The New Actors Workshop was a two-year acting conservatory in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

founded by Master Teachers

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...

, George Morrison and

Paul Sills Paul Sills (born Paul Silverberg; November 18, 1927 – June 2, 2008) was an American director and improvisation teacher, and the original director of Chicago's The Second City. Life and career Sills was born Paul Silverberg in Chicago, Illinoi ...

in 1988. The school offered a unique, dual-track curriculum combining Stanislavski-based technique with

Viola Spolin Viola Spolin (November 7, 1906 — November 22, 1994) was an American theatre academic, educator and acting coach. She is considered an important innovator in 20th century American theater for creating directorial techniques to help actors to be ...

Theater Games. The workshop stopped accepting students in 2010.

The founders

Sills, Morrison, and Nichols enjoyed a long association dating back to the 1950s at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

. Their experience convinced them that there was a unique value for the actor in the double challenge of performance improvisation and Stanislavski-based training, and they founded The Workshop specifically to offer this powerful experience to a new generation of actors.

Performances

There were different types of performances throughout the year in which students participated.

Friday Night Improv

Students of the workshop played Spolin theatre games for an audience. These shows were free and open to the public.

Scene Nights

At the end of their first year, students performed for family and friends in a New Actors Workshop Scene Night.

Story Theatre

At the end of their second year, students went into a rehearsal period with a guest director. This production was most often a Story Theater show, a genre invented by

in the 1960s. Guest directors included Paul Sills, Gene Hackman, Diane Paulus, Shira Piven, David Turner, Lester Thomas Shane, K Tanzer, Carol Sills

Notable alumni

Diane Paulus Diane Marie Paulus (born 1966) is an American theater and opera director who is currently the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.Colleen Walsh"Paulus reaches beyond boards" ''Harvar ...

, director Hair (musical) * Ricki Noel Lander, actress * Kim D'Armond, actress

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Actors Workshop Drama schools in the United States 1988 establishments in New York City Universities and colleges in New York City Theatre in New York City