The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

conservatory for the performing arts located in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. The conservatory offers both

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachel ...

degrees and two-year certificates in professional performance. Programs are offered in acting, musical theatre, dance, and performing arts. It is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre.

History

AMDA was founded in 1964 by Philip Burton and the New York theatre community. By 1970, the school had outgrown its original location on East 23rd Street and moved into a new building on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. A few years later, further growth prompted a move to the Ansonia Building. In the 1990s a second location, which is now the principal location of AMDA New York, was opened near

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

. In 2003 the school expanded west by opening AMDA Los Angeles in the Vine Tower Building. AMDA is a

(BFA) granting performing arts college with campuses in both New York and Los Angeles.

Campuses

The New York City campus is located on the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

of Manhattan. The principal facility is located at 211 West 61st Street, directly behind

. The other half of the campus is located at the Ansonia building, on West 73rd Street. The Los Angeles campus is located in the Hollywood Entertainment District, with its principal facility in the Vine Tower Building. AMDA's Los Angeles campus features four main theatres for learning, skill development and performance including a black box theatre, two laboratory theatres, and an outdoor amphitheater. Other facilities include rehearsal space, film, TV and editing facilities, library, the AMDA Café, and the campus piazza.

Notable alumni

* Nina Arianda * Nicole Byer * Tyne Daly *

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* Erik Estrada * Mike Faist *

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* Ray Fisher *

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* Christopher Jackson *

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* Caissie Levy * Rizwan Manji *

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* Gretchen Mol *

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* Lee Tergesen * Becca Tobin *

Michelle Visage Michelle Lynn Case (nee Shupack), better known as Michelle Visage (born September 20, 1968), is an American singer, television host, actress, radio DJ and producer. She first gained recognition as a member of the musical group Seduction whic ...

* Marissa Jaret Winokur *

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* Natalie Zea

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:American Musical And Dramatic Academy Drama schools in the United States Universities and colleges in New York City Educational institutions established in 1964 Universities and colleges in Los Angeles Universities and colleges in Manhattan Hollywood, Los Angeles 1964 establishments in New York City Theatre in Los Angeles Theatre in New York City Private universities and colleges in California