Ward Acting Studio, An Acting Studio in the Meisner Approach

A concentrated examination of text that improves the actor's ability to make the most out of the "language" of the play. Actors no longer seem to have an innate skill at picking up a cold piece of text and being able to perform it with clarity, poise, confidence and effectiveness. This course helps develop those qualities by exposing the actor to a variety of writing styles -- from prose and poetry to drama and primary source material -- and helps improve his interpretive and performance skills in relation to the spoken word. Frequently, students are assigned "long-form monologues," which are then produced as one-person shows, requiring the actor to lift the text work into a fully-realized performance.

The APW is perhaps the most robust part of our performance program. It is here that actors build strong work habits that include researching and rehearsing the role independently of an instructor and at a quicker pace; working in collaboration with a director's concept without losing the truthfulness and spontaneity provided by their Meisner training; and strengthening their stage presence through attention to movement and voice as it pertains to the style, period and culture of the play.

Graduates of the APW report that we should emphasize how important this program is in preparing actors for the marketplace and keeping working actors at their best. It provides a venue where students can always be acting. From contemporary one-acts to Shakespeare, from multi-media performance pieces to one-person shows, the APW offers a variety of performance opportunities where students can boldly address their weaknesses and exploit their strengths as performers.

Established in 2005, the Company Program is the latest addition to our acting training program. Once a year, actors are invited to audition for a select number of places in the Ward Studio Company. For six to eight months, these actors will build and rehearse an original production that will then be performed for a four-month run.

There are three goals to the company program. The first is to provide a venue for our best students to work together as a select group to develop higher-level professional skills. By becoming collaborators in the creation of the performances, company actors are developing lifelong skills as researchers, writers, directors, stage managers, designers and actors. In other words, the company develops theater artists.

Our second goal is to provide an effective vehicle for these students to present their work to the New York marketplace. In its first year, the Company attracted reviewers from major NY periodicals and began building a large mailing list, created by overwhelming word-of-mouth recommendations from its audiences. Additionally, our four-month runs increase the odds that industry will make it to our shows. In its first season, two of our six actors were nominated by New York Innovative Theater for Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Featured Role.

Our final goal is to produce great theater. We believe that all great theater is based not on the strength of the design elements (important though they may be) but on the strength of the storyteller, and our shows provide tremendous opportunities for our actors to tell some pretty fine stories. Audience response has proven that there is a market for the work we do, and we look forward to sharing it with you.

Performance Internship/Trainee Program

Currently in development, this program is for more experienced actors who hope to augment their prior training with intensive performance experience. Actors accepted to this program will participate in APW and/or Company productions and receive supplemental Meisner, voice, accent, text and movement coaching, to the degree it pertains to the specific roles for which they have been cast.

Prospective participants must have completed the equivalent of one-to-two years of an undergraduate program or show sufficient performance experience to warrant a place in this program.

To apply to this program, domestic students must apply directly to the Ward Studio, while international students must contact US Arts in Washington D.C., or at www.usartstraining.org where they can complete an online application form. Further information on this program and the J1 Visa may be obtained by contacting the studio directly.