What this training is
The training is famously sequential and slow. It typically opens with the repetition exercise, where two actors repeat an observation about each other until the words stop being the point and impulse takes over. From there it adds independent activity, knocks on the door, emotional preparation, and only later, text. Full programs are commonly structured as two years, and many teachers will not let you skip forward.
Who it suits
Actors who are in their heads, who indicate rather than experience, or whose work looks planned. It demands patience: the first months can feel like they have nothing to do with performing, and actors who need immediate application often struggle with it.
What these listings show
Counted from the verified records on this page when the site was last built, on 2026-08-15.
- Published pricing. 14 of 20 publish enough pricing to place them in a band: $ (3), $$ (10), $$$$ (1). The other 6 do not publish rates, so you have to ask.
- Audit or trial. 9 of these 20 offer an audit or a trial class, which is the cheapest way to judge a teacher before committing.
- Audition required. 3 require an audition or placement before you can enroll, so plan for a step before the first class.
- Levels. 19 accept complete beginners and 19 run advanced work (95% and 95% of this list).
- Online options. 16 of 20 offer an online format as well as in person.
- Private coaching. 16 also offer one-to-one coaching alongside classes.
- Young actors. 7 of these serve kids or teens as well as adults.
- Where they are. Concentrated in North Hollywood and Studio City (8), Santa Monica and the Westside (4), Burbank and Glendale (4), across 6 areas of Los Angeles in total.
- How established. 15 publish a founding year, the earliest 1975 and the most recent 2019.
How to compare them
Ask about the teacher's lineage, because Meisner training is transmitted teacher to teacher and the connection to Sanford Meisner's own teaching is the credential that matters. Ask whether the program is two years and what happens if you leave partway. Ask how large the class is, since repetition work needs the teacher's attention.