I enjoyed working with everyone in class and learning from everyone. The improv exercises we had…read moreprovided us a thought provoking practice so we could develop communication skills with our peers in the group. Our instructor was very friendly and knowledgeable!

A-Z Commercial Technique Class definitely covers the spectrum of ALL that IS... to be a BOOKABLE…read moreand marketable WORKING Commercial ACTOR. For anyone who has dreamed or heard "you should be in commercials", one must learn the craft and business, showing up prepared and ready to play! JUDY KAIN and her fine team of COACHES (AVA HIMMEL, JOLENE KAY, SPENCER KRAMBER, TOM BURKE) present a solid foundation for the serious and diligent. Astute insight delivered keenly, kindly and with professional candor. Commit to the 4-Part Series!

I was there in 92-94, Jeff Goldblum and Robert Carniege taught there, The Sanford Meisner…read moreTechnique, well worth taking this Class...! Orville Wooten Former Student

I absolutely love this school. Not only do I go here but my two sons as well. This school has…read moretaught all of us so much. The teachers are top notch. I've been to many acting schools but none has come close to PHW. Been here for years and it will forever remain my only.

I've been taking classes with Risa since the beginning of the year, and after trying many other…read morestudios over the years, I can honestly say I've never found anything as collaborative, inspiring, and expansive as BGB. Every class leaves me energized and deeply inspired. What excites me most is the exploration of not just our acting, but also our writing, directing, and creative voices as a whole. I feel consistently challenged in the best way, and I'm surrounded by an incredible community of artists who are welcoming, supportive, and who make it feel safe to be human--to simply be myself. BGB has truly become a space where artistry and authenticity thrive, and I'm so grateful to be part of it.

This was really hard for me to write because I genuinely care for the people here, but the…read moreenvironment is extremely prejudiced against white people. I have attended classes here off and on for a while and have repeatedly heard derogatory remarks about white people They market themselves as a safe space for everyone, but it is not. In fact, they offer discounted classes that explicitly exclude white men based on their skin color and gender. It is incredible that an organization operates programs divided by race and gender. Risa is a wonderful person who I believe means well, but for whatever reason, she and the other instructors are blind to their own bias. I hope that changes one day. Many other actors and actresses have witnessed the exact same thing and now choose not to return. It is only a "safe space" if you have the right skin color and gender.

I recently completed a unique 6 day Intensive class at Berg Studios where I had the opportunity to…read morework with Adrian Latourelle, Gregory Berger and Michael Trevino. I've trained with several respected acting teachers over the years, and Gregory Berger's intensive was a breakthrough for me. He helped me find a missing piece in my work that I'd been searching for, and I left every class with practical tools I could immediately apply. The studio has an incredibly supportive atmosphere, the feedback is thoughtful and specific, and every instructor I worked with truly cared about helping each actor grow. I'm grateful for the experience and excited to continue training at Berg Studios.

4 out of 5: Decent Audit, But Be Cautious…read more I audited a class at Berg Studios and thought it was okay overall. The instructor seems to know his craft and there are definitely some solid basics you can take away. That said, the class leaned pretty heavily into the sales pitch, which is always a bit of a red flag for me. It felt more like a "get in, get what you need, get out" kind of place. If you're curious, it's worth checking out for the fundamentals, but I wouldn't recommend getting too comfortable. Like many LA acting classes, there's a risk of getting stuck in a cycle that isn't always about growth. Take what serves you and move on.

I'm an east coast voice actor, and was tipped off about the Kalmenson method by my old online…read moreimprov coach. When I contacted K&K about remote class offerings, I found the Working Pros class was upcoming, and space was available. The class is taught in weekly sessions over Zoom, with some homework assignments and class recordings shared after each session for review. This class helped me restructure my auditioning approach, embrace The Method, and, has helped me improve my audition quality, with renewed confidence tackling new challenges as they arise. I feel refreshed and focused heading into this last chunk of 2023. My recommendation is an enthusiastic "Yes" - if you're a voice talent, look over their offerings & select a class to help your career improve. If you put the work in, I'm sure you'll see the results come out!

