The Classical Studio is an intensive year-long training program emphasizing individual attention, performance experience, and collaboration. Concentrating largely on Shakespeare as a basis for training in both classical and modern texts, all company members participate in two major performance projects: a Shakespeare play in the fall and individually-crafted devised works in the spring. The Shakespeare production is revived throughout the entirety of the spring semester to give the ensemble a chance to further realize their performances after additional training. The studio also has a tradition of collaborating with other departments across Tisch. Past collaborations have included projects with the Dramatic Writing and Animation programs.
Performances and special projects are in addition to a weekly array of classes training the mind, voice, and body. Individual coaching with the faculty is also available throughout the year, made possible by our small size (an average of 14 to 16 students and a core faculty of six teachers).
In the spring, emphasis is placed on the development of contemporary material for auditions and includes workshops—with casting directors, alumni, and other industry professionals—on audition technique and professional preparation. One goal of these encounters is to expose ensemble members to aspects of the storytelling field beyond acting and theater.
Check out our pandemic-era video project, Measure for Measure: The Miniseries.
