people qualified to teach Strasberg in LA.

quote:

Originally posted by ChasingTheDreamzWhileSatisfyingTheNeeds:
Lorrie and Diane Hull at Hull Studios teach Strasberg at its highest quality if you end up being attracted to methodology. But overall, read books to get a sense of what you gravitate towards. Truthteller has an excellent list that I suggest checking out. There is an LA acting at pretty much every corner of every block.

Any book recommendations?

Strasbergs technique is great for some people but truthteller is right, I don't think there is a more qualified person to teach it then Diane and Lorrie. Diane's book "Strasberg's Method" does a thorough job of his teachings. The books I have enjoyed reading are The intent to live by Larry Moss, Acting Class by Milton Katselas, and You can act by DW Brown. But search for Truthtellers list of books and you will get a incredible list of good books to read.

Here are some books that I've read. The starred ones are the ones that are my favorites:

*=highly recommend

Acting business:
*Self Management for Actors-Bonnie Gillespie
*How to Be a Working Actor-Mari Lyn Henry and Lynne Rogers
*An Agent Tells All-Tony Martinez
-Acting is Everything: Gold Edition-Judy Kerr
-How to Get Arrested-J. Wallach Michael and Paul Thurwachter
-How To Book Acting Jobs in TV and Film-Cathy Reinking
-One Less Bitter Actor: The Actor's Survival Guide-Markus Flanagan
-So You Want to Be in Showbusiness?- Steve R. Stevens
-Acting Truths and Lies (purchased at www.info4actors.com)

Acting:
*Book the Job-Doug Warhit
*Intent to Live-Larry Moss
*How to Stop Acting-Harold Guskin
-Acting for the Camera-Tony Barr
-Acting in Film-Michael Caine
-Acting Class: Take a Seat-Milton Katselas

Method Acting:
*Art of Acting-Stella Adler
*Actor's Art and Craft-William Esper
-Sanford Meisner on Acting-Sanford Meisner
-A Dream of Passion-Lee Strasberg
-On the Technique of Acting-Michael Chekhov
-The Power of the Actor-Ivanna Chubbuck
-No Acting Please-Eric Morris
-Respect for Acting-Uta Hagen
-Challenge to the Actor-Uta Hagen
-You Can Act!-D.W. Brown
-Strasberg’s Method-Lorrie Hull

Comedy
*8 Characters of Comedy-Scott Sedita
-The Sitcom Career Book-Mary Lou Belli

Improv
-Anything by Viola Spolin
-Steve Book on Acting: Improv
-Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out-Mick Napier

Auditioning/Cold Reading:
*How to Get the Part Without Falling Apart-Margie Haber
*Audition-Michael Shurtleff
*The 15 Guideline Map to Booking-Amy Lyndon
-The Best of You-Craig Wallace
-Secrets to Successful Cold Readings-Glenn Alterman

quote:

Originally posted by ChasingTheDreamzWhileSatisfyingTheNeeds:
Diane's book "Strasberg's Method" does a thorough job of his teachings.

Haha. It's by Lorrie

Thank you guys.

I really appreciate your help.

Cold Reading/Auditioning
-Margie Haber
-Annie Grindlay
-Saxon Trainor
-Robert D'Avanzo
-Brian Reise
-Amy Lyndon
-Holly Powell

Commercials
-Killian McHugh
-Hey, I Saw Your Commercial!
-Chris Game
-Stuart K. Robinson
-Stuart Stone
-Francine Selkirk-Akerman
-Carolyne Barry

Improv
-Groundlings
-Second City
-Upright Citizens Brigade
-Improv Olympic
-Cynthia Szigeti

Scene Study/Acting (It varies. Some schools are not for everyone. Chubbuck, Eric Morris, and Howard Fine are not for people who aren't fans of Strasberg or Uta Hagen (ie. affective memory and substitution.) Playhouse West, Joanne Baron/DW Brown, and Acting Corps are more Meisner oriented. Try to audit these places and make sure if they're for you or not.

-Doug Warhit
-Stephen Book
-Diana Castle
-Beverly Hills Playhouse
-Howard Fine
-Stella Adler
-Ivanna Chubbuck
-Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown
-Tom Todoroff
-Playhouse West
-Aaron Speiser
-Acting Corps
-Eric Morris
-Vinnie Guastaferro
-The Acting Center
-Anthony Meindl

Comedy:
-Lesly Kahn

You like spamming don't you?

quote:

Originally posted by WilsonPoll:
In Los Angeles how many places are good for study anyone who belongs from Los Angeles can give me list of that places?

What's interesting to me is there is no attention paid to actors doing stand up comedy. I would love to hear input.

