Theatre West, perched in the Cahuenga Pass since 1962, is the oldest continuously running theatre company in Los Angeles, with a trophy shelf that includes Tony and Obie wins and work that has transferred to Broadway. It appears in this directory with an important caveat: it is a membership company, not an open-enrollment school.
Weekly workshops, the Monday night acting lab at the company's core, plus writers, musical comedy, Shakespeare, and a Saturday lab, are open to members only. Actors join by audition (a two-minute monologue and a two-minute scene, with headshot and resume to the office), then pay published dues of $60 a month with a $100 initiation; an associate program for early-career actors runs two years at $10 a month with a mandatory Thursday workshop and volunteer duties, converting to full membership by artistic board approval.
For the public, Theatre West's education takes the form of Storybook Theatre, interactive musicals for children ages 3 to 9 running since 1984, and a K-5 program teaching theatre skills inside LAUSD classrooms. If you want a professional artistic home with weekly labs and real productions rather than a class you buy, this is that, and the audition is the front door.
Techniques taught
- Eclectic / multi-technique: Schools that draw on several lineages and fit the tools to the actor, not the reverse.
Class types
Enrollment and schedule
Actors audition with 2-min monologue + 2-min scene; submit headshot and resume to office@theatrewest.org; Associate-to-member promotion requires Artistic Board approval. Schedule: Member workshops weekly: Acting Mon 7:30pm; Writers Tue 7:30pm; Musical Comedy Wed 7pm; Shakespeare Thu 7pm; TW Lab Sat 9am; Associate workshop Thu 7-10pm. Duration: Ongoing year-round workshops (no term/semester structure); Associate Program is a 2-year track.
Published pricing
| Program | Published price | Source, as of |
|---|---|---|
| Company membership dues | $60/month + $100 one-time initiation fee | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Associate Program dues | $10/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.
Practical notes
Parking: Street parking available on Cahuenga Blvd West per official site ('plenty of street parking')
Location
Questions actors ask
Where is Theatre West located?
What acting technique does Theatre West teach?
Is Theatre West suitable for beginners?
How much do classes at Theatre West cost?
Does Theatre West teach children or teenagers?
Is admission to Theatre West by audition?
Is parking available at Theatre West?
When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- Company (membership & workshops), accessed 2026-07-16
- About Theatre West, accessed 2026-07-16
- Theatre West homepage, 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
Actors Workout Studio
NoHo Arts District institution of 30-plus years run by Emmy-winning coach Fran Montano, teaching Meisner-based ongoing classes with two in-house theaters and a genuinely free participating audit.
Studio CityAlan Feinstein Acting Studio
Studio City scene study and trademarked True Cold Reading classes taught by Broadway and TV veteran Alan Feinstein, whose Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire was chosen by Tennessee Williams himself.
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.
Related by technique
La Crescenta-Montrose3-2-1- Acting Studios
On-camera school for ages 2 to adult in La Crescenta, founded 2007 by Mae Ross and now under new ownership, with tiered TV commercial and scene study classes, published package pricing, and a free trial class.
Sherman OaksThe Acting Center
Sherman Oaks school founded 2006 teaching its own proprietary technique in a strictly no-criticism classroom, with published 2026 session dates and pricing for scene study, intensives, and improv.
Culver CityThe Actors Circle
Culver City workshop founded 2003 by Marcie Smolin teaching film and TV craft with improv as half the curriculum, in a positive-feedback-only room serving ages 5 through adults at published per-class rates.