I believe I have recently made two of the most important decisions in my life. The first being to take the time to train as an actor, and the second to do so in the two year acting program at the Maggie Flanigan Studio.

As a recent graduate, I feel that I am very well equipped to start working as an actor. The two-year program has helped me acquire fundamental technique without which it would be impossible to create meaningful work. I spent the first year of training developing the fundamental building blocks of acting like how to be actively listening, crafting an acting relationship, and living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. This has allowed me to explore and deepen the different parts of my emotional life. Moreover, second year was entirely dedicated to breaking down a script and developing character. This work has given me the opportunity to be constantly challenged by working on complicated material, which taught me how to capture the essence of character and essentially step into someone else’s shoes.

The two-year conservatory program at the Maggie Flanigan Studio is an all-encompassing program that covers both acting technique and physical training. The Voice and Speech and Movement programs at the studio work hand in hand with the acting training. The first two levels have allowed me to locate and release habitual patterns of tension that blocked experience and disconnected me from my acting object which prevented me from really listening and living moment to moment. Similarly, working with classical text and developing a larger and more specific physical vocabulary during second year directly informed character work.

The studio and class sizes have been purposely kept small so that students and faculty are able to work closely together. The small class sizes mean that, as a student, I had the opportunity to work on a regular basis and always felt that the teachers were tracking my progress and were able to give me personal feedback throughout the 2 years. This intimate setting and the challenging work also created strong bonds among the students and really felt like being part of a family.

I had taken a lot of classes before joining the studio and worked with a lot of teachers, and I can say without a doubt that the faculty at the Maggie Flanigan Studio is beyond exceptional. I have learned so much from them individually and collectively, about what it means to be passionate, to work with artistry, and to be fully immersed in one’s craft. The staff and faculty create a safe and nurturing environment where I felt I could take risks and experiment.

Most importantly, the studio has taught me what acting can be. This training set the highest standard for artistic expression and gave me the tools to reach. Reach for something that is unattainable, but that reaching is precisely the creative struggle from which anything artistic, human, and worthwhile emerges. That knowledge in itself is invaluable. If you are brave and humble enough to embark on a lifelong journey in art and give yourself over to something bigger, you have just found a home.

Learn About the Two Year Acting Program

To apply for admission to the two year acting program at the Maggie Flanigan Studio, visit the studio website or contact the studio directly by calling (917) 794-3878.