Sophie Olson is one of those rare teachers that knows how to bring out the best in her students. My…read morechild will literally give up very other class he has just to be in her classes. She teaches strong technique and always strives to bring out the best in the kids and she does this while also making the classes so much fun! I have seen her give the confidence to the shyest child so that they are ready to sing a solo on stage and nurture and build up the kids who already love to perform . I can't wait to see what they do in camp this summer!

We were recommended by a friend, with a successful child also in the industry, to sign up for…read moreacting classes with Brittany and are very grateful for her referral. Brittany is a very sweet, talented and supportive acting coach and we see our young daughter thriving under her coaching. Our daughter has become more confident at her auditions and has been gaining a better grasp on "acting", which will help in booking more of those theatrical and commercial auditions. We enjoyed working with her in 2015 and look forward to working with her again in the new year!

Faith is a fantastic human and coach. I have worked with her over several years taking her…read moreVoice/Body Acting and Character classes. These two classes have been the most influential classes I've taken when it comes to improving my acting (And I have taken tons of classes over the years including a BA in Theater). If you have the opportunity to work with her- do it. She has such a vast and in depth knowledge of vocal and acting techniques, and is compassionate and supportive to create a safe space that allows you to comfortably explore and grow your talents!

FAITH'S CLASSES LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE. I think of her as my secret weapon, and yet I don't want…read moreher to be a secret at all! I wish everyone knew about her just so that you too could gain the tools to best share your gifts and navigate this crazy town. My acting training background: I studied acting in college, many different methods but moved here still not knowing anything about how Hollywood operates. I took a bunch of classes in the major studios my first few years in LA, I learned some useful stuff but never quite wanted to drink the kool aid anywhere. Three and a half years ago I found Faith and I have been going once, at times twice, a week ever since. Class sizes are small which means we get so much time with Faith, a refreshing change from the 10 minutes of performance time I was used to in the other studios. She caters her coaching to whatever level you enter in at, she can see what you need and give you exercises and materials to directly help with that. It feels like magic to see how a minor adjustment she gives an actor unlocks something amazing in their work, it is so inspiring we are often gasping in class. One of the main techniques she teaches that has been INVALUABLE to my craft and career, is how to get OUT of my head and INTO my body. She guides us to understanding where our emotions literally exist in our body in order to draw from them in real time (without having to drudge up real life past experiences that can take us out of the scene.) Another of her specialties, Faith is a speech pathologist and expert in dialects. She's coached so many amazing actors, like Marion Cotillard! She has immensely helped me with my voice, her voice work in class is so incredible I could write a whole other review on it. Faith also emphasizes extensive script analysis, she guides us to finding the real problem of the scene, the event of the scene, what the character truly wants, the obstacles, the actions in order to get it (if they ever do), etc. Over time it has become second nature for me to find these things that used to feel like a puzzle I had to carefully take apart and put back together. Now it feels like I can tackle any script in a short amount of time in order to nail auditions. And boyyyy my acting career has improved night and day from before I started with Faith. I am so grateful, that I NEED to spread the word. I know this review got long so I will leave you with this, Faith is not just an acting coach. She truly supports and believes in her students, she is SO giving of her time inside and outside of class. She not only gave me the TOOLS to succeed, but she continuously empowers me to share my gifts as an actor and artist. She is an artist herself in every sense of the word, unlike many other teachers I've met along the way. She gets us, cause she's one of us. She pushes us, sometimes it can feel incredibly frustrating and then BAM you see the magic she guided you into and you're like, wow, push me anytime! All the time! Best of luck on your search but I have no doubt after a free audit with Faith you'll see the magic I'm talking about.

It's one thing to have "talent" and it's another to be a true Artist and Melissa really takes you…read morefrom one dimensional to multi-dimensions. She cares about actors and her coaching is edifying and evolutionary...Former Executive Casting Director of Warner Bros. who should host workshops for other casting directors who only understand the casting portion of the role. And there are quite a number. She took me into deeper dives of exploring my characters and literally coaches me on how to have more fun to give the story more colors and it's always a rewarding experience. I find more acceptance of living as me through each new role and I no longer judge myself on camera but observe my performance. Huge breakthrough there.

Melissa's classes are amazing. I have been working with her for almost 3 years now and feel I have…read moregrown so much as an actor and a person. I have grown in skill and confidence. Melissa is an incredible teacher and knows what she is doing. She has created an environment where I feel comfortable to take risks, and be myself. That is one of the big reasons why I believe her classes have led me to become a better and more successful actor.

