Frequently Asked Questions

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is located at 65 Broadway, 2nd Floor, near Rector Street in the Financial District. This downtown location is easily reached by most subways, major railroad lines, and bus routes in the city. Click Here for Directions

Yes, the studio’s facility is ADA-compliant with hallways and doorways wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. There is an accessible entrance at 65 Broadway with a ramp that leads to the lobby. From there, visitors may take the elevator to the main 2nd floor or to the TP level. There are no stairs inside the studio’s facility. Some signage is also offered in Braille. Our theater spaces have flexible seating options and can easily accommodate a wheelchair. If a visitor requires wheelchair accommodation, please consider calling us in advance so we can make your visit as smooth and comfortable as possible.

Yes! The Stella Adler Studio offers weekly facility tours on Tuesdays at 4:00 pm ET. Email classes@stellaadler.com to schedule a tour.

Though the studio does not provide housing or have housing facilities on campus, we are able to provided recommended resources to assist prospective students in securing housing during their studies. A list of general resources can be found here.

The Art of Acting Studio is the West Coast branch of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, founded in 2009 to provide a Los Angeles home for the studio’s ever-growing community in the area.

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York is not affiliated with the Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Los Angeles, as they are operated by a separate organization. The Stella Adler Studio is the original school founded by Stella Adler in 1949 and still overseen by the Adler family. Our sister studio in Los Angeles is the Art of Acting Studio, located in West Hollywood. You may visit them at artofactingstudio.com.

Yes! Our foundational-level workshops, such as Acting Technique 1 and Scene Study 1, are ideal for beginner actors. Our multi-disciplinary Evening Introductory Program and Weekend Introductory Program offer a taste of conservatory training at a beginner level.

Yes! The studio offers a wide variety of classes through our online workshops. Through online workshops you may study with the studio’s world-class faculty no matter where you are in the world. Classes will be held live online (synchronously) via Zoom. Browse Online Programs Here

Yes, class levels are equivalent between in-person and online, so you are welcome to follow a progression of classes between campuses (online and in-person NY/LA). Certain classes will require an audition regardless of completed prerequisites.

Due to the strict student privacy policy, auditing is not permitted. You may, however, participate in a studio tour (held on Tuesdays at 4pm ET) or a Virtual Open House to get a sense of the community, culture and class programming. To RSVP to a Tuesday In-Person Studio Tour, please email classes@stellaadler.com.

The 3-Year Conservatory, Evening Conservatory, Los Angeles Professional Conservatory, and the Summer Conservatory are all eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theater. Other programs and courses do not receive a certificate. However, you can request a letter of completion from the admissions office.

The F-1 Student Visa is eligible for the 3-Year Conservatory, Evening Conservatory, Los Angeles Professional Conservatory, and the Summer Conservatory.

After you submit your application materials, they are reviewed and processed by the Studio staff, then an administrator will reach out to you via email to schedule your interview or audition. Once the appointment is scheduled, more details will be sent to you to help you prepare in advance. After your appointment, the admissions office will reach out to you with a decision or invitation to a callback, if applicable.

Please allow at minimum two business days for a response from the admissions office. The best way to reach out to the admissions office is by email. The admissions office is not open on weekends.

The Stella Adler Studio has a long-standing partnership with New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts program. However, the Stella Adler Studio does not not handle admissions into NYU Tisch. Prospective students must apply directly to the NYU Tisch School of the Arts central admissions office. All info about applying to NYU Tisch can be found at: https://tisch.nyu.edu/drama/admissions/how-to-apply

You may apply for multiple programs on the same application form. There is no need to submit multiple applications. There is a field on the application where you can list “additional programs and classes” that you would like to be considered for. You can also apply for both our New York and Los Angeles campuses on the same application.

Once you have submitted an application, you can send in your video audition. Please record your audition, upload your video to Youtube or Vimeo and submit the video share link on our submissions form here.

