The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching

method acting Method acting, known as the Method, is a range of rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, understanding, and expe ...

. It was founded in 1947 by

Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...

, Cheryl Crawford, and Robert Lewis, and later directed by Lee Strasberg, all former members of the Group Theatre, an early pioneer of the acting techniques of Constantin Stanislavsky that would become known as

.Warren, Larry (1998
''Anna Sokolow The Rebellious Spirit''
New York: Routledge. pp.89–94. Notable actors and playwrights who have shared their work at the studio include

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

(who joined the studio in its first year), Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin. While at the Studio, actors work together to develop their skills in a private environment where they can take risks as performers without the pressure of commercial roles. , the studio's co-presidents are Ellen Burstyn,

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...

and Al Pacino. The co-artistic directors in New York are Martha Gehman and Javier Molina, and the associate artistic director in New York is Estelle Parsons. The co-artistic directors in Los Angeles are Katherine Cortez and Salome Jens.

History

After an initial meeting held on October 5, 1947, at the Labor Stage, located at 106 W. 39th Street (formerly the Princess Theatre), in which goals and ground rules of the new organization were discussed, the studio officially opened for business the following day.

, Cheryl Crawford, and Robert Lewis, who founded the studio together, had all been members of the Group Theatre, an early adopter of

in the 1930s. Based on acting techniques first taught by Constantin Stanislavsky at the Moscow Art Theatre, Method acting or the “Method” was further refined at the Actor's Studio, including by Lee Strasberg, who had closely studied Stanislavski's theories at the Group Theater and who became director of the studio from 1952 until his death on February 17, 1982. Around 700 actors auditioned in the studio's first year, with 50 actors selected to become its first group of members, including

. Once actors pass the studio's audition process they become life-members who can attend sessions where members present work to each other. Some non-members are also invited to observe sessions, and on rare occasions non-members such as

have been invited to present. The studio has also provided opportunities for playwrights including Lorraine Hansberry, James Baldwin,

Edward Albee Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as ''The Zoo Story'' (1958), ''The Sandbox (play), The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), ''A Delicat ...

and Tennessee Williams to develop new works.

Location

Before settling in its current location in 1955, the Studio moved regularly over an eight-year period. It first opened in October 1947 at the Union Methodist Episcopal Church, located at 229 West 48th Street, previously home to the Actors Kitchen and Lounge (maintained to assist actors and others unable to afford meals), and long a source of rental rehearsal space for local theatrical producers. In January 1948, it was a dance studio on East 59th Street. In April of that year, a move to the CBS Building at 1697 Broadway, near 53rd Street, established some semblance of stability; the Studio would not move again until the summer of 1952. From that point, the old Theatre Guild rehearsal rooms on the top floor of the ANTA Theatre became home, as they would remain until October 1954, when theatre renovations reduced the Studio to renting space twice a week. This it did at the Malin Studios at 1545 Broadway, Room 610. This arrangement continued throughout the 1954–1955 theatrical season, even as the Studio was acquiring and renovating its current venue. In 1955, it moved to its current location at 432 West 44th Street, a Greek Revival structure which was built for the Seventh Associate Presbyterian Church, in 1858 or 1859. It was one of the last churches to be built in that style in New York City.

Graduate drama school

From September 1994 through May 2005, the Studio collaborated with The New School in the education of master's-level theatre students at the Actors Studio Drama School (ASDS). After ending its contract with The New School, the Actors Studio established The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in 2006.

Lifetime members

Some of the more well-known Lifetime Members of the Actors Studio are (as of July 24, 2023): * Lou Antonio * Michael Aronov * Beatrice Arthur *

* James Baldwin * Martin Balsam * Anne Bancroft *

Susan Batson Susan Batson is an American Film producer, producer, actress, author, coaching, acting coach, and a life member of the Actors Studio. Batson graduated from Boston Latin Academy, Girls Latin School and Emerson College. One of three sisters born t ...

* Michael Bennett *

* Roscoe Lee Browne * Ellen Burstyn * Ellen Chenoweth * Jill Clayburgh * Montgomery Clift * Miriam Colon * Michael Cristofer * Harold Clurman * Bradley Cooper *

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* James Dean * Robert De Niro * Sandy Dennis * Betsy Drake * Robert Duvall * Sally Field *

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* Anthony Franciosa * Ben Gazzara * Carlin Glynn *

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* William Greaves * Stephen Adly Guirgis * Lorraine Hansberry * Julie Harris * Dustin Hoffman * Celeste Holm * Pat Hingle * Kim Hunter * William Inge * Salome Jens *

* Elizabeth Kemp *

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* Lyle Kessler * Shirley Knight * Martin Landau * Stephen Lang * Cloris Leachman * Melissa Leo * Robert Lewis * James Lipton *

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American writer, journalist and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mailer had 11 best-selling books, at least ...

* Joanna Miles * Karl Malden * Peter Masterson * Walter Matthau * Steve McQueen * Danny Minnick *

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...

* Clifford Odets * Al Pacino *

Geraldine Page Geraldine Sue Page (November 22, 1924June 13, 1987) was an American actress. With a career which spanned four decades across film, stage, and television, Page was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Geraldine Page, numer ...

* Estelle Parsons * George Peppard * Lenka Peterson * Sidney Poitier * Sydney Pollack * José Quintero * Jerome Robbins * Teresa Ruiz *

Mark Rydell Mark Rydell (born Mortimer H. Rydell; March 23, 1929) is an American film director, producer and actor. He has directed several Academy Awards, Academy Award-nominated films including ''The Fox (1967 film), The Fox'' (1967), ''The Reivers (film) ...

* Mark Rylance * Eva Marie Saint * Madeleine Sherwood * Lois Smith * Maureen Stapleton * Rod Steiger * David J. Stewarthttps://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf/page/284/mode/2up?q=david+j+stewart ; p 285, Note 25 * John Strasberg * Lee Strasberg * Michael Strong *

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach ( ; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. Known for his character actor roles, his entertainment career spanned over six decades. He received a British Aca ...

* Lesley Ann Warren *

Gene Wilder Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, including his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Fa ...

* Shelley Winters * Tennessee Williams * Joanne Woodward

References

Notes

External links

*
American Masters series profile
at PBS
Audio collection of the Actors Studio from 1956–69
at the Wisconsin Historical Society
David Garfield research files on the Actors Studio, 1947–2003 (bulk 1970–1982)
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts {{Authority control Drama schools in the United States Actors Studio alumni Organizations based in New York City Education in Manhattan Pace University 1947 establishments in New York City Theatre in New York City 1947 in film 1947 in theatre