<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I am a current student at NYU, and spent two years in the Strasberg studio. From browsing these threads, it seems like a lot of people made Stras this year, and if anyone has any questions, i'd be more than happy to answer them. Just thought I'd put that out there!</p>
<p>What did you like best about Strasberg, and what did you like least? Are you staying there or switching to another studio?</p>
<p>I’m actually more interested in film acting, so I think I’m going to transfer to Stonestreet after taking an academic semester.</p>
<p>I auditioned for CAP21 originally, so I was initially disappointed at my assignment to Strasberg. However, at NYU I found that it’s commonly believed that Strasberg students are a lot like CAP students, but better actors. Strasberg is referred to sometimes as “CAP Lite,” and students get a significant amount of MT training, but with stronger acting than that of CAP.</p>
<p>I liked the way Strasberg included voice and dance into its curriculum, and found that my singing and dancing improved as I became a stronger actress. I like that the studio teaches students to be well-rounded actors; but I found its approach to acting theory to be limiting. I guess that was my least favorite part of Strasberg- the Method didn’t really work for me, and I thought that teachers could be just a little close-minded when it came to trying other approaches. In any case, I have grown immensely during my time at the studio, and it gave me a lot of tools that I will continue to use in the future.</p>
<p>Which studio is best if you want to go on the Stonestreet route?</p>
<p>Thanks for your comments, Stars219. I am interested in the topic of studio placement at Tisch. My son was placed in Adler, and after learning more about the studio he felt he could understand how some of the comments he made during his audition prompted his placement there.</p>
<p>Could you venture a guess about why a studio that features Method acting was considered a good fit for you? </p>
<p>Do you think the Method works well for many of the students at Strasberg?</p>
<p>Anyway, best of luck in your future endeavors, Stars219!</p>
<p>Early_college, perhaps you are aware that this past year Tisch abandoned the policy of asking the students about their studio preferences during auditions (if they had asked, I believe my son would have said Meisner or Atlantic). Whether that policy will be revived in the future is anybody’s guess.</p>
<p>Early_College…the answer to your question is that it doesn’t matter which studio you were in for Primary Studio if you want to do Stonestreet as an Advanced Studio in your upper years at Tisch. I know kids from all studios who did Stonestreet, including many kids from CAP21 (musical theater studio). There is no “route” into an advanced studio. Merely, you audition to get into that studio specifically (each advanced studio has its own audition).</p>
<p>I was just curious, lol. I just was wondering which studio was best that would prepare you for Stonestreet.</p>
<p>I just don’t think there is an answer to that question. Each studio is good at what it does and it doesn’t prepare you for Stonestreet. Switching studios, such as into Stonestreet, is an opportunity to do a different approach. Any and all of the studios teach acting and so in that regard, give you training that will help you when you explore an advanced studio such as Stonestreet. I just have not heard of anyone truly picking X or Y studio in preparation for Stonestreet. Any studio will lead you to Stonestreet. The issue will be your audition. All studios teach acting. Students from ALL studios land in Stonestreet and thus there is no rhyme or reason as to which studio more successfully prepared a student to do Stonestreet Studio. They all do.</p>
<p>Example…I know many kids who did CAP21 studio for two or three years and then went on to do Stonestreet. CAP21 is the musical theater studio and splits the training between acting, singing and dancing, and yet the kids who got into Stonestreet had the acting chops to make it past that audition. My own daughter went into an acting studio her final three semesters after coming out of the MT studio and it was a matter of her having the acting skills to make it past the audition, along with her articulation of reasons (via essay) as to why that studio was a good fit for her goals. I don’t think her studio (CAP21) prepared her any more or less than another studio that her friends attended before entering the same advanced acting studio that they did.</p>
