Best Acting Schools in Los Angeles: Los Angeles is the most stimulating, motivating, and possibly door-opening city for an aspiring actor. Fortunately, there are some really top-notch acting schools in the City of Angels where students may refine their skills, get stage and film experience, and network with peers and business leaders.
LA is the ideal setting for pursuing an acting degree because it has Hollywood in its backyard, famous actors as neighbors (nearly), and a thriving hub of media, television, movies, and drama all around.
Nowadays, it’s quite uncommon to walk into an audition and land a breakthrough part. Young actors today need education, contacts, and industry knowledge. Exactly that is what acting schools offer.
Students in acting programs learn both theory and practice, fusing ideas from theatre and philosophy with actual stage and/or screen time. That combo is potent. Students at acting programs gain knowledge from some of the top actors and theater professionals in the world by being immersed in a community of other thespians. Aspiring performers can actually live and breathe acting.
Also Read: 15 Best Computer Science Schools In Florida 2023
Best Acting Schools in Los Angeles
We’ll showcase the top ten acting programs in Los Angeles in this post and go over what makes them special. These institutions truly embody the “lights, camera, action” of Los Angeles and provide budding actors with a wealth of possibilities to hone their acting abilities, discover new genres, pick the brains of established actors, and network with peers and business leaders looking for new talent. The most captivating performers of tomorrow will graduate from these colleges.
The best acting schools in Los Angeles are listed below.
1. California State University, Northridge
Young actors can receive a comprehensive undergraduate education in theatrical production, theatre history, literature, and criticism, as well as the ins and outs of the performing business, from CSUN’s theatre department.
Each semester, departmental theater and production activities are mandatory for all theatre majors. Theatre students have plenty of chances to shine in front of an audience because the department annually mounts seven or more full-length stage plays, musicals, and operas. For theatre majors, these performances serve as a kind of “living laboratory” where they may put the theories, techniques, philosophies, and abilities they’ve learned in class to the test.
For students who want to combine their study of theatre with a major in another subject, CSUN also offers a number of specialized Theatre minors in addition to the broad-based B.A. in Theatre. Acting/directing, design/production, history/literature, or musical theatre are all options for theatre minors to focus on.
2. California State University, Los Angeles
A liberal arts undergraduate degree in Theatre with a focus in Performance is available from the Department of Theatre and Dance at Cal State LA. Aiming to support budding actors in “discovering and developing their own unique voices in a collaborative, varied, inclusive, community-centered, and stimulating learning environment,” Cal State LA’s program strives to help them.
Cal State LA, which is located right in the center of the entertainment industry, connects students with interesting multidisciplinary study opportunities both inside the campus and outside the vibrant LA arts scene. Students study performance theory and apply what they learn through live performances. It is required to take part in departmental productions. Within the program, theatre majors with a passion for movement arts can also pursue a minor in dance.
3. Occidental College
The theater program at Occidental College, also known as “Oxy,” is dedicated to assisting students in “Finding their voice.” By encouraging people to examine themselves and others “through theory, production, and performance — over time, across cultures, and technology,” Oxy invites students to learn and practice the art of theater.
Students majoring in theater at Oxy receive a thorough education in production and performance theory, practice, history, and current and expected trends.
By connecting students with professionals in the field and production businesses, Oxy often takes use of all the theater-related opportunities available in Los Angeles, the global center of the entertainment industry. The theater department has many facets, including stage, studio, and classroom work, all of which are supervised by renowned academics and guest artists who are successful in the disciplines of theater, film, and television. Students in the theater department can choose to focus on one of roughly a dozen distinct theater-related topics, including acting.
4. Loyola Marymount University Theatre Arts Department
The Loyola Marymount Theatre Arts department sees theater as a “laboratory for the study of life,” a way to gain insight into what it is to be human by acting out drama. Small, personalized classes in everything from theatre technology, playwriting, history, and criticism to acting, directing, and design are advantageous for students. The LMU curriculum places a strong emphasis on highly transferable and applicable communication and leadership skills that can help students make a positive influence in the world, in addition to preparing students for jobs in cinema, television, and theater.
Chris Sullivan, who is best known for playing Toby on the immensely famous TV series This Is Us, and Linda Cardellini, who many people are familiar with from her performances in the Scooby-Doo movies and Legally Blonde, are two notable LMU grads. Another LMU alumnus who works as the production stage manager for Hamilton: An American Musical on Broadway is Amber White.
Also Read: Top 10 Free Online Courses in CPD With Certificates in 2023
5. American Musical Dramatic Academy
The acting curriculum aids prospective actors in developing discipline, discernment, and a solid foundation of acting technique in order to equip them to follow their vocation as a career. Graduates of the AMDA acting program go on to work in theater, film, and television.
The BFA acting program at AMDA is designed with each student’s unique interests and abilities in mind. Students can enroll in extremely specialized and useful classes on subjects like stage combat, dialects, and dance and movement as they go through their degree program. In order to ensure that graduates are prepared to meet the demanding standards of the competitive professional performing industry, the curriculum also incorporates instruction in networking, audition tactics, and entrepreneurship. Students work together to create an original display in their final term that highlights the talents of each performer.
