Programming.
In 2019, our flagship Teacher Development Program returns for its 22nd year and continues with two sessions: May 20-31, 2019 in Los Angeles, presented in collaboration with the USC School of Dramatic Arts; and June 3-14, 2019 in New York, presented in collaboration with NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Join us on either coast for an inspiring and revitalizing 12 days devoted to the craft of teaching acting. Additional program details and 2019 faculty to be announced.
Los Angeles
May 20-31, 2019
USC School
of Dramatic Arts
New York
June 3-14, 2019
NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Department of Drama
Application deadline for both programs is March 22, 2019. Admission is made on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Complete faculty and program information will be announced shortly.
Program Details
Our Teacher Development Program provides a rare opportunity for established acting teachers and professional actors interested in teaching to return to the classroom under the guidance of masters of the field.
In the two-week intensive, participants study as acting students, but with an eye toward the craft of teaching. Through the exploration of multiple methodologies and pedagogical practices, the program provides teaching artists a fertile and rigorous environment to broaden their landscape of technique, develop their diagnostic eye, and hone their ability to teach to the individual, while learning to cultivate an instructional atmosphere tailored to imaginative and creative risk-taking.
Everyone works on their feet, every day. Questions are answered in “the doing.” Issues of teaching practice are examined first through experience, then through discussion. The result is a one-of-a-kind program that nurtures the highest artistic standards and offers participants the opportunity to refine their voice as a teaching artist, elevate their practice, and reconnect with their passion for the craft of acting.
In the 21 years since its inception the program has graduated more than 250 alumni, many of whom are now teaching at premier institutions across the country. Its faculty over the years have included an extraordinary group of teachers and guest artists including its four founding faculty: Earle Gister, Michael Kahn, Lloyd Richards, Ron Van Lieu; who have been joined in the ensuing years by Maria Aitken, Christopher Bayes, Alexandra Billings, Per Brahe, David Bridel Sharon Marie Carnicke, Robert Cohen, Slava Dolgachev, Olympia Dukakis, Richard Feldman, Catherine Fitzmaurice, Peter Jay Fernandez, Joanna Merlin, Jane Nichols, Fay Simpson, and Gregory Wallace, among others.
Presented in collaboration with
The New York Teacher Development Program is made possible through the generous support of the Lui & Wan Foundation.
The workshop is an intensive two-week immersion with approximately 100 hours of instruction. Classes run Monday through Friday from 10:00am to 10:00pm with additional classes on Saturday morning.
Classes in Los Angeles will take place on the campus of USC. Classes in New York will take place on the campus of NYU.
A detailed weekly schedule, as well as reading list and preparation materials will be shared with admitted participants in the weeks prior to the workshop.
Applications are now being accepted and are evaluated on a rolling basis.
For full consideration, please submit all materials by March 22, 2018.
Enrollment is limited. We encourage you to apply early to avoid disappointment. Admission is made on a rolling basis to give applicants time to secure funding. Some education institutions have funds available to support faculty in professional development.
Admission is based on your stated personal approach to the actor’s process, your background, and your demonstrated interest in personal and professional development. To apply, please prepare the following items and attach on the application form at the bottom of this page.
Tuition for the 2019 Teacher Development Program is $3,800.
Some education institutions and foundations have funds available to support faculty in professional development. We encourage all participants to explore these avenues for financial support. Discounts are also made available to existing members of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers and alumni of the program.
Participants are responsible for their own housing accommodations.
In 2017, we began offering three professional development fellowships for acting teachers providing full scholarship to the program. Applications for these fellowships will open shortly for the 2019 cycle.
In addition, we offer some partial scholarships for adjunct faculty, instructors, and coaches without access to professional development funding. We also offer need-based and merit-based scholarships to individuals who would otherwise not be able to attend. In order to be eligible for scholarships, individuals should first submit their application to the Teacher Development Program. Subsequently, please write to Managing Director, Alex Birnie at abirnie@actingteachers.org to inquire about scholarship availability.
The Teacher Development Program originated at The Actors Center in New York in 1996. In the 21 years since its inception the program has graduated more than 250 alumni, many of whom are now teaching at premier institutions across the country. Founded by J. Michael Miller, the program’s four initial faculty included Earle Gister, Michael Kahn, Lloyd Richards, and Ron Van Lieu. In 2017, the program expanded to the west coast for the first time and now continues on both coasts each summer.
Over the years, TDP faculty and guest speakers have included:
Maria Aitken
Christopher Bayes
Alexandra Billings
Per Brahe
David Bridel
Sharon Marie Carnicke
Robert Cohen
Slava Dolgachev
Olympia Dukakis
William Esper
Peter Jay Fernandez
Catherine Fitzmaurice
Richard Feldman
Earle Gister
Michael Kahn
Joanna Merlin
Jane Nichols
Hugh O’Gorman
Lloyd Richards
Fay Simpson
Ron Van Lieu
Gregory Wallace