Visual & Performing Arts

Program Description

American Academy of Dramatic Arts

		Program Description Program Overview Get Free Info Web Site Visit Email a Friend

Whether students aspire to the stages of Broadway or the soundstages of Burbank, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) has both the location and the program to move them closer to their dream. Founded in 1884 as the first acting school in America, the Academy stresses practical, professional training for stage, film, and television. With campuses in both New York City and Los Angeles, the Academy offers the aspiring actor a stimulating, inspiring environment and a fertile ground for professional and personal growth.

The Academy has a full-time, two-year, college-accredited conservatory program; a third-year of advanced performance and professional showcase (Academy Company); and a six-week Summer Program. It also offers evening and Saturday programs for those unable to commit to full-time training. For students who desire a bachelor’s degree, the Academy has articulation agreements with St. John’s University and Hunter College in New York and Antioch University in Los Angeles. For more information, students should call the Admissions Office on the New York campus at 800-463-8990 or 800-222-2867 (toll-free) in Los Angeles.

The Academy alumni list is an impressive one, with prominent names from all aspects of the entertainment industry, past and present, including 5 Kennedy Center honorees. AADA alumni have been nominated for a total of 72 Oscars, 211 Emmys, and 82 Tonys, with Spencer Tracy, Cecil B. DeMille, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Kim Cattrall, Paul Rudd, and Adrien Brody among their ranks.

Academy students come from all parts of the United States, from Canada, and from other countries as well, extending to Europe and Asia and South America and involving such countries as Singapore and Azerbaijan. The Academy goes to great lengths to invite talent from around the world to enlarge its tradition and to integrate its work in the world community of artists. The Academy community is enriched by the cultures and contributions of talented actors from this country and the fellowship of actors that exists worldwide.

Approximately 60 percent of the entering students are recent high school graduates. Others transfer to the Academy from traditional colleges to study acting in a more concentrated, professional environment. The program is highly structured, focusing on acting, voice and speech, and movement, with an emphasis on self-discipline, self-discovery, and, above all, individuality. At each stage of development, students’ classroom knowledge is evaluated through performance projects, scene work, or onstage performances. Students who do extremely well in the program may be invited to join the Academy Company, which offers actors further performance opportunities, often in the presence of casting directors, agents, and other industry professionals.

Students invited to the second year may apply to transfer from one campus to the other.

In place of on-campus student housing, the AADA offers a variety of attractive off-campus options through special arrangements with a local housing resource for student housing or other types of housing services, depending upon the student’s choice of location.

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit and need and may supplement other forms of financial aid. First Year scholarships are determined by the student’s admission application and audition. Second Year and Academy Company students may apply for scholarships by writing to the Academy’s Scholarship Committee.

Facilities

 AADA New York is housed in the six-story landmark Stanford White Building in the heart of midtown Manhattan. AADA Los Angeles is located in the heart of Hollywood, adjacent to the former Charlie Chaplin studios. Each site includes classrooms, rehearsal halls, movement studios, production and costume departments, a library/learning center, a video studio, and theaters.

Faculty

 The Academy’s faculty is composed of seasoned instructors, trained by master teachers, and working professional guest directors, all well-trained within their own disciplines and examples of the excellence that the Academy hopes to instill in its students.

Student Performances

 Students perform roles in four first-year performance projects and at least three second-year projects and full productions. Academy Company performs, on average, twelve fully-mounted productions each year and a final showcase.

Career Advisement

 Seminars offered by career counselors provide the practical information actors need to initiate professional careers. The Academy also offers Q&A events with professional actors who generously share their experiences and advice. In addition, the Academy is host to SAG Foundation events that provide SAG members and Academy students the opportunity to participate in conversations with celebrities as well as career advice seminars.

Application Procedures

Deadline--freshmen and transfers: continuous. Required: essay, high school transcript, college transcript(s) for transfer students, 2 letters of recommendation, interview, audition. Recommended: minimum 2.0 high school GPA, SAT or ACT test scores. Auditions held 1 time on campus and off campus in various cities in the U.S..

Undergraduate Contact

Ms. Karen Higginbotham, Director of Admissions, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, 120 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016-7004; 212-686-0620 ext. 315, fax: 212-696-1284.