The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre

Our organization strives to provide a multi-dimensional and practical education in the dramatic arts to young theatre students who seek a professional life in acting and related employment, to further the unique type of training developed over the years at The Neighborhood Playhouse, to serve as a cultural resource by making its historical archives and facilities available to students and scholars, and to serve the New York City community at large and especially the theatre community in Manhattan that includes former students and former similarly trained exponents of the Meisner way of work by offering support for postgraduate continuing educational growth experience in practical ways, as well as academic.

By means of our academic programs to give the young student actor a means of seriously investigating the depths of his or her own instrument in order that the instrument might expand, widen in range and, in every way, respond to the subtleties of the complex and delicate human emotional relationships and situations that an actor faces each time he or she prepares for a new role.
To provide a faculty of experienced teaching professionals of the highest possible caliber to teach, evaluate and advise the student body in the various disciplines required.
To maintain an outstanding student body by admitting only students who have the talent and motivation to succeed and by providing them with the necessary educational training and administrative support.
To support the academic programs by providing outstanding resources, including physical facilities, equipment, and library and learning resources.
To provide a viable Outreach Program for graduates, former students and other Meisner-trained members of the New York acting community which will act as a development resource for new playwrights and directors.
To continuously upgrade the facilities to provide a safe, code-abiding, comfortable, and clean space for students, employees and guests.

The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre offers intensive, full time conservatory training centered on the acting techniques taught by Sanford Meisner and focused on developing the skills necessary for a career in acting.

The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is a full-time acting conservatory, and our approach focuses on the artistic growth of the actor through technical training in acting, movement, speech, and voice. The Neighborhood Playhouse offers the serious acting student what few other acting schools can provide – a rich tradition of excellence in actor training coupled with the practical skills for building a career.

The Neighborhood Playhouse remains the only conservatory where the faculty was trained to teach acting by Sanford Meisner himself. Given the passion and skill of our instructors, it’s no surprise The Cambridge Guide to Theatre (Cambridge University Press) described The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre as the most respected acting school in the country and first among all professional training programs.

We are committed to making sure that students demonstrating financial need, as well as merit, are offered funding options to pursue their conservatory training in the Meisner Technique of acting:

The Joanne Woodward First Year Scholarship
This scholarship is open to first year domestic applicants, and is based on both merit and need. For nearly 90 years, The Neighborhood Playhouse has been a pillar of acting excellence. The talented actors that have walked through our doors are an immeasurable artistic patrimony to the world, just as world-renowned Academy Award-winning actress and Neighborhood Playhouse alumna, Joanne Woodward is. Ms. Woodward is one of those immeasurable talents. We are immensely grateful to Ms. Woodward’s daughter, Clea Newman, and to Neighborhood Playhouse alumna, Emily Wachtel ('90), who was instrumental in constructing the framework for this scholarship.

SECOND YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS
There are a number of scholarship funds that have been set up by alumni and friends of The Neighborhood Playhouse for second year students. Criteria are based on a combination of both need and merit for second year scholarships. Second year scholarships are given by application to eligible second year students only.

The Neighborhood Playhouse is honored to award the following scholarships to a limited number of accomplished, second-year students who demonstrate financial need:

Matt McCoy Scholarship
Tony Randall Memorial Scholarship
Frank Gregory Memorial Scholarship
Paritz-Clopton Memorial Scholarship

The Neighborhood Playhouse constantly seeks to identify new resources for funding to provide opportunities for talented, low-income or historically underrepresented students to study at The Playhouse and pursue their dreams of actor training in the Meisner Technique.