Waterfront Playhouse and Conservatory

Years later, this is still my artistic foundation and home. When I sat on the other side of the table, casting a show earlier this year, I found that almost without exception and before I had even looked at their resumes, the actors who piqued my interest were those who had trained at the Waterfront. The actors felt grounded in their choices, and their work showed an ability to bring themselves fully into the space.

Most challenging and enlightening year of my life and professional career. Unlike many training programs in the Bay Area, Rachel pulls no punches with her guidance and feedback. It’s what elevates the training to a much higher level.

Rachael is the best teacher/​guide I have ever had, including grammar school, little league, church, etc. This is no exaggeration. Her capacity to listen, in almost frenetic detail, to each student, and to really live within each person as they go through the growing pains of learning the technique, crafting themselves, is astounding to me. She has such a knack for finding your knots and gently untying them without you even knowing what they are (until sometimes years later, as in my case). I cannot emphasize the listening enough. Patience, empathic guidance, and genuine love. I’m relieved she is still teaching!

I have worked with many acting teachers and coaches but no one has been able to offer me as much and in such a consistent manner as Rachael Adler. Her knowledge, compassion, rigorous work ethic, discipline and understanding of the human nature makes her the most complete teacher I’ve ever had the privilege to work with. She is not just a teacher but a true Master. I am not ashamed to admit that my teaching program in Europe is completely modeled after her and everything I have learned and continue to learn from her. All my students are required to take Master Classes with her in order to graduate. I work with these students for months and, while I admit I get a lot out of them, nothing is comparable to what she’s able to do with them in just a matter of a few weeks. Rachael Adler is a blessing for any actor who has the fortune to cross paths with her.

You owe it to yourself to work with Rachael Adler. She is far from an ordinary teacher. She is my mentor, my coach, director, and partner in creating truth. I consider the moment I walked into Rachael’s workshop the day that my career began. It changed the way I approached acting; I learned not to act from my mind, but from my heart. She can cut through the clutter and help you focus on the bare essentials of a scene or character, and she will relentlessly, mercilessly get you to focus in the moment. When you’re in an acting class or workshop where you are comfortable in your skin and confident with your technique, Rachael will shatter that. You’re in a new world, and to be truly alive is to be living in the moment of truth, which is what Rachael shows you how to do best.

I am a professional actor, and a recent transplant to the Bay Area. When I arrived, I quickly zeroed in on Rachael Adler and the Waterfront school as a place to keep my skills sharp, as well as network with a very talented group of local actors.
The work I’ve done at Waterfront has been transformative for me. Rachael is the real deal, and puts her full heart into her teaching and guidance.

Rachael is BRILLIANT! This is an intense and very uncomfortable acting program (an acting class should not be comfortable), and I feel myself growing TRUTHFULLY with each class.
I love how incredibly passionate Rachael is about the craft and how invested and dedicated she is to each student. This program is a lot of work, and there aren’t any short cuts, or an easier way to do this. It’s for serious actors who want learn to craft with integrity. It has been a life changing and profound experience. I’m so much more alive in my life and of course in my acting too. The parts of me that I had left behind as a child, Rachael has woken up in me again: curiosity, fascination, interest (among many other things!) Before Rachael, I would conceal, or run away from vulnerability. Now, I yearn to feel things and to feel them deeply. Rachael is a not simply a teacher, rather a TEACHER! She who won’t let you off the hook and she works tirelessly with us. Yes, with us! Meaning, she’s right there in it, in the mess, in the humanity, in the fear, in the love, in the anger, in the sorrow, in all of it. She does not sit back and passively give adjustments/​notes. Whether it’s your first day in her class, or your tenth month, Rachael is right where you are. (*The adjunct classes are essential to the craft — if they are offered as «optional» — don’t opt out, take them as if they are mandatory, it’s a conservatory. I don’t understand how one can do this work with out voice and movement among other adjunct classes.)

I came from Spain to study there and from my point of view Rachael teaches from a deep commitment, enthusiasm and honesty in her acting classes. The program is really complete with also voice, movement and Feldenkrais classes.

After studying acting on and off over the past 10 years in a variety of classes and programs and with a bunch of different teachers, I landed at the Waterfront Playhouse and Conservatory. It is absolutely outstanding in how it is helping me develop as an actor. Truly, truly outstanding! Rachael Adler, who runs the program, is relentless in her devotion to the success of her students. She is a master teacher who deeply understands what it takes to be an actor whose work is real, moving, and artful — and how to teach it! The conservatory program is filling in the gaps of knowledge that I was left with from my past classes and programs. As a result, I have no question that I am building a very strong foundation as an actor, and I am putting a set of tools in my actor’s toolkit that I have utter confidence in. Not every program and teacher is right for everyone; if you are an actor who takes your craft seriously and who wants to study in the Bay Area, without hesitation, I would say it is very important that you check out the Waterfront Playhouse & Conservatory before you decide which direction to go in. I suspect you’ll be really glad you did.

