Let this listing correct the record: the Sanford Meisner Center is not closed. What closed, in 2013, was its original North Hollywood theater on Lankershim Boulevard, a space later occupied by a comedy theater, which seeded a decade of your-school-is-dead rumors. The school itself, founded in March 1995 by Sanford Meisner with James Carville, Martin Barter, and Jill Gatsby, the only theater and school Meisner ever created under his name, operates today in Downtown Burbank, with a July 2026 program start enrolling at verification.
Martin Barter, one of the small group of teachers Meisner personally trained and his designated successor, still oversees all training. The core offering is the nine-month Professional Acting Certificate Program, twice-weekly three-hour classes, with the first year devoted to the repetition and improvisation foundation exactly as Meisner structured it, no character work until it is earned, and a second year by invitation ending in a graduation demonstration. Published tuition is $325 per month; no experience is required, and admission follows an interview.
Free in-person introductory sessions run regularly, five-week intensives and online workshops fill the gaps, and parking is genuinely easy, a Burbank luxury. For Meisner training with the shortest possible chain of custody, this is it.
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. Admission determined after interview; no prior acting experience required for Year 1; Year 2 by invitation. Schedule: 1st Year Program begins July 7, 2026; meets Tuesday and Friday evenings at 7 PM. Duration: Certificate program: 9 months per year, up to 2 years; intensives: 5 weeks per level.
Audit, trial, or intro class
Yes. Free in-person introductory sessions (next advertised: Sat Aug 1, 7 PM)
Published pricing
| Program | Published price | Source, as of |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Year Traditional Program tuition | $325/month | 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
- Martin Barter, Master teacher / director. Meisner's designated successor; artistic director since Meisner's death in 1997; oversees all training
- Ranjiv Perera, Teacher. Teaches in the certificate program
Practical notes
Parking: On-site covered garage; free public parking at Burbank Village Walk structures; overflow on Angeleno Ave
Location
Questions actors ask
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Does The Sanford Meisner Center offer online classes?
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Is admission to The Sanford Meisner Center by audition?
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Is parking available at The Sanford Meisner Center?
When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- The Sanford Meisner Center, Home, accessed 2026-07-16
- History, accessed 2026-07-16
- Getting To Us, accessed 2026-07-16
- Classes, accessed 2026-07-16
- Wikipedia, The Sanford Meisner Center for the Arts, 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.
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