<p>I understand soov, but wouldn’t it also depend on the type of acting the person was looking for. If they wanted classical wouldn’t they want Aller and etc. If someone wanted to get into film acting, there wouldn’t be a primary studio which would prepare them best for that type of acting? Also, how do they prepare for the audition if they have no film experience? I am assuming you have to audition with a monologue from a TV show or movie. Do people help them prepare for that? Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>My son, a current junior in high school goes to the Strasberg Young Actors’ Saturday program and loves it, and is considering applying early to Tisch, hoping to be placed at Strasberg, but he’s open to the other studios also.</p>
<p>His one concern is that he’ll be placed in the Meisner studio, which he feels would not be in his best interests developmentally. I’m not sure where he got this feeling, but I’m wondering if he should seek out a Meisner-trained teacher for a few sessions this fall just to explore the Meisner technique a bit before deciding whether to apply early to Tisch or not?</p>
<p>Anyone know how Strasberg and Meisner techniques differ? Maybe he’s just picking up of the friendly rivalry of the studios?</p>
<p>The two methods are both based on the Stanislavski acting technique. To put it briefly, Strasberg focuses more on using personal memory to express emotion, and Meisner relies more on instinctive reactions. It’s actually much more complicated than that! Both techniques are effective, and many actors use a combination of approaches. It probably wouldn’t hurt your son to check out Meisner – he will be exposed to it eventually if he continues in any college acting program.</p>
<p>I am a current student at Adler, I just finished my freshman year. So the system could have changed since I applied but we were asked in our interviews which studios we were looking at and which we did not want, we were also able to talk over the reason for our choices with our interviewers. </p>
<p>I do not think that your son should worry too much about being placed in Meisner, it is the smallest studio so he has the least chance of being placed there. Less then 20 students each year are placed there. NYU is also very good at placing people in the best possible studio for you. I have met very few people who were unhappy with their placement. However if after being placed and researching the studio decides that it would not be a good fit, even if he tries it for a week or two the administrators are very kind about transferring someone. A friend of mine was in playwrights and transfered to Adler after the first week of school, and did not have an extremely difficult time in doing so.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. This helps a lot!</p>
<p>This audition cycle, students were not asked which studio they preferred.</p>
<p>early_college, admission to Stonestreet doesn’t require an audition, anyone can go there for advanced studio. There’s no one studio that would particularly be better for film/TV work but I suppose the ones focussed on method (Adler, Strasberg, Meisner, Atlantic) would probably prepare you better for the small/naturalistic sized acting that works better for a camera. I know after 2 years of Meisner I was very un-theatrical, if you know what I mean.</p>
<p>laurarudish, Strasberg and Meisner are both based on Stanislavski’s work. Strasberg based on his earlier work, Meisner on his later work. Both about using Method to achieve emotional truth and richness/depth and true moments of performance. Strasberg more about finding emotional truth internally by connecting with your own life experiences and memories and training exercises to do that. Meisner more about finding emotional truth through daydreaming a connection to imaginary circumstances and linking it in through how you WOULD feel in that circumstance based on feelings you know, then being present and in contact with your scene partner listening and responding so that you can “improvise” fresh life in every moment every time you do it.</p>
<p>Thanks I rem soov told me it had an audition. I guess it may have changed. I think Meisner may be a good fit for me.</p>
<p>Thanks for being wiling to share, my daughter wanted CAP but was placed at Playwrights. She is happy about it but concerned about receiving adequate voice and dance, any feedback on that?</p>
<p>Congrats and good luck to her!</p>
<p>averagetim, Playwrights has a MT practicum semester and your D should do it. She also can take private voice as an elective. Many of the student directing projects in Playwrights are musicals and my D has been in them (but did not study at Playwrights). Your D can also audition for Tisch wide musicals. I think there are some dance classes in PH but also in Tisch electives she could take.</p>
<p>Depending on her dance level and dance aspirations, she may want to supplement her dance instruction via open classes at any number of city venues (my son did this). It’s extra time, and of course extra $, but there are benefits as well. NYC is so rich in terms of dance instruction that she can pick and choose from the best around.</p>