American Academy of Dramatic Arts

I have in the last week and a half attended three amazing productions all at this venue. The students from around the world are acting in these shows. The performances are first rate. Two of the shows bad Jews and rabbit hole, both of which have been off Bway and on Bway, were just so well done. The other show really really was a new play but again, job well done.

AADA is still one of the best places to get conservatory training, producing several working actors in each graduating class. I graduated in 2005 and have a pretty long list of working classmates. Some of those alums include Casey LaBow (07) who is in the ‘Twilight’ series, Ary Katz (’05) who was directed by Clint Eastwood in ‘J.Edgar.’ Paul Rudd and Adam Scott work constantly. Every time I turn on the TV, I see someone I graduated with.
It is a lot of work and a very intense program, but with training that is very specific to your needs as an actor. You walk away with so many great tools that will help you to become a working professional, plus you’ve got an extremely extensive alumni network that will just keep expanding as you get further into the industry.

Oh «The Academy», how I miss thee! No but seriously, this place was my first real home away from home. Ok, where to start about this school. Hard to review cus there are so many different aspects of my time here. First off, lemme tell you it is tough, so only true dedicated actors need apply. As you can see from the alumni, Miley Cyrus didn’t go here, Anne Hathaway and Paul Rudd did. For real, they did! Sadly before my time there though. So, I graduated 2 years ago and I had the time of my life and gained a new family to boot. When I graduated high school I was torn, do I move to LA or NYC and just try my hand at the business right away? Or do I try school or a conservatory. Well my parents were paying so I figured to get my feet wet, I’d try for a school. I auditioned for NYU and AADA. I was accepted to both (not to toot my own horn) but ultimately opted for AADA cus of the alumni. That to me is a real result, not just telling me something is amazing. Well I couldn’t have been happier! Such a fun experience and now I can honestly tell you I am a working actor. I travel back and forth from NYC and LA and have already worked on Broadway and on a few TV shows. Thanks AADA I owe you big time! ;-)

First of all, I am a recent graduate of the Academy and I have to say this was a second home for me. I couldn’t ask for a better training, not only as an actor, but as a human being. I learned humility and true listening.
Elaine, Let me guess, you were dismissed from the academy, right? otherwise there won’t be so much VENOM in your words.

My two years at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts were some of the most valuable of my life. Imagine coming from a place totally unfamiliar with the arts, and getting a fast-​tracked but full education on what it means to be an actor. I arrived without having seen the school, took a blind leap of faith knowing that all I really wanted was a career as an actor. While certain parts of the building left something to be desired, the experience certainly did not.
I won’t lie– I was pretty intimidated by most of my teachers for the first couple of weeks. Strong personalities, fierce intelligence, and an undying respect for a craft that’s profession isn’t always kind makes for some dynamic people. But once classes got rolling, I began to trust myself in their hands. They’ve been through it, studied with masters, seen the pretty and the ugly side of the industry.
The training was intense. I had done things here and there, had my own version of what I thought «acting» was… then we broke down all of those ideas and started from a place of truth. You can’t get away with faking it here, you absolutely must do the work and do it with all you’ve got. There are scenes to rehearse, scripts analyze, performances to see, dances to choreograph– I was fully immersed. I don’t know if I was prepared for that or not, but I did give it all I had, and I learned so much. I grew more in my two years there than I did in the 4 years
before in college in Texas.
That building that I wasn’t so impressed with? It became my favorite place to be, and I still visit regularly. Those scary teachers? They became my mentors. I came at the right time-​I was ready to be taught and to work hard, and I use the training that I got at The Academy everyday. It was (and still is) a priceless experience.
FYI… I see that there are a number of reviews for AADA that don’t show up on this page… You can find them if you look at the bottom left under filtered reviews.

Hands down the American Academy of Dramatic Arts if you’re interested in studying the craft of acting. Just look at the incredible alumni that have graduated from this school: Robert Redford, Adrien Brody, Danny DeVito, Kim Cattrall, Paul Rudd not to mention screen legends such as Spencer Tracy, Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Grace Kelly, Ann Bancroft and the list goes on and on. The alumni from this school have been nominated for 96 Oscars! No other acting institution comes close to this. If you’re looking for the tools to build a lasting career in film/​theatre you’ll want to attend AADA.