After years of working and growing, I have just recently started working as an actor in TV and Film in Hollywood, and I confidently assert that Rachael’s techniques form the foundation of what I do. I studied with Rachael way before she established Waterfront — back in 2005 – 2006, with a group of just four others. It was private and intense, and I was usually uncomfortable. (I will say the more self-​development work you’ve done, and the more confident and grounded you are in yourself, the more comfortable you’ll be in these classes… as they do not cater to your ego lol). I walked away from Rachael’s training having really learned to listen and live moment to moment. To this day, every time I’m about to go on set or step into the audition room, I repeat so many of Rachael’s gems to myself — put all your attention on the other person, don’t do anything until something happens to make you do it, etc. They are the backbone I have the lean on, as I know that no matter what other circumstances may arise, I’ll live the truth by falling back on those fundamentals I learned in her class. Thanks Rachael! :)

Life-​changing. I don’t have any other words. I am a completely different person because of this place. Find the money, find the time. and you will be transformed.

After hearing great things about Waterfront Conservatory I decided to enroll in Rachael Adler’s summer intensive. Wow, I was blown away. The way Rachael teaches (from her heart and gut with passion and instinct) brings out the best in an actor’s instrument. You feel safe exploring who you are as an actor and inspired to push your current limits. You learn valuable techniques to implement your impulses and imagination. You break through. And this was all from the 1 month intensive! If you are a serious actor and have the chance to study with Rachael go do it. You won’t regret it and will likely be thrilled you did.

Waterfront Conservatory is by far the best acting school in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley – the whole Bay Area.
Some of the best acting I’ve ever seen in my life was in class at Waterfront. There’s something that Rachael Adler brings out in people… integrity, excellence, raw honesty… that is so fascinating to watch.
As far as acting programs go, Waterfront blew away my expectations. The depth and care applied to each of us as an actor, and as a human being, was really exceptional. And it’s not just acting! The two-​year program at Waterfront includes Linklater Voice, Feldenkrais, and Movement for Actors. One huge fringe benefit is the community. As an alum, I feel bonded to my classmates for life. I have their back and they have mine. A lot of us have moved to LA. I see WPC alum on a weekly basis for career support and social events.
In my humble opinion, Rachael Adler is nothing short of divine genius. I feel like five or ten years from now, after someone thanks Rachael in an Academy Award speech, she’s going to be too busy to teach everyone who wants to learn from her. I consider myself one of the lucky ones.
You gotta understand though that this school is rigorous. If you want to get away with the bare minimum and for your teacher to stroke your egp every time you get up to work, Waterfront isn’t for you. If you want to walk out of that two-​year program a phenomenal actor, Waterfront is the place you need to be.

Bay Area theatre’s best-​kept secret! These are easily the best acting classes around. There’s no pomp or bluster here, just good, practical tools that can really unlock your craft. The fact that the training is primarily geared towards theatre, not film and television is also a major asset. Better yet, the Meisner classes are balanced out with additional workshops designed to engage your entire instrument. Throughout the different levels, there is ongoing work in Linklater Voice, Movement, Feldenkrais and screen technique. I cannot recommend Graham Smith’s movement class highly enough. In Rachael’s classes, there is a level of work being done that I very rarely see onstage in the area.
However, you really need to know what it is you’re signing up for before you commit to this program, and evaluate if this is what you want as an artist at this time. This is way more than just an «acting class» where you brush up on your monologues and scenes… it’s a highly intense immersion into the labyrinths of emotional work. Every day in class is a journey with its own ups and downs. There are going to be times where it feels like your very soul is being pulled this way and that, and not everyone is psychologically at a place where they can process that kind of experience and implement it in their acting work in a positive, productive way. A number of people, mostly men, left because they just weren’t prepared for that level of depth. You will never make it through these classes without self-​discipline and a true thirst for the craft.
The program is also a major time commitment. Though the training is technically only part-​time, in order to be well prepared for class you must spend many hours during the week rehearsing with members of the group and finding strong activities/​fantasies… something that is daunting and stressful initially but becomes easier as you move along through the training.
Rachael is a superb instructor. She is easily the most discerning acting teacher I have ever studied with… her intuition and ability to tweak the technique for the individual needs of each student is impressive. She’s highly demanding, but nurturing, kind, compassionate and most importantly, human. And she doesn’t act like a guru. We’ve all heard horror stories about abusive, irresponsible Meisner/​method acting teachers who lord over their students, turn the classroom into a cult and bring about reactions through manipulation. But Rachael couldn’t be further than that. She understands this technique thoroughly and wants you to get there in the most honest way possible, without shortcuts. Once you’ve explored a particular emotion enough, she emphasizes the importance of coming back to yourself and moving ahead to the next challenge.
The school has only been in place since 2011 (though Rachael has taught for over 20 years) but if you are serious in your ambitions to act, it’s a great place to be.

