The mission of The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is to create an environment that nurtures theatre artists who value humanity, their own and others, as their first priority while providing art and education to the greater community. Since its founding in 1949 the Studio has trained thousands of actors who have gone on to important theater and film careers including Marlon Brando, Elaine Stritch, Mark Ruffalo, Benicio del Toro and Bryce Dallas Howard. Our roots, however, go back even farther, to Jacob P. Adler, one of the great actors of the American Yiddish Theater, and also include Harold Clurman, Stella’s second husband and co-founder of the Group Theater. The spirit that has animated the Adler family for over one hundred years stems from the insight that growth as an actor and growth as a human being are synonymous. In 1969, The Stella Adler Studio became the first professional training school to become affiliated with NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

The scope of the Studio’s current activities can be summarized in three categories: 1) Professional Actor Training, the core activity of the Studio; 2) Stella Adler Outreach Division, providing free training to low income inner city teenagers and 3) The Harold Clurman Art Series presenting cultural events that are free and open to the public. Recent participants include Julianne Moore, Harold Mabern, Harold Bloom, John Patrick Shanley, Mark Strand and David Amram.

The Stella Adler Studio upholds a unique focus in American actor training. Like Jacob, Stella and Harold, the Studio affirms that the primary function of theater is to uplift humanity. A successful student for Stella, as for the Studio, is not necessarily one who becomes famous or rich, but one who connects to their deeper self and to our shared humanity. The Studio is a cultural center determined to train actors and support artists, not despite, but in the face of a world in crisis. Programs like the Outreach Division help to create an environment for all students to become actors like Stella and those in the Group Theater – actors who are socially and consciously aware and whose awareness contributes to their ability to act passionately.

April 2008

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is featured in the New York Times in an article by Joseph Berger. Click here to read the article in full.

March 2008

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, in collaboration with the Scheider Family, announces the Roy Scheider Scholarship Fund. Steven Spielberg kicked off the fund with a $50,000 gift in Mr. Scheider’s name. This fund memorializes Mr. Scheider and his passion for art and truth while enabling future generations of theater artists to receive training of the highest quality. The Roy Scheider Scholarship Endowment Fund makes a four year commitment to the growth of each awardee. Roy Scheider scholar-actors will be selected from the Stella Adler Outreach Division on a need and talent basis.

Roy Scheider was a beloved friend and board member of the Stella Adler Studio. This special relationship began in 1965 when Roy appeared in Tartuffe directed by Harold Clurman at Lincoln Center. Scheider and Clurman, Stella Adler’s second husband and co-founder of the Group Theater, developed a life-long friendship. Roy and Harold worked together many more times: in a U.S. State Department cultural exchange program, through the National Repertory Theater, in Arthur Miller’s Incident at Vichy (Roy played a Nazi General), and in Eugene O’Neil’s Long Day’s Journey into Night(with Roy playing Jamie Tyrone). Roy once said of Harold that he “always left their conversations feeling a foot taller.”

Monday, February 11 , 2008
The 14th Annual Shakespeare Benefit for BC/EFA

On Monday, February 11th, 2008, the Stella Adler Studio presented the 14th Annual Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS Shakespeare Benefit in memory of our friend and faculty member Casey Kissiah. The company was made up of NYU, Conservatory, and Alumni, making this an entire student body effort. This year, the Studio raised the largest amount to date, $4454.15, making the Stella Adler Studio a BC/EFA Angel once again.

August 2007

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is proud to report a first time award from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The $15,000 grant will enable increased programming for the Stella Adler Outreach Division and the Harold Clurman Center for New Works in Movement and Dance Theater (or MAD). The Outreach Division has provided free actor training to over 700 of New York City’s low income aspiring artists since 2004. Through it’s residency program MAD provides space grants and performance opportunities for emerging choreographers to create and present new work. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is profoundly grateful for the support of New York City and the Department of Cultural Affairs.

April 2, 2007

An anonymous donor has pledged a $100,000 challenge grant to kick off the Stella Adler Studio of Acting’s Capital Campaign to obtain a permanent home in New York City. The donor would like to maximize the use of their dollars by requiring a matching grant in the same amount. The Studio is reaching out to individuals, foundations and corporations in an effort to leverage this amazing gift and find the person or company who can, along with the anonymous donor, launch the Studio’s Capital Campaign. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is deeply grateful for this anonymous pledge. For more information please contact Nina Capelli at (212)689-0087, ext. 27 or nina@stellaadler.com

Growth as an actor and growth as a human being are synonymous. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is a 501(c)3 non profit organization dedicated to the perpetuation of this idea, so elemental to the life, work and spirit of Stella Adler. Our mission is to create an environment with the purpose of nurturing theatre artists who value humanity, their own and others, as their first and most precious priority while providing art and education to the greater community.

click here for more information about donating

The Stella Adler NYU 4th Year Company Industry Showcase
May 12th, 2008 @ 6:30
May 13th,2008 @ 2:30 & 6:30
31 W 27th St, 3rd Floor, Between Broadway & 6th
Reservations are highly recommended
please call: 212 689 0087
click here to visit our showcase website