Actors Studio, The

▪ American drama workshop

      prestigious professional actors' workshop in New York City whose members have been among the most influential performers in American theatre and film since World War II. It is one of the leading centres for the Stanislavsky method of dramatic training.

      Founded in New York City in 1947 by directors Cheryl Crawford, Elia Kazan (Kazan, Elia), and Robert Lewis, it provides a place where actors can work together without the pressures of commercial production. Actors Studio membership, which is for life, is by invitation; from 1,000 auditions, six or seven new members are chosen each year. Lee Strasberg (Strasberg, Lee) was director from 1948 to 1982. Strasberg extended the teachings of Konstantin Stanislavsky (Stanislavsky, Konstantin Sergeyevich) and developed method acting, in which actors used their own emotional memory for the purpose of dramatic motivation. Its noted alumni include Al Pacino (Pacino, Al), Paul Newman (Newman, Paul), and Ellen Burstyn. In 1962 a production company was added to its activities, and later a western workshop was opened in Los Angeles. In 1963 the studio opened a short-lived theatre on Broadway.

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