LA ACTING SCHOOLS

4 schools · verified listings

Acting Classes in Greater Los Angeles

Some schools serving working Los Angeles actors sit outside the main training clusters, and they are grouped here rather than being forced into a neighborhood they are not really part of. Every listing is researched from official sources and dated; see our methodology.

Valencia

CalArts School of Theater

The Disney-founded arts institute's theater school in Valencia: BFA and MFA Acting with mandatory live auditions for most US applicants, experimental ensemble culture, and published institute tuition.

Eclectic / multi-techniqueConservatory$$$$University Hills

California State University, Los Angeles, Department of Theatre and Dance

Cal State LA's Theatre and Dance department: a no-audition Theatre BA with performance and design tracks, six to eight productions a year at the State Playhouse, and CSU-resident tuition on the Eastside.

Eclectic / multi-technique$$Los Angeles

Nancy Banks Studio

Selective LA studio in the Larry Moss lineage: Nancy Banks teaches invitation-only professional scene study while her staff teaches tiered classes, entered by referral or audition; coaching client list includes A-list names.

AdlerMeisnerYouth programsSharon Chatten StudioLos Angeles

Sharon Chatten Studio

Method scene study over Zoom and in LA with Sharon Chatten, Actors Studio lifetime member and former Strasberg Institute teacher whose coaching resume spans decades; contact by email, tuition unpublished.

Method (Strasberg)Stanislavski

What this training is

These are programs that draw students from across the region rather than from an immediate neighborhood, including institutions in outlying parts of Los Angeles County. They are listed together because a false neighborhood label would be less useful than an honest one.

Who it suits

Actors for whom one of these specific programs is the destination, rather than actors browsing by area.

What these listings show

Counted from the verified records on this page when the site was last built, on 2026-08-15.

  • Published pricing. 2 of 4 publish enough pricing to place them in a band: $$ (1), $$$$ (1). The other 2 do not publish rates, so you have to ask.
  • Audition required. 1 requires an audition or placement before you can enroll, so plan for a step before the first class.
  • Levels. 2 accept complete beginners and 2 run advanced work.
  • Online options. 2 of 4 offer an online format as well as in person.
  • Private coaching. 2 also offer one-to-one coaching alongside classes.
  • Young actors. 1 of these serves kids or teens as well as adults.
  • Techniques taught. Most commonly Eclectic / multi-technique (3), Adler (1), Meisner (1).

How to compare them

Judge these by the program itself and then be realistic about the drive. Distance is the main reason people quit training they otherwise valued, so a program outside the clusters needs to be worth the commute for a sustained period, not just on the day you enroll.

Related

Hollywood and Mid-City
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