Really glad I ignored some of the reviews here, and a thread on Reddit. I have since shifted focus…read morefrom acting to art full time, but I started the Meisner beginner course this past January, and it was the best decision I've ever made. I had a fellow artist friend highly recommend the program and James Price. The class really opened me up, and is good not just for actors, but those trying to get better with improvisation and public speaking, or even learn to stop caring what others think and just live as you. After I finished the beginner class I was invited back to be on the conservatory track. I took two other courses, Voice and Singing, both led by great teachers as well. Oh, and every class I took was more than reasonably priced. I 1000% would be continuing if I had the time to focus on acting at the moment. They also have acting labs that are open to all students several times a month. I never once saw any teacher behave unprofessionally. The big problem with the dramatic arts is there tends to be a lot of narcissists that end up in the field. These types usually make the class about themselves, and their teachers just an obstacle to their inevitable success for which they are willing to put in none of the effort or work. These are the types that seem to have an issue with James, and post for the world to see. We had just one person drop a class I was in, the Meisner intro (it wasn't their idea of what an acting class should be--did you research even an iota?) and they were easily the laziest in the group, skipping out on all the required between-class work (which will help you so much!). To those looking to dip their toes into acting, or novice actors looking to level up their skills, I would highly recommend checking out The Acting Studio. Really easy location by Penn Station and Herald Square. If you come ready to do all the work and then some, you're gonna have an amazing time. If you're not willing to leave your ego at the door for a minute, you'll probably end up here writing a bad review.

I took an intro to Meisner class over the pandemic. I've always wanted to add it to my resume and…read morethe timing was right and the price was reduced. I must say that I didn't do my review research ahead of time but it probably wouldn't have changed my mind because the negative reviews that I found on The Acting Studio and James Price in particular are hidden or have been removed. I found out by word of mouth after being insulted more than once by James in class for no apparent reason. I'll be honest and detailed Our class on Fridays which is taught by James is supposed to end at 10pm. He goes well over sometimes close to midnight with no regard for our personal lives. If you say that you have to go early, which is really on time, he insulted you by saying that everyone has things to do. Most of the class is filled with his stories of his past roommates or his rants and fights with his young husband Aong who is from Thailand. James makes assumptions about you based on your looks and ethnicity. Facts: He called me a BITCH in class because I stood up for myself after begin belittled for asking a question. He apologized to me later in front of the class and with only a month to go until our last class... he once again belittled me for asking if I could ask a question. His response was: No you can't. You are always disrupting the flow of class. Even if this was true... should this have been told to me in front of class? A good teacher explains things the first time so that the students don't always have to ask what do you mean by that? To add insult to injury, he has a young male student from Italy who told me to get over it and then proceeded to jump on James' bandwagon. James has made reference to me having a hard life without even knowing my background. I could go on but let's just say that his class isn't for an intelligent, WOKE, AA woman. He's a coward and he needs an audience to showcase his off the wall behavior which can change from crying to laughing to yelling to belittling in a second. I question his mental state. No one in class is ever sure of what our assignments for the next class are. Everyone is afraid to go first because no one is ever clear on his directions. The class doesn't have to be 9 months. We do the same thing over and over each week which drags the class out and I suspect for money. Take your money and go elsewhere.

We came all the way from Brooklyn to check this cute local jersey city theater out because a friend…read moreof mine was part of the play and I'm happy to say it's a charming little spot! The history and architecture and went straight to my heart and I immediately adored all the details from the classic moldings to the unexpected kitchen and bowling alley (yes bowling) in the basement. The play was delightful... Very small theater. Probably seats around 100 with a small informal stage. Insider tip: Don't trust the website on the free parking. We pulled into the lot and the first thing the guy said when we said we were catching the play was "I don't know where everyone is reading that we have some kind of deal worked out with the theater, because we don't!" Eep. Oops. Bad theater. Lots of great places to grab a bite before the show... And I do recommend getting to the show a half hour early. Very limited seating. Clean bathrooms downstairs. Yummy and cheap drinks and eats at intermission (bring cash... Chocolate cake for a dollar!) But overall a great experience. Just minus one star for the miscommunication on parking.