Ok this review is several years in the making. I held off saying anything for a long time not only…read moreto process what happened to me, but also because - if I'm being honest - my experience here was so emotionally scarring, I was scared of her. YEP. A grown woman scared of a grown woman. That's where we're STARTING. Here's the thing: people like and swear by her. A few people in my class were total devotees and one of them was even famous (tho they had been famous as a child so I'm not sure if she was involved in the initial success, but still). Point is, a handful of students really liked her. So there's that. My first couple classes were ok, mostly because I avoided her wrath which brought someone to tears almost every class. It made it awkward but does give you that "oh I must be good because she isn't attacking me" type confidence. But then my time came up, my number was called (so to speak) and she rained insulting vitriol on me after a short scene where I made a big choice. Did the choice work? Probably not. Fine. Not the first time I've failed onstage. Won't be the last. But did I deserve the literal storm of personal and professional attacks I got after the fact? Absolutely not. For the first time in my YEARS of performing and taking classes all over, I actually cried from something a teacher said. Like, a lot. It was unprofessional and, more importantly, unproductive. I couldn't concentrate after the fact and she kept cutting me off when we would try the scene again, berating with new "notes" which alternated between inconsistent and straight up cruel. Some people might respond ok to that type of "teaching." Obviously, like I said, she has devotees. But I absolutely did not, would not, and have ever responded well to what felt like just straight up bullying. Class went late and was dismissed after she tore me TF down. I was red eyed and shaky for a while after. To her credit, she called the next day to talk about it but I was still processing and didn't know what to say. And, honestly, pretty scared of her. My self esteem at the time isn't what it is now. Now, I would have walked out the first class, the first time she attacked someone. But at the time, I was much more insecure, lost, and desperate for validation. Not unlike a lot of young actors I know. Shortly after this experience, I found another studio (check my other reviews) that was an incredibly supportive environment. I actually felt seen and safe there to fail (which I did plenty and was given excellent notes to actually improve) and actually learned so, so much from those wonderful teachers. Side note, a couple years later I was still getting emails from the studio so I emailed back and asked them to take me off the list and Sharon personally replied with a condescending and veiled attack that her assistants were just doing their job and I was asking too much by setting a digital boundary. Like...ok? I'm writing this so many years later because I hope a young bright eyed eager actor doesn't lose their spark from an experience like mine. Maybe she'll fan your flame. Maybe she'll snuff it. But please hear me that you don't HAVE to put up with this type of acting approach. Trauma doesn't need to be triggered in order to be creative. There are other options out there. Even if you're bad, man, go find somewhere else to make you better or at least make you continue to enjoy acting if you truly love it. And if you felt torn down and hurt and were made to cry and felt weak and stupid because she berated you for crying then continued to personally attack you using manipulative language to make it sound like you (as a person) the problem and it made you question if you as a human have any value...you are not alone. And you do. You very much do. But, hey, an extra star because Vincent D'Onofrio, right?

I've had a year to think about this review, so I hope it comes off as a fair assessment…read more Sharon's methods are harsh, rude, and not constructive. You are given a pdf with some info, but the class structure is not really explained. There are a lot of things that you are supposed to learn "on the go", and Sharon has no patience for those starting out in her class. I was given my assigned scene and expected to learn it and work with my partner outside of class. After presenting our scene, Sharon laid into me with personal attacks (she didn't even know me), that in no way helped me. She didn't coach the scene or give advice, she just attacked me. Was the scene bad? Probably! I was still fairly new to film acting, so it probably came off as stagey. Did I learn anything from her classes? Not really; I learned a lot more when she hosted Vincent D'Onofrio. In her defense, she did have a migraine that day, so maybe I caught her at a bad time, but from reading other reviews, she must always be in a bad mood. After that class I decided that her methods were not for me and I got a partial refund and used it for classes that have actually helped.

After graduating TOA, I've gained a deeper appreciation for the art of Acting: There's way more to…read moreit than just performing your lines truthfully. Way more. Professionalism is also key, because it is a business, you want to be hired and gain a reputation as a good to work with. I feel confident and at home on a set thanks to everything I learned at TOA. I've had so many great memories and friends while I was in school. Even after I graduated, I still find myself coming back when I can, staying connected to the students and faculty, and attending events. I am eternally gratefully for everything they taught me. The Business can have its ups and downs, and that's the nature of it, but it's nice to know that TOA is a community that you can go back to for support and extended knowledge. Also, did I mention that you get to perform at The World Famous Comedy Store after you graduate?! You get such a rush after you get off that stage. Thank you TOA faculty!!!

There was a mix up with our meet and greet tonight and it was my husbands 50th birthday present so…read morewhen I discovered we missed it, I was obviously disappointed. Spoke to a few people on the staff until we got Christian. He was able to save the day in every sense of the word. I run clubs and major events throughout the country and he did what needed to be done because it was the right thing to do and then he elevated it. The venue should truly cherish this very talented individual.

Ryan gave me feedback that was so specific to my craft that it led to an epiphany that totally…read morechanged the way I look at my approach to acting. He takes his time, he knows what he's doing, plus being able to download the footage afterwards to have and refer back to whenever I want has been extremely beneficial. I highly recommend this class to any actor, especially if they're pursuing tv and film.

Cured! That's what…read moreyou'll be if your auditions are suffering from an interminable disease. I've been in and out of this class for several years now, BECAUSE I keep booking! The advice of a Hollywood pro, playback of your readings, and a funny, safe environment make this a must stop for any actor looking to get through the doors of their auditions.

I felt these classes were overrated. Suzanne herself came across somewhat arrogant, although the…read moreother instructors here were very nice. I went on later to get part-time red carpet work (which is what I wanted) but I would attribute little to what I learned here to actually finding work. Much better classes out there.

Suzanne is the BEST coach I have ever worked with. She has an incredible gift for identifying the…read moresmall tweaks needed to make huge transformations in people. Her teaching style is very nurturing. The way Suzanne works is a perfect example of how positive reenforcement can bring out the best in people. However, that's not to say you're not going to be challenged in class. Suzanne has had a phenomenal career and knows how tough this industry is. She will push you. Her wisdom is priceless. I frickin' LOVE her! I love taking her workshops. I used to work as a TV Host in Australia and took her Hosting 2 workshop because I wanted to get a better understanding of the industry over here. I got that and more! Suzanne is a goldmine of knowledge. I learned so such. I know I am a better host for taking her classes. After Hosting 2, I was invited to the Career Intensive. I will continue to work with Suzanne, forever! Also, I met the best people during her classes. People who I've stayed friends with and have ended up working with!