6. Pepperdine University
A Christian university named Pepperdine is nestled atop the stunning Malibu hills. Acting is one of the four specializations available to theatre arts majors. Students enrolled in the acting track study tried-and-true voice and movement techniques, put Stanislansky’s acting ideas into practice, and take part in exciting masterclasses given by qualified instructors and actors.
The Theatre Arts program at Pepperdine is intentionally small so that students can benefit from numerous hands-on learning opportunities and insightful criticism from their professors and mentors. “Create work that has the ability to influence lives, hearts, and minds,” is urged among students.
Via the Edinburgh Summer Program/Pepperdine Scotland, theatre arts students have the exceptional chance to spend a summer in Scotland, where they can explore the country, learn how to blend British and American traditions, and participate at events like the International Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
7. California Institute of the Arts
The purpose of the acting program at California Institute of the Arts is to help students develop into versatile theatrical performers who can identify and capitalize on their artistic and professional passions. Aspired performers who want to express their voices and experiences with others are drawn to CalArts by their creativity, fervor, and innovation.
The BFA in Acting program at CalArts focuses on the craft and trains students to become professional actors. Acting program participants are encouraged to explore their passions, especially if they are experimental or out-of-the-box, as they are treated as actor-artists. CalArts encourages its students to push the limits of both their perceptions of their own abilities as actor-artists and the limits of the medium itself.
The BFA relies on the best aspects of classical actor training while modernizing all lessons and keeping an eye on the direction that the art form is taking in the twenty-first century. According to each student’s unique goals and interests, the curriculum gradually moves toward more professional performance experiences while placing “a heavy focus on movement and physical expression as a tool to unlock the imagination.”
8. Chapman University
A BA in theatre, a BFA in theatre performance, or a BFA in screen acting are the three options available to budding performers in Chapman’s Department of Theatre. Theatre is one of the liberal arts majors offered under the BA track. The BFA degrees place more of an emphasis on performance and industry preparedness, making them more pre-professional in nature. It’s interesting that the Dodge College of Cinema and Media Arts is a partner in the BFA in Screen Acting program.
Students gain from a robust, active theatre community and curriculum regardless of the course they take. Students enjoy the close-knit community and easy access to faculty that a small university offers while taking part in high-caliber performances. By working onstage and backstage with organizations like Shakespeare Orange County, theater majors can gain firsthand experience with real-world production.
The Department of Theatre places a high emphasis on career preparation and strong professional ethics in order to prepare students for the industry.
9. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
With a 14% overall admittance rate, UCLA is one of the most prominent public colleges in the country. UCLA is ranked #20 nationally by US News and World Report (above illustrious rival UC Berkeley), and the acting school at UCLA unquestionably lives up to UCLA’s illustrious name.
A theatre major with an acting concentration is available at UCLA. Under the direction of skilled teachers, students who select the acting emphasis are exposed to a variety of acting, vocalization, and stage movement techniques and procedures.
The UCLA Theatre department emphasizes that this is a liberal arts degree program with a focus on theatre, not a conservatory training program. Students majoring in theatre at UCLA are researchers and artists who wish to study and perform theatre as well as take use of the many resources available at a premier research university.
Francis Ford Coppola, Jack Black, Jim Morrison, James Dean, James Franco, and Ben Stiller are just a few of the well-known alumni of UCLA’s Department of Theatre, Cinema, and Television.
10. University of Southern California
The University of California provides budding actors with the best of all possible worlds: it is situated in the center of Los Angeles, is a nationally top-ranked university (#24), has a stellar reputation worldwide, is home to well-known performers, and has produced numerous prominent graduates.
Successful actors who attended USC include Patrick J. Adams of Suits, Shiri Appleby of Roswell, Troian Bellisario of Pretty Little Liars, and famed Hollywood producer Todd Black.
Students at the School of Dramatic Arts have a variety of opportunities to personalize their education and play to their strengths. Students can choose between a regular BA and a more hands-on BFA, and they can focus on anything from tech to musical theatre to sound design. The best of both worlds may be found at USC—tradition and cutting-edge, practical education.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Los Angeles, how much does acting class cost?
Acting classes typically cost between $150 to $2,000, though this range can be significantly affected by factors including location, class size, and the instructor's reputation. In Los Angeles and New York City, group acting courses normally cost between $20 to $80 per hour.
Is Los Angeles a good place for acting career?
Although LA is a large metropolis, it is one of the top destinations for aspiring performers, particularly in the film business.
How long do actors put in each day?
The working hours of an actor can involve early mornings, late nights, weekends, and holidays. The length of a filming day might range from twelve to twenty hours. Working five days a week and shooting a feature picture can take up to three months.
What memory tricks do actors use?
The actor will always be able to remember a line when it is accompanied by action or movement. Another effective strategy is to connect the words to feelings. Making a connection with the scene's mood makes it simpler to remember the words.
TOP PICKS FOR YOU:
English 
العربية 
Deutsch 
हिन्दी 
简体中文 