I studied at the Actor's Studio in N.Y. Lee Strasberg Theatre Institue in L.A. I come from an acting family as my father was a successful character actor for 60 years. But it was when I started doing stand up comedy when I really started booking acting gigs and landing auditions.

I think stand up, along with improv should be a staple. Most auditions result in a casting director saying "just be yourself" and most actors freeze. Stand up teaches you how to be in the moment, how to be completely present. There's no choice. If you are not present when you're doing stand up, you are not going to get a response...

An additional benefit, is that stand up has allowed me to work when I'm not working. I can book a comedy gig anywhere so I'm never without a source of income.

Revised:

Cold Reading/Auditioning:
-Margie Haber
-Annie Grindlay
-Saxon Trainor
-Robert D'Avanzo
-Brian Reise
-Amy Lyndon
-Holly Powell
-Tess Kirsch

Commercials
-Killian McHugh
-Hey, I Saw Your Commercial!
-Chris Game
-Stuart K. Robinson
-Stuart Stone
-Francine Selkirk-Akerman
-Carolyne Barry

Improv
-Groundlings
-Second City
-Upright Citizens Brigade
-Improv Olympic
-Cynthia Szigeti

Scene Study/Acting (It varies. Some schools are not for everyone. Chubbuck, Eric Morris, and Howard Fine are not for people who aren't fans of Strasberg or Uta Hagen (ie. affective memory and substitution.) Playhouse West, Joanne Baron/DW Brown, and Acting Corps are more Meisner oriented. Try to audit these places and make sure if they're for you or not.)

*=on camera oriented or scenes recorded

-Doug Warhit*
-Carter Thor
-Warner Loughlin
-Steve Eastin*
-RJ Adams (Actors Workshop)*
-Ron Burrus
-Stephen Book
-Diana Castle
-Beverly Hills Playhouse*
-Howard Fine
-Stella Adler
-Ivanna Chubbuck
-Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown
-Tom Todoroff
-Playhouse West
-Aaron Speiser*
-Acting Corps
-Eric Morris
-Vinnie Guastaferro
-The Acting Center
-Anthony Meindl

Comedy:
-Lesly Kahn
-Todd Rohrbacher

Updated list...very good...thanks Truth

Some other good on camera scene study teachers:
-Clay Banks
-Jeremiah Comey

Check out Rebecca Kitt's class.

www.rebeccakitt.com

As I've posted on those board before, I highly recommend The Acting Corps. They are a Meisner based school, which differs from some of the ones listed above... but I loved them.

They are a five-day a week program, so it's made those who are serious about learning, and getting better.

quote:

Originally posted by TRUTHTELLER59:
Cold Reading/Auditioning
-Margie Haber
-Annie Grindlay
-Saxon Trainor
-Robert D'Avanzo
-Brian Reise
-Amy Lyndon
-Holly Powell

Commercials
-Killian McHugh
-Hey, I Saw Your Commercial!
-Chris Game
-Stuart K. Robinson
-Stuart Stone
-Francine Selkirk-Akerman
-Carolyne Barry

Improv
-Groundlings
-Second City
-Upright Citizens Brigade
-Improv Olympic
-Cynthia Szigeti

Scene Study/Acting (It varies. Some schools are not for everyone. Chubbuck, Eric Morris, and Howard Fine are not for people who aren't fans of Strasberg or Uta Hagen (ie. affective memory and substitution.) Playhouse West, Joanne Baron/DW Brown, and Acting Corps are more Meisner oriented. Try to audit these places and make sure if they're for you or not.

-Doug Warhit
-Stephen Book
-Diana Castle
-Beverly Hills Playhouse
-Howard Fine
-Stella Adler
-Ivanna Chubbuck
-Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown
-Tom Todoroff
-Playhouse West
-Aaron Speiser
-Acting Corps
-Eric Morris
-Vinnie Guastaferro
-The Acting Center
-Anthony Meindl

Comedy:
-Lesly Kahn

TruthTeller, I gotta hand it to you, when you talk about the actual business of Acting Technique, you are an excellent resource. Appreciate this info. Its clear that you've got your finger on the pulse of the acting side of the biz...now if you can just be kinder to the folks on the business side of the biz...

Check out bvmip.com. They have 2 teachers there, both working actors who have a lot of experience and aren't guru types. They are picky about who they let in...everyone is committed. I have been a student for 3 months and am having a blast.

I have been in scene study class with Josh Bitton for a bit and I really really enjoy it. He is that great mix of nurturing and tough - gently seeing what you need to work on but also not letting you get away with BS. I couldn't recommend him more.