Michelle Danner Acting Studio

Michelle Danner's studio teaches what she calls the golden box: an eclectic toolkit drawn from Meisner, Strasberg, Adler, Hagen, Chekhov, and Stanislavski, with the actor assembling what works rather than swearing loyalty to one system. Danner co-founded the Edgemar Center for the Arts on Santa Monica's Main Street around 2000 and directed films including Miranda's Victim; her coaching client list by the studio's account includes Henry Cavill, Salma Hayek, and Penelope Cruz.

An important correction to stale listings elsewhere: the studio moved. Since early 2022 it operates from the Creative Center for the Arts at 10820 W Washington Blvd in Culver City, not the Edgemar Center. Offerings span scene study, on-camera, audition technique, improv (published at $300 per month), cold reading, voice, and a conservatory program marketed in six- and twelve-month tracks that can sponsor F-1 and M-1 visas for international students, one of the few LA studios with that infrastructure.

Kids 7 to 11 and teens 12 to 16 train on weekends, in person or online, with published prices of $250 for four weeks and $400 for eight; 2026 summer camps were published at $655 per week for acting and $555 for musical theater. Adult class tuition is mostly by inquiry. Weekend scene study and evening classes accommodate working schedules.

Note on names: the studio's full-time degree and visa track is marketed separately as the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory, same campus, same phone, same leadership. Treat them as one school; this directory does.

Techniques taught

• Eclectic / multi-technique: Schools that draw on several lineages and fit the tools to the actor, not the reverse.
• Meisner: Listening, repetition, and truthful response under imaginary circumstances, in the lineage of Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse teaching.
• Method (Strasberg): Lee Strasberg's Method: affective memory, relaxation, and sense work developed from Stanislavski's early system.
• Adler: Stella Adler's imagination-first approach: given circumstances and script analysis over personal memory.
• Hagen: Uta Hagen's substitution and object exercises, grounded in truthful behavior.
• Chekhov: Michael Chekhov's psychophysical approach: imagination, gesture, and atmosphere.

Class types

theater

Enrollment and schedule

Site directs prospects to call/email to register; no published audition requirement found. Schedule: Kids: Sat 9:30-11:30 AM or Sun 2:00-4:00 PM (online Sat 11:30 AM PST); adult scene study Sat 3:30-6:30 PM; office hours Mon-Fri 10am-6pm. Duration: Kids programs sold in 4- or 8-week blocks; summer camps weekly; conservatory 6-12 months (per marketing).

Published pricing

Prices are the school's own published rates on the dates shown. We never estimate prices. Always confirm before enrolling.

Instructors

• Michelle Danner, Founder / Artistic Director / Acting Coach. Also a film director (Miranda's Victim, 2023); Satellite Auteur Award 2025

Location

Questions actors ask

Sources and verification

• Acting Classes Santa Monica - Michelle Danner Acting Studio, accessed 2026-07-16
• Contact - Michelle Danner Acting Studio, accessed 2026-07-16
• Acting Classes for Kids, accessed 2026-07-16
• Acting Conservatory, accessed 2026-07-16
• Scene Study Class, accessed 2026-07-16
• Improvisation, accessed 2026-07-16
• Michelle Danner - Wikipedia, accessed 2026-07-16
• Danner opens Creative Center for the Arts in Culver City (Feb 2022), accessed 2026-07-16

Researched 2026-07-16, last verified 2026-07-16. Facts above come only from these sources. Anything we could not confirm is simply not shown. Report incorrect information or claim this listing if you represent the school.

Guides for choosing a school

• Acting for beginners: how to start
• How to choose an acting school in LA
• Types of acting classes, explained
• What acting classes cost in LA

Career resources for LA actors

Practical next-step guides from the LA Actor Guide.

• Actor headshots: the complete LA guide
• How auditions and casting work in LA
• How to find and sign with a talent agent

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