Inside Ava’s Tisch Summer Experience

Ava Fackler’s time with NYU Tisch began as a high school student exploring NYU - the college she admired most. In 2023 Ava attended the Tisch Summer High School Residential Drama Program and trained with the Atlantic Acting School. What started as an opportunity to get familiar with the school quickly became something deeper; an educational experience that reshaped her approach to acting and left her with lifelong friendships. 

Today, Ava is a sophomore in Tisch Undergraduate Drama and she has shared her thoughts on the training, the community, and the lessons she’s taking with her into the future.

“The community is what made the experience what it was.” 

- Ava Fackler

What drew you or motivated you to participate in the Atlantic acting school program for the Summer High School Residential program?  

Ava: I knew someone who did a summer program at another school and I knew how amazing of an experience it was for them, so I started looking into NYU’s summer program because NYU was the college I liked the best. It started as a way to get more familiar with the school and its program but ended up being more about the education and the experience it would give me moving forward in my life. I hadn’t had any extensive acting training before I went and the change that I went through at the program was really extraordinary. 

How did learning Practical Aesthetics change or deepen your approach to acting?

Ava: At first, I really didn’t like it. I thought it gave me too much to think about while I was performing. But as time went on, I was really comforted by the thought of playing one action. I felt like that took a lot of questions out of my head at the moment. There was no uncertainty or overthinking of “How should I say this line?” or “How should I react to this?” As long as I stayed loyal to my actions, I felt like the rest was taken care of.

In what ways did the program encourage self-reliance and collaboration among your peers?

Ava: Outside of classes, our time was our own and we had access to many of NYU’s amenities. For most people (myself included), it was their first time away from home for such a significant amount of time and since we were all experiencing the same thing, we naturally leaned on each other. Atlantic really encourages collaboration so I honestly feel like there was never even a thought in our mind that we wouldn’t work all together on our projects. 

Which class (Scene Study, Script Analysis, Shakespeare, Song & Choreography, Audition Technique, etc) was most impactful for you, and why?

Ava: The Audition Technique was not only impactful but it was also very freeing. It was nice to be able to sit down and do a self tape without the added pressure that comes with auditioning. I feel like it was also the class I made the most strides in. My professor was a professional casting director with a lot of knowledge to give it and I really left that class with a better understanding of what entailed a good audition.

How did the integration of voice, movement, and speech training support your acting work?

Ava: I had never done any sort of speaking voice work in my training but the body work really makes or breaks your acting. If you’re locked out of your body and voice, it’s going to be detrimental no matter how good of an actor you are.

How did the on-camera technique and audition workshops prepare you for real-world professional situations? 

Ava: I remember the first day of one of my classes the professor explained in theatre, the eyes of the viewers are far away, but for film acting, their eyes are as close to you as the camera. This class was my first introduction to film acting so I’m glad I had this metaphor to help me along the way and I still remind myself of it all the time whenever I get in front of the camera.

How did the ensemble-based philosophy of the Atlantic Theater Company influence your experience in the program?

Ava: The community is what made the experience what it was. There were 27 of us when I did the program and we all still keep in touch. The close friendships I made there are now some of my best friends. I see them regularly; one of them even took me to my senior prom. I have never felt so safe in a room full of people. There was no drama and no competitive atmosphere. It was just a bunch of people all there for the same reasons: to work hard, learn more, and make friends.

What did you learn from working with a professional casting director and guest artists?

Ava: I had a lot of anxiety surrounding self tapes that I felt much better about. You hear a lot of things about what casting directors do and don’t want and what will or won’t get you cast. Our professor gave us his opinion on that stuff and it made me feel a lot better because now I know that I’m not doing things "incorrectly" necessarily.  The guest speakers were really great to talk to. I loved hearing about their processes and watching the technique work for them in action.

Did you feel like there was a good balance between rehearsal, instruction, and free time?

Ava: After the studio, our time was really our own. We had minimal assignments so I spent most of my time with others in the program and building friendships.

What advice would you give to future students entering this program?

Ava: I would tell them to really soak up every minute, because it will be over before you know it. Take lots of pictures and write down everything your professors say.

The Tisch Summer High School Residential Program is an intensive, four-week pre-college program open to high school sophomores and juniors from around the world. The 2026 program application is open and the deadline is December 1, 2025. Learn more about admissions requirements and apply!