The Ruskin School of Acting teaches the Meisner technique in a two-year, cohort-based program at the Santa Monica Airport campus it shares with the Ruskin Group Theatre. Founder John Ruskin apprenticed with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, and the school presents its program as a direct continuation of that teaching line.
The two-year Meisner program meets twice a week and is billed month to month, with published tuition of $320 per month in person or $295 per month online, which makes Ruskin one of the few Meisner studios in LA with fully public pricing. The school is strict about its cohort model: everyone starts together, finishes together, and audits are explicitly not allowed. Admission is by interview with John Ruskin himself, and no prior experience is required.
Beyond the flagship program there is an eight-week Saturday scene study course with master teachers, a Friday graduate class for alumni, and a Young Actors program that takes kids from age 8 and teens through 19, taught with Meisner and Spolin exercises. The affiliated theater company stages productions that regularly feature alumni, and the school also runs a New York studio and online cohorts.
Techniques taught
- Meisner: Listening, repetition, and truthful response under imaginary circumstances, in the lineage of Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse teaching.
Class types
Enrollment and schedule
No audition is required. Interview with John Ruskin required before enrolling in the Meisner program; no previous experience needed. Schedule: Meisner program 2x/week; Scene Study Saturdays 10 am-1 pm (8 weeks); Graduate Class Fridays; youth class days/times not published. Duration: Two-year Meisner program billed monthly; 8-week scene study sessions; graduate and youth classes ongoing month-to-month.
Audit, trial, or intro class
No. Meisner program explicitly disallows audits ('no audits, no dip in and out'); no trial-class offer published for other classes
Published pricing
| Program | Published price | Source, as of |
|---|---|---|
| Meisner Technique program, in-person (2x/week) | $320/month | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Meisner Technique program, online (2x/week) | $295/month | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Scene Study with Master Teachers (8-week Saturday course) | $480/session | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Meisner Graduate Class (4 classes/month, Fridays) | $240/month | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Young Actors kids class, 60 min | $25/class (tuition page) vs $35/class (young-actors page) | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Young Actors kids class, 90 min | $40/class (tuition page) vs $45/class (young-actors page) | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Teen class, 90 min | $40/class (tuition page) vs $45/class (young-actors page) | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Teen class, 2 hours | $50/class (tuition page) vs $55/class (young-actors page) | source 路 2026-07-16 |
Prices are the school's own published rates on the dates shown. We never estimate prices. Always confirm before enrolling.
Instructors
- John Ruskin, Founder / Lead Meisner Instructor. Meisner's apprentice at the Neighborhood Playhouse; ~30 years teaching; conducts all admission interviews
- Amy Ruskin, Young Actors Teacher. Teaches kids and teens classes
- Laurel J. Barham, Young Actors Teacher
- Ginger Ramsay, Young Actors Teacher
- Michael Laurie, Young Actors Teacher
Practical notes
Scholarships: Scholarships mentioned as available for Young Actors classes; details not published
Location
Questions actors ask
Where is The Ruskin School of Acting located?
What acting technique does The Ruskin School of Acting teach?
Is The Ruskin School of Acting suitable for beginners?
Can I audit or try a class at The Ruskin School of Acting?
How much do classes at The Ruskin School of Acting cost?
Does The Ruskin School of Acting offer online classes?
Does The Ruskin School of Acting teach children or teenagers?
Is admission to The Ruskin School of Acting by audition?
Who teaches at The Ruskin School of Acting?
When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- The Ruskin School of Acting, Home, accessed 2026-07-16
- About our school, accessed 2026-07-16
- Acting School Tuition, accessed 2026-07-16
- Meisner Technique Program, accessed 2026-07-16
- Young Actors Classes, accessed 2026-07-16
- Contact, 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.
Nearby schools
Downtown Santa MonicaBaron Brown Studio
Meisner technique studio in downtown Santa Monica, established 1975 by Joanne Baron, teaching a traditional two-year sequence plus intensives, on-camera audition work, and master classes.
Culver CityMichelle Danner Acting Studio
Multi-technique studio led by acting coach and film director Michelle Danner, now at the Creative Center for the Arts in Culver City, with adult classes, a conservatory track, youth programs, and international student visa sponsorship.
West Los AngelesSpeiser/Sturges Acting Studio
The West LA studio formerly known as Aaron Speiser Acting Studio, led since 2015 by Shannon Sturges, with technique courses, ongoing scene study, published pricing, and paid audits.
Related by technique
North HollywoodThe BGB Studio
North Hollywood on-camera and audition studio founded in 2012 by casting director Risa Bramon Garcia and coach Steve Braun, with application-based entry, a free intro session, and flat $295 monthly ongoing classes.
NoHo Arts DistrictElizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio
NoHo Meisner studio founded in 2001 by Elizabeth Mestnik, an MFA student of William Esper, running a traditional cohort-based two-year Meisner program plus beginner courses and voice work.