I was so disappointed by how remedial this class was. Like most working actors in LA, because I'm…read morenot in the top 1% of the industry I have to work long, hard hours at my day job to make ends meet. As such, I want a class that has good bang for my buck, wows me and frankly blows me away. For example, the first time I went to Lesly Kahn & Co or The Groundlings, I had that exact experience...It took me all of 5 minutes to realize how much more I had to learn and where I needed to get to in order to be competitive in my industry. I've worked HARD on my craft and I book several prime time TV shows per year. Co-star, guest star, recurring... I'm always in class, hungry, humble and honing my craft or looking to challenge myself. That being said, I felt like this school is a complete waste of time for anyone who's ever taken a basic acting 101 class. Keep in mind, I attended the class for "working actors"....I can't even begin to imagine how remedial the beginners class for "non-working actors" is. I knew this was a bad and costly decision as soon as I saw the very outdated class materials and older copy. I was appalled to see a page of "feelings faces" with faces describing attitudes from A-Z like: Angry, Arrogant, Happy, Lovestruck, Sad etc (basically, the kind of chart non-verbal children use to express themselves). I digress, our class started with a cheesy, pre-taped video intro that made me feel like I was doing an online orientation for jury duty. The first 2 classes were like pulling teeth...we had to take turns reading instructions/rules, also a very bad sign (basically killing time to prolong and stretch out the material so that you take the NEXT level). In addition to being snail-paced the actual MEAT of the acting instruction was ridiculously basic in terms of applicable knowledge. Something incoherent to the effect of truth = attitude...attitude = truth blah blah. Huh? How is that applicable to text analysis?? what about operative words? antitheticals? builds? It didn't resonate with me at all and I really kept trying to keep an open mind and just go with the flow. We had NO time to practice our copy week to week. Our class met once a week, so one would think...ok, we'll get our homework copy in advance so that we can practice all week in prep for the next class and try to apply some of the famous Kalmenson method we were learning. NOPE. We got our copy 5 minutes before we had to perform it for our classmates. So we had NO TIME to sit with the copy, think about it, or try to re-read instructions from our Ebinder and apply it to the copy so that there was some kind of eureka moment where we could say...oh gee, I guess that technique can help after all. It took soooo long (I think it was 5 classes in) before we started getting re-direction on copy. My feeling is that a good acting class you start doing re-direction on Day 1. Instead of waiting till the next to the last class and promise: "more to come in the NEXT LEVEL!!" Yeah, I did not buy into that "join our next round of classes!" spiel. K&K wants you to really INVEST and take all their classes, which honestly I would have NO problem doing if I felt like I actually learned something or had measurable results. More than anything, I wanted to take a good Animation Class, an area where I have booked acting jobs on studio sets before....but instead I had to start with the Level 1 class where I felt unchallenged and uninspired, then take Level 2 and THEN I could take the animation class. Level 1 was abysmal, so there was no point in continuing with level 2. Oh and our last class we were told we would get a "special guest speaker"...which made me think we were getting a VO Casting Director or VO Agent or somebody.. but NOPE...Our guest speaker was just another K&K teacher. Huge letdown, but at this point I couldn't help but laugh given how bad the class was. I reamed my manager out for suggesting this class. I was literally going to fire my rep, but we talked it out and he was very apologetic. He made some phone calls, confirmed everything I reported with others in the VO industry and took K&K off their recommended class list. What we were told by another CD was that while K&K may have been good at one time, they really have not kept up with the times and they also cast very infrequently. Before my class ended, I called their office to express my concerns... so this review should not be a surprise and is not coming out of left field. In short, this was just a big waste of time and nowhere near worth $700.

After graduating from UCLA Extension I felt very scattered, and a bit lost in Los Angeles as I…read morecontinued to seek my acting career, in 2016. I knew I needed to find a studio to be part of and practice the craft constantly. I audited so so so many studios around and found AMAW, which was the one that I was attracted to and intrigued by the most. I have been studying so many technics whether in Brazil or here in LA and I was still not feeling I was improving as I believed I could. The school helped me to regain my confidence because of the simplicity of the work they do. It is not easy, but it is very simple! All based on using the truth of who you are and what you are feeling in the moment applied to the script you have in hand. And, so... let the magic be revealed. There is so much I discovered about myself! This is the safest school you can get. The staff and teachers are phenomenal and they will take care of you! You will find lots of students shooting TV shows as well as working producers who partner with the school and build workshops where you can develop your professional skills and actually book work. I love and recommend the school to anyone, whether you are pursuing an acting career, or just looking to develop your power of expression, so you can thrive in sales, public speaking, or any other area of your interest. I made a lot of friends a had a lot of fun!

