 | |
| Type | Privatedrama school |
|---|---|
| Established | 1884 |
| Founder | Franklin Haven Sargent |
| Endowment | Approx. $5 million |
| President | Susan Zech |
Academic staff | New York total: 39[1] (31 of 39 part time) Los Angeles total: 50[1] (41 of 50 part-time) |
Administrative staff | New York: 39[2] Los Angeles: 39[2] |
| Students | New York: 524[3] Los Angeles: 303[3] |
Other students | Summer Intensives |
| Location | , United States |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Gold and Black |
| Affiliations | NAICU,MSA |
| Website | www |
 | |
 | |
TheAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is aprivatedrama school with two locations, one inNew York City and one inLos Angeles. The academy offers anassociate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related arts in the areas of theater, film, and television. Students also have the opportunity to audition for the third-year theater company, which showcases upcoming talent to the school and community. Students can usually transfer completed credits to another college or university to finish abachelor's degree if they choose.
The oldest acting school in the English-speaking world,[4] the academy inNew York City was founded in 1884 by Franklin Haven Sargent, a graduate ofHarvard University and professor of speech and elocution at his alma mater.[5] Sargent's vision was to establish a school to train actors for thestage. Its first home was the originalLyceum Theatre on what is now Park Avenue South. In 1963, the school moved to its current home, a landmark building designed by theAmerican Renaissance architectStanford White for theColony Club.[6]
In 1974, the academy opened another campus inPasadena, California, which made it the only professional actor-training school in both major centers of American entertainment. TheLos Angeles campus moved from Pasadena to Hollywood in 2001 in a new building next to theJim Henson Company Lot. In April 2024, the academy announced the closure of the Los Angeles campus after the 2024–2025 academic year due to declining enrollment and financial pressures.[7][8]
The academy remains dedicated to training professional actors. It offers a two-year program in which students have to be invited back for the second year. Auditions are held at the end of the second year for the third-year company.[9] As well as training for the theatre, it now offers courses infilm andtelevision, providing a structured, professionally oriented program that stresses self-discovery, self-discipline and individuality. Students who graduate in New York receive an Associate of Occupational Studies degree; students who graduate in Hollywood receive a Certificate of Completion or an Associate of Arts degree in acting.[10][11]
Numerous students of the academy have gone on to have notable careers in the entertainment industry.[12][13]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