I had for a few years been yearning for a truth-​based craft and a no-​bullshit teacher. I found it. Rachael Adler and Waterfront Playhouse & Conservatory are largely to thank for the current sense of limitlessness I feel in my life and art.
I hands-​down have a solid foundation of craft, tools and techniques applicable to any type of performance work I will do. Beyond the craft, if I never set foot on stage again («impossible!» my soul cries), it has given me Superpowers I can use in my everyday life.
Superpowers, you say? Try me: I know myself. I see you. I have the ability to deeply listen, speak my truth, face the discomfort of embarrassment, shame and fear. Any actor knows this is essential to finding freedom on stage and off.
It’s not for everyone, but if you’re looking for transformative craft study, this is it. When it comes to the quality of teachers — every single teacher I had there was 5 stars.
Graduating from WPC was one of the hardest and rewarding things I have ever been through. In the end it was not just learning to own a craft but learning to own myself.

Rachael Adler and all the teachers at The Waterfront Playhouse and Conservatory are seasoned professionals who care deeply about the craft and their students. The training program is one of the most complete you’ll find in the Bay Area. It is a rigorous program for the serious actor, but well worth the time and dedication it requires.

I attended the «24 Hour Write, Direct & Star» show two weekends ago, and I must say that I was blown away! The challenge was a group of individuals get together at 6pm on Friday night, and by 7pm the following night not only had they written, directed, and rehearsed 4 completely different scenes, but they were actually really good!
I’ve been attending live theater for decades and was really blown away by the creativity and thoughtfulness that this group of actors/​writers put together. It was a very reasonable $ 10 ticket at the door and it all goes towards growing their classes and space for more events and shows (so more of a donation). Safe to say I signed up for their newsletter and will definitely be back again for their next show!
A friend of mine takes their classes and raves about them, but I haven’t experienced any myself so I don’t want to comment too much on them. If the quality of the classes is anything like the quality of the production put together in less than 24 hours, I wouldn’t hesitate to sign up. Thanks for a great time WPC!

I must say, I did not know what to expect when I signed up for my training with Rachael at the Waterfront Conservatory. I had been referred by someone I had worked with on a different project, and she had given the conservatory a glowing recommendation. A week after hearing that I was signed up for Level I training.
Boy has it been a roller coaster since then! And I mean that in the best way possible! The training is fantastic; Rachael is dedicated to her craft and to teaching the Meisner technique as it was meant to be taught. She brings creativity into crafting the program to fit every person’s individual needs. Even now, we are shaping the program for a unique situation that me and two other classmates have found ourselves in. The experience we are going to get as a result is going to be custom-​built and incredibly deep.
I look forward to the time I will spend working out of this conservatory and plan to be a lifelong contributor to its growth and success. If you are interested in a training program designed to challenge you mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically; a program that will help you grow personally and professionally; a program that lives and breathes as you do, then this is the place for you. Do yourself a favor and sign up today. Get involved on a deeper level than you ever thought possible and find yourself not only as an actor but a person.
Here’s to the right now! This moment!

The Waterfront Conservatory is an extraordinary studio that offers world-​class professional acting training and coaching in the Bay Area. I have trained off-​and-​on with Rachael Adler for since 1996. Of all the teachers I have studied with in LA, San Francisco, and New York, Rachael Adler’s eye for truthful behavior and her ability to coach efficiently and effectively go unmatched.
Waterfront’s Meisner Technique training is RIGOROUS! It requires a serious commitment to the craft of acting. Rachael’s classes offer comprehensive training for acting truthfully under a writer’s given circumstances. Throughout the six levels you acquire a toolbox you can use to build characters, create roles and perform onstage.
This is a professional program, not a personal development workshop, but being a better actor necessarily means being a better-​tuned human being. Rachael’s Meisner Technique classes have been life-​changing for me. I listen better to the people in my life and I have deeper relationships. I am more emotionally available. I am more focused in all my activities (not just acting) and more effective in getting my needs met.
And I’m booking lots of film lately.