Students on stage performing Marisol
Actors Studio Drama School

Student Life

Campus Life

You will be studying the craft of theater in New York City, the largest entertainment and media market in the world. Our urban, residential campus is located in downtown Manhattan, within walking distance of Wall Street, South Street Seaport, and the Brooklyn Bridge. You are also just a subway ride away from all the city has to offer. Our theatre students benefit from newly designed, state-of-the-art studios, a 149-seat theater, collaborative learning spaces, and residence halls.

Staying Inspired in New York City

Student Life

  • We created two committees: The Student Affairs Committee, with 9 elected members representing each program; and The BIPOC Student Diversity Council, which includes all students of color from all 3 years.
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workshops address the importance of identifying and addressing unconscious biases, focus on the fundamentals for creating a safe and inclusive environment in the workplace, and develop best practices that drive equitable and fair representation.
  • $22K of the $50K provided by The Shubert Foundation last year was awarded to students of color with financial hardships and high academic achievements.
  • Actors Studio lifetime mentorship committee of color for our current BIPOC students: BIPOC Creative Leaders of Tomorrow Mentoring Committee will guide our students of color to resources for plays, movies, books, articles, and work opportunities that are meant to teach and engage our BIPOC students in equitable practices in the performing arts field. 21 committee mentors are encouraged to generate and maintain a dialogue about inclusiveness and diversity values and navigating through the theatre field as creative leaders of color.

Artist Support Resources

Alliance of Resident Theatres - New York
Founded in 1972, A.R.T./New York assists over 380 member theatres in managing their theatre companies effectively so they may realize their rich artistic visions and serve their diverse audiences well. A.R.T./New York supports nonprofit theatre companies in New York City by providing four core programs: Funding, Training, Space, and Connections.

The Field
It is The Field’s mission to provide this access for artists, with an intentional focus on those who experience barriers to advancement based on race, cultural identity, ability, sexual orientation, or other identities. The Field is intentionally practicing, implementing, learning, and doing. The work is constant and consistent. Ultimately, the goal to create a vibrant cultural community that authentically and intentionally includes a representation of resilient and self-determined artists and makers of all identities.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts
Since its inception in 1963, the mission of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts has been to encourage, sponsor, and promote innovative work in the arts created and presented by individuals, groups, and organizations. FCA’s Emergency Grants Program, created in 1993 to further FCA's mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, Emergency Grants provides urgent funding for visual and performing artists. Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad.

Fractured Atlas
Fractured Atlas empowers artists, arts organizations, and other cultural sector stakeholders by eliminating practical barriers to artistic expression, so as to foster a more agile and resilient cultural ecosystem. It is a national organization that supports folks at every level of the cultural ecosystem. Mostly that includes individual artists — performing, visual, literary, design, media, and everything in between — and arts organizations — from one-person outfits to the biggest of the big.

IndieSpace
IndieSpace creates permanent real estate solutions for the independent theater community. By delivering affordable creative space for a diversity of performing artists along with supportive programming, IndieSpace will help preserve and enhance a vital piece of the cultural lives of New Yorkers.

LMCC
LMCC provides support for artist projects in Manhattan with funding from New York State and City agencies. By accepting a grant award, grantees make a commitment to publicly acknowledge LMCC and its funders.

New York Foundation for the Arts
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is a nonprofit a service organization that empowers working artists and emerging arts organizations across all disciplines at critical stages in their creative lives and professional/organizational development.

The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation
The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation was created to bring recognition to the great work being done in New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, to honor its artistic heritage, and to provide a meeting ground for this extensive community. The organization advocates for Off-Off-Broadway and recognizes the unique and essential role it plays in contributing to American and global culture. We believe that publicly recognizing excellence in Off-Off-Broadway will expand audience awareness and appreciation of the full New York theatre experience.

The Actors Fund
The Actors Fund fosters stability and resiliency and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespans. Founded in 1882, we serve all professionals—and not just actors—in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio, and dance through programs that address our community's unique and essential needs. Employment in any division of the performing arts and entertainment industry is unpredictable. Work is erratic, security is fleeting and health insurance is often just a dream. For all of these reasons and many more, The Actors Fund is an indispensable and deeply significant part of the entire entertainment community.

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) is the leading legal aid and education organization dedicated to New York artists and its arts and cultural organizations. VLA strives to protect the artistic community’s livelihoods, businesses, and creative works through access to dedicated legal representation and focused education programs. VLA provides legal services to the arts community in every discipline, including acting, animation, architectural design, bookmaking, choreography, composition, computer design, costume design, craft and folk arts, dance, directing, fashion, film, graphic design, installation art, literary arts, modeling, multimedia, music, photography, playwriting, poetry, printmaking, screenwriting, songwriting, theater, three-dimensional design, video arts, video game design, visual arts, and web design.