Last Sunday I attended "Round and Round the Garden" at Barrow Mansion. I didn't enjoy the play's…read morecontent, but the performance was well done. Afterwards I wrote a letter to the Ensemble expressing my unhappiness and the director Bruce Applegate wrote a long letter back to me. It was so personal! Even though I didn't enjoy the show as I might have, I archived his letter because when does anybody take the time to write a personal note to someone unknown?

I sat in for the previews for this play, 007 vs. Wolverine. Seriously, it's the first thing that…read morecomes to mind when you put both of these actors together, right?! Well, I'd heard only good things about Hugh Jackman on Broadway and knew that Daniel Craig had done well with his many roles in on the London Stage. I found Jackman to be way over the top in his portrayal, a characterture man in blue. Sorry Hugh, but you're better served doing musicals and cartoon characters as you've done in the past. Craig was spot on and convincing as the whipped friend to an alpha dog. The squirrely little mustache did a lot to change his usual craggy masculine features. Dan's acting chops are weighty. I got a kick out of how both actors did the Chicago cop accent, working through their own Brit and Aussie ones to get there. During the performance some rude fool's cell phone began ringing. At first those of us in the audience thought it was part of the production, then soon realized this wasn't the case after the caller's repeated tries, three of them in total. By that point, the disturbance had garnered the ire of the actors on stage, both of whom broke character to ask the person politely to turn off their phone. This interruption could not have occurred at a worse time during the performance. The two actors were heavily into an emotional outpouring, raising intensity towards a climax which was cut off at the knees by the irritating and constant cell phone ring. Kudos to both actors for picking up exactly where they had left off once they had addressed the cell phone cretin. The screen backdrop was the only prop aside from the two chairs the actors sat on. The backcurtain images were HD and popped out as if you were really out on the grimy urban streets. The storyline, a dated good cop bad cop, would have garnered a better reception - at least by the ladies in the house- if both the hottie actors had found a way to tear their shirts off during one of the scenes. Sigh.

Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig in A Steady Rain by Keith Huff. I liked it. Interesting. Not your…read moretypical Broadway show. It is definetely a play, not a musical. Set ( or lack there of) is minimal- 2 chairs and 2 spotlights. 2 run-down Chicago cops, both with their own individual issues in life and work. Good twits in the story line. Plenty of offensive language. Great makeup job on Daniel Craig- didn't even look like himself. I would reccomend it to friends.

The Barrow Group's Intermediate Scene Study class was the most exciting and inviting acting class I…read morehad ever been to. Kate Neuman was an angel, and someone who really got into the details of each scene. She used props and scene settings very astutely, making sure that all of our scenes were in context, rather than just dictated to the audience in a forced manner. My only caveat has to do with the introduction and physical coordination exercises in the beginning. They were so attention-grabbing and helpful that I wished that the rest of the class had more of the physical education commitment (rather than just scene study).

Excellent staff and facilities!! One thing I especially appreciate is the parity in methods between…read moreteachers. We had a 'substitute' for 2 weeks and were surprised by how closely his methods aligned with our normal teacher's!. Will definitely be taking more classes here, best value for money I've seen in New York!

Where to start? Hb Studio was and is the only reason I temporarly moved to New York. The Variety of…read moredifferent acting teachers, classes and workshops spoke for itself when I researched Hb Studio back in Germany. Both my initial reachout and the continous support of the international office were suggesting a warm welcome. And the actual arrival went exactly as I hoped; The staff is openminded and very helpful. They even assisted me with non-school-related problems which really helped me put my feet on the ground. That kind of service become rare these days! The same goes for the 9 different teachers that I am able to study with. While being supportive and understanding they push every student individually to new limits. Beside different techniques and approaches of the teachers I also learned a lot about myself which already directly influenced my acting. The classes are reasonably sized and allow propper, structured exercises aswell as a trustful, troupe/ensemble-like atmosphere. The whole community is diverse, welcoming, understanding and supporting through all instances. From the comilitones over the staff to the teachers, I felt accepted and welcomed throughout my whole term. Being a future Alumni makes me both proud and thankful. I am glad to have choosen this school and can only recommend it to everyone who is willing to invest in her/his selfdevelopment!