Guidelines for Recording Auditions:

1. Your audition monologue must be memorized. No reading is allowed.
2. Allow enough space between you and the camera (at least a mid-shot) so that we can take in your physical presence.
3. Record in landscape orientation (wide).
4. Try to make your location free of visible distractions or ambient sounds, to the best of your ability. Ideally, you are striving for the most neutral background possible.
5. Make sure the audio/sound is clear.

Your classical monologue selection should come from a play written before 1800 that contains heightened language. Monologues from Shakespeare plays are always suitable, but other acceptable options may come from ancient Greek plays, Moliere, Restoration Comedies, etc… The studio advises against using sonnets because we’d like to see what you do with a character’s monologue from a full length play.

This monologue should come from a play published from Anton Chekhov to the present. The language should be modern contemporary prose. Monologues from screenplays or teleplays are not suitable.

The studio offers a very limited number of scholarships for select incoming students in the full-time 3-Year, Evening and LA Conservatories. Students may apply for consideration by completing the scholarship questions built into the main application form and uploading the required proof of financial need. Scholarship criteria are financial need and merit. They are awarded based upon availability. For best chances, it is recommended to apply by the first round decisions deadline. Scholarships are not available to workshops or summer intensives, though the studio offers payment plans for those programs.

The scholarship funds include:

1. Stella Adler Scholarship Fund: Amount varies.
2. Sonia Sanchez Scholarship Fund: Up to full-tuition coverage for BIPOC actors.
3. Elaine Stritch Scholarship Fund: $2000
4. Harold Clurman Scholarship Fund: $1000

Work Study Opportunity (Assistantships):

Students entering the second year of the 3-year or Evening Conservatory programs may have the opportunity to apply for a limited number of work study positions (called Assistantships) which allow them to work at the studio for reduced tuition. Students are chosen based primarily on financial need as well as work, performance and standing in the previous year at the studio.

We offer monthly payment plans to pay down your tuition over your course of study. All tuition must be paid in full by the end of each course. Once accepted into a program, you can begin making monthly payments. There is a 2% charge for all payment plans, which can be factored into your monthly payments. All payment plans are set up for automatic payments in our system. We accept e-check or credit card payments. For all questions regarding payment plans, you may contact our Director of Admissions, Kern McFadden, at kern@stellaadler.com.

The studio offers a 10% discount on all programs for members of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, DGA, SDC, Active Service Members, First Responders and Military Veterans. Alumni of the full-time conservatory and NYU Tisch programs receive a 10% discount on all workshops. For summer intensives, there is a 20% early bird discount available for those who apply and register by the early bird application date (usually February 15th).

Once you have interviewed and been accepted into a program, your acceptance email will contain specific instructions from the admissions office on how to register and make your deposit.

You may log into ADLERnet at any time to see your balance and make a payment. If you are making a deposit, please note you will need to type in the deposit amount in the box next to the “Pay” button. It will not show up automatically. Please ignore any amounts in the “Charges” section and simply type in the amount that you owe. Also, do not use any commas in the payment amount, as this can cause an error.

At this time the studio does not participate in student financial aid programs through the Department of Education. Therefore, students are not eligible to use Federal Financial Aid through FAFSA for any Stella Adler Studio program.

The studio is not designated as a Title IV institution through the Department of Education and therefore is not a participating organization in the 529 College Savings Plan through the IRS.

As of January 2023, due to changes in Federal Law, the Stella Adler Studio is no longer able to accept benefits from or through Veterans Affairs, but the studio does offer a 10% discount on all programs for Active Service Members and Military Veterans.

Please visit our Policies page to read the Studio’s Refund, Withdrawal, and Credit policy.

Industry Showcases are offered only through the Professional Conservatory programs such as the 3-Year Conservatory, Evening Conservatory and LA Conservatory. In addition to the showcase, the conservatory programs also have one on one sessions with industry guests and auditions through the Business of Acting class. There is no showcase component in the workshops or summer intensive programs.