The Acting Studio - New York — Attraction in New York

I had the privilege of attending James Price’s course here in Rome, and it was an extraordinary experience. James, an American teacher from New York, brings immense professionalism and charisma into the room. His punctuality, dedication, and unwavering commitment set the tone for a workshop that was impeccably organized and deeply inspiring. Under his guidance, the students quickly entered a space of solidarity and shared purpose, while maintaining the highest level of professionalism. Every moment of the work was anchored in clarity and presence. The Meisner principles, which can vary slightly depending on each teacher, with James come to life through a practicality that makes them feel both accessible and powerful. He constantly pushes you to strive for clarity—clarity in what is happening within the scene, and clarity in what is happening within your own body as an actor on stage. The tools he offers are simple, practical, and effective. Perhaps most importantly, he challenges you to abandon the bad habit of “acting” or “performing” in a superficial way. From day one, James works to uproot this tendency, encouraging instead the freedom of leaving yourself, and the emotions, alone. This fundamental approach allows authentic truth to emerge in the work. I will truly miss this environment of rigor and discovery. A special mention goes to Gabrio and Laura, whose organization and support were simply fantastic. Always attentive and responsive to the needs of both James and the students, they never spared themselves in their efforts. Their presence contributed immensely to creating a cohesive, professional group dynamic. An unforgettable course that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone seeking to grow both as an actor and as a...

The 6-week conservatory at TAS was incredibly rewarding. Having previously had a background in theatre, and wanting to flex that muscle again, I decided to sign up for the summer program, and I was not disappointed. While incredibly tough and emotionally/physically exhausting, the teachers provided understanding and care, providing important constructive criticism while usually not being insulting or traumatizing like other acting schools. Shoutouts to all of the teachers, but especially to Mary Workman and John Prestianni, the voice/speech and music teachers, respectively. Their ability to handle classes with care and kindness, while also being able to take charge and teach their topics was commendable. Mary made speech/voice really fun, which is something that a lesser teacher wouldn't have been able to accomplish. Much like Mary, John was incredibly engaging and really made even people who were skittish to try singing feel comfortable in front of the rest of the class. I recommend this program to any and all, with the only caveat being that it is pretty emotionally exhausting, as through the Meisner method, there is a lot of previous life experiences that get brought into your acting and performances. Keep this in mind, but besides how demanding the classes were (which is expected for a conservatory), I do still highly recommend this course for anybody interested in honing their acting skills, whether you're a seasoned professional, a former acting student (like myself), or just wanting to try acting classes for the first time. Any way, you can't go wrong with The...

James Price was my Meisner teacher when I started out. I believe he is one of the few left in New York who was trained directly by Sandy Meisner. I was studying at a different Meisner studio before that and I was so lost (I was a kid too, to be clear) but he saved me and got me back on track. This particular class I was in ended up producing quite a few successful ones in the business, you probably have seen some of them on TV/films (mind you, that's not the only reason why you pick any acting classes though but more on that later), I can also humbly say I'm still working in the business and even though I trained with a number of different teachers after I graduated, (but I almost always picked those who came from Meisner world), what I learned here is the big foundation of what I do as an actor and what I am as a human being.

For those who are new to this and looking in terms of classes, I'll say this. This is for those who want to make some serious career as an actor. Not for hobbiests. If you’re doing this as a hobby, there are plenty of other places you can go to If you're ready to put in some work and be fearless, James would open you up some unlimited potentials in you. The classes I was in was full of those who did exactly that and I don't think it's a coincidence that many of my classmates went on to cultivate their own successful careers in this business. As long as you work hard and surround yourself with people like that, I promise you, you will be one of us.

Go check them out, go talk to James and good...