I have taken classes at HB Studio on and off since 1995. Something must have happened to the…read moremanagement lately. Years ago, I took a voice-over class and they never told me the famous voice-over artist/teacher, who died from COVD in 2020, would not be teaching. Instead, the clown who taught and some snippy lady in class were on my case that you need a British accent for most luxury American commercials. I was not given a refund for the class. Notify people the professors changed and do not have them harassed if they do not have a British accent. This is not London. Tell people they will need one or they will be harassed in class! I must have complained close enough, but they claim I did not. I would say they should give me a "free" (I derived nothing from the class) class with the proper teacher, but he is dead. Perhaps my self-esteem is rising and my patience/tolerance is lessening! I was almost physically attacked about a year ago by a tall Asian man who told me I could no longer audit a class or use the bathroom after having paid thousands to them for years. They were enforcing mask policies when not even hospitals with old sick people were any longer! You can no longer audit or check out a class there. I don't think their office is yet open! In addition, a recent Zoom class I took on acting business advice for $95 was largely a waste of money and really did not tell me something I did not know. One woman had decent accomplishments, the other okay ones. They both seemed to be in the same boat as most on the Zoom. A few on the Zoom class had no experience. After being a member of SAG for more than 10 years, they are so disorganized, they never put it onto my profile. In a hurry, and having decided to the last day of good savings on November 30 to register, I realized, to make a long story short, I'd have to call the office to get the proper discounts. I was frustrated but appreciated the good service of Lluvia Almanza. However, she must be very uppity and complained about me. (Some of us deserve to be uppity at times, but not her.) I had thanked her and had wished her a good day. I was given a refund (thank goodness) and not listened to after defending myself! smh

It's not easy to find acts that'll cater to a wide and diverse audience (multi-ethnic and ages…read moreranging from 6-60 year olds) - but Allen did so incredibly. He was funny (as accurately advertised), engaging, and good at his job! lol We hired Allen very last minute for a community talent show hosted by our church. We were grateful for his availability and quick correspondence. He arrived early for our sound check and was easy to work with. We had him on stage for 30 min then on walk around for the 30 min intermission. The stage performance was fantastic. Allen works the crowd up and gets people involved. The room shifted quickly from entertained applause to a loud "OH SNAPS"and "NOOO". I stepped outside during intermission but could hear very clearly the intermittent "OHHHHH's" as Allen performed his walk-around. Long story short - I am very thankful Allen pursued his magic side gig and I'm on the lookout for another chance to hire him.

I hired Allen for my Holiday party at my house in NJ recently. Before he even arrived, he was…read moreabsolutely professional in every way, including phone call and email follow ups, and understanding delays on my end. On the day of the event, he kept me posted on his travel time (he was driving in from NYC), and ended up arriving early, which is something I always appreciate. Once he got started with my guests, it was a BIG HIT from the get go, and continued on throughout the time he spent with his. It was an adult-only party, and he was able to cater to this crowd very well. One of my guests is a fan of magic and compared his performance to some of the top-notch shows in NYC he's been to (the ones that are impossible to get tickets to). Allen's flexibility on timing, and pleasing the guests again showed his upmost professionalism in every way. Since my event has passed, pretty much all of my guests asked for his contact information. I am so, so glad Allen was able to come to my party! In short, if you are looking for a party entertainer for your next event, go with Allen!