Rather fortuitously the dog's *vet happens to be v near the fab @anthonymeindl's @amawstudios new…read more*location. So the #beagle & I popped in and met Jennifer, who very kindly gave us a tour. Wow, such an upgrade on their former Melrose Ave location. This bespoke facility is bang smack in #Hollywood- you can see the sign- and surrounded by Studios' studios- which gets the blood going! The streets around here are quiet & great for #skateboarding and it's on good bus routes too. I'm intending to really up-the-ante on my #acting experience, auditions, training & to 'Book the fu*King job' (as Mr Meindl says in his book, one of a number!), in 2022. In 2021, I so loved being surrounded by (transmasc) #actors on our retreat with @michaeldcohen. Now I'm hungry to train weekly. The theatre studio space here is GREAT! I want in! There's some nice communal spaces too to hang and get to make new friends. Background.. I post on my IG @angelsareintersex about the mental health crisis in our #intersex youth shows how important it is to increase visibility of Out & Proud intersex people. Until there are lots of healthy, happy, young intersex actors filling the acting schools & #casting rooms of Hollywood, #RiverGallo is our great hope for global success. And I'm representing the older, been around the block a few times, got the scars, guard! Anthony Meindl is a proud member of our LGBTQiA+ community and this feels like a very safe space to come as a non-binary, trans & intersex person. PS all genders WCs too!

Whoa. I had an amazing Adv Technique class with Robby Descant. Doing selftapes at home can feel…read morelike a chore and be frustrating for actors because you rarely (if ever) get feedback on how to perform for commercials. Robby changed all that for me and got me excited again about auditioning for commercials. In the first class he focused on the technique behind preparing a great audition but also the mindset you should have as an actor to stay energized in this branch of the industry. I could notice myself (and others) getting better each week. Robby created an environment where we could play and have fun while also giving a performance that was authentic to the individual. I would highly recommend these classes and Robby. I'm continuing through their series and excited to continue growing

The Commercial Class has been an outstanding experience so far! I enrolled a few weeks ago in the…read moreintroductory class with Joy Lofton and it has already exceeded my expectations. After taking a break from acting for a few years, I'm now in the process of getting new headshots and looking for representation. I wanted to ease back into commercial acting and this class seemed like the perfect way to do that. Before signing up, I wasn't confident in my commercial technique or auditioning skills, but I also worried the class might be too basic since I've taken several others before over the years. From the very first class, Joy provided invaluable insights that immediately helped improve our work. She broke down how to approach and deliver copy in a way that made sense. As a working commercial actress and session director, she has likely seen thousands of auditions, and her expertise shows in every piece of feedback she gives. She knows exactly how to redirect actors to deliver their best performance with kindness and clarity. Unlike some teachers in this town who berate actors in narcissistic fits of rage, Joy is the complete opposite. She creates a supportive environment, starting each audition scenario by reminding us to breathe and center ourselves before diving into the material. Personally, I started off feeling apprehensive and unsure, but now I feel significantly more confident in making stronger choices without second-guessing myself. Overall, this class covers everything you need to succeed, from slating to self-taping, and I would 100% recommend it to anyone looking to learn or refine their commercial acting skills!

This class allows actors to access their imagination and find their character artfully. Any actor…read morethat knows how to work this Chekhov method is so well stocked to go out into the world and perform. This class enriches my whole week.

If you are searching for an acting class, look no further! Marjo-Riikka Makela is so amazing. I…read moreusually don't write long reviews, but I truly believe that she is such a great teacher and that you are missing out if you don't work with her at least once in your life! She encourages, empowers, and uplifts you and helps you to grow. To be honest, you could take a class as a way to unconventionally process through any trauma triggers that come up during class. You can't not grow while working with her. It doesn't matter if it's in person or through zoom. Working with her is great! Her zoom class was so good! You will gain so much valuable information whether you are local or not! She has the sweetest smile and you can really tell that she cares for her students and is invested in helping them to grow. Let this be the review you needed to make the decision to work with the Chekov Studio!