I would like to start by saying everyone who assisted me in the studio was helpful and polite. The…read morevoice and movement professors, John and especially Onye, were encouraging and friendly. However, as the name on the door is Terry Knickerbocker, my rating is one because I can't give zero. Numerous extremely uncomfortable episodes happened during the time I was there. In some of these episodes, Terry made extremely disrespectful comments about a specific young black student. In my case, because I'm big and muscular, all the criticism was focused on my appearance and how bad my acting was, comparing me to Vin Diesel. I know the intention was to offend me, but thinking about it, Vin Diesel is at least actually acting and not coaching actors. I can't speak for other people or other classes, but as I read on the website that people from minorities have had problems in the studio in the past, there's a good chance this isn't an isolated case. Terry often demands reverential treatment but treats it rudely and impersonally. He demands punctuality but finishes class 40 minutes later. He demands that you answer his comments ( because he doesn't like feeling like an ATM) but interrupts you when you try to express yourself, and especially, like every narcissist, he will shut you down if you disagree with anything or point out any contradictions in the feedback he has given, which happens constantly because In one class he will tell you to be sweeter. On the other, he will complain that you are being too sweet. An art environment, especially for beginners, should be more encouraging, inclusive, and, why not, fun! But Terry seems to have a personal interest in making everything extremely uncomfortable, oppressive, and frightening. Terry has interests other than making the beginning student grow, as he says, "I don't like teaching, but my name is on the door." What he forgets and should be a priority is that the name on the card that keeps his studio open is that of the student. I'm still shocked at how despicable some interactions were, but deep down, I understand that all this sadism comes from a deep resentment for not having been able to have a career as an actor. But even understanding the source, I don't think it's fair that because of his inability to be an actor, he tries to kill the spirit of those starting out and still having a chance to realy make art. I understand that some people will say something different and even publicly defend Terry, most artists, especially actors and actresses, have deep insecurity and seek recognition from this type of sadistic figure or are just afraid of losing opportunities by criticizing a figure who, for them, is a gatekeeper, but, If you want to know what people there really think, ask someone personally. For me, being a veteran, having been born in the projects, the son of a black man, and an immigrant, especially as an artist who creates his own opportunities and directs his own films in his own country I don't need to kiss anyone's ring and I don't need to lie about how disrespectful, uncomfortable and counterproductive my time in Terry's class was. In short, I have never dealt with a more toxic and narcissistic person in my life.

Fantastic studio! Such a great experience and dedication to your needs. Will definitely recommend…read moreto my friends and family!

When I first read the title of this play "Of Good Stock" and saw the poster I had guessed wrong on…read morewhat this play was about. A bit surprised on the actual play..... This play is about three Stockton sisters from NYC coming to together after a long absence from each other. Each is unique in their characteristic and each have emotional feelings stemming from their rocky family past. Each sister has emotional open wounds that have not healed. This play mostly focuses on the three sisters coming together and coming to terms with each other. The play is slow at revealing these issues but once they are out in the open the turmoil in the house just hits the roof. This perfect home at the start begins to show the troubled past. The acting is very good, the set is excellent as we quickly move from indoor to outdoor without any curtains. Are these sisters dysfunctional? I feel they are normal. Everyone deals with life's challenges differently. Bring a family member to this play. It will make for a good discussion afterward. Warning- not for young children, mature subject and the F*** word is used about 50+ times.

Of Good Stock is a family drama/comedy...dramedy, of a dysfunctional family, the Stocktons, that…read moreare all convening in Cape Cod for their eldest sister's birthday. The play was more of a 3.5 stars for me. I was impressed by the set on the stage. Usually Off Broadway stage sets are barren and/or not very impressive. The stage set for Of Good Stock was amazing. The play is about the three Stockton sisters, a husband and two boyfriends who most of them drink through the entire play. As with any Scotch and wine soaked family, there was fighting, jealousy, past crap brought up. A thousand family issues were all hashed out on stage for us to watch. The actors were great. I loved the youngest sister, Celia, and her boyfriend, Hunter Walker. Nothing is ground breaking in this play but at least I laughed. It was pretty good for date night on a Friday. Watching three women drop a ton of F bombs at Cape Cod-esque play stage....alright, alright, alright.