Ward Studio

I really only started booking serious work after completing my Meisner training with Wendy Ward. Since I finished, I've booked three network co-star roles and a major movie coming out this year and keep getting called back by the same casting directors. If you want to become a serious actor, I hands-down recommend training with Wendy. Most other studios coddle their actors, ""nurturing their creative sensitivity"" never really truly allowing them to fully develop their potential. This is one of the toughest industry and Wendy will not let you create excuses for yourself. Discipline, confidence and truth is what you will learn with the Ward Acting Studio. more

One of the best decisions I have made in my creative life was to sign up to do Meisner with the Ward Acting Studio. It is something I think every serious performer should consider doing. I have found it to be challenging, very rewarding and worth every cent. Wendy is the best kind of teacher, the kind that pushes, tests and encourages you to be best actor, no excuses. You will work extremely hard and there will be times you wonder if you can keep going but do. Fight through it and I guarantee you will surprise yourself. \r \r For those who have completed Tech classes, do participate in the Advanced Performance Workshop if you can. You will get the opportunity work closely with Wendy to devise a performance, utilising all the skills and techniques you have learnt in the Tech classes. Without a doubt it is the best way to practicably put your newly developing Meisner skills into action. I found it to be the most rewarding stage experience and recommend it, and the Tech classes, to everyone and anyone. You will not regret it. \r more

If you want to be the best, you have to work with the best. Wendy Ward is the best acting teacher and coach, period. You will not find a teacher that cares more about their students than Wendy Ward. Her commitment to the craft knows no bounds. I have never worked with a more professional staff than at the Ward Studio. The classes are always kept small and intimate, and thus students always receive a great deal of personal attention. It’s also worth noting that for the best training around, how incredibly affordable the program is. Wendy even offers payment plans! Wendy also offers Skype coaching for students and graduates. She will definitely be my acting coach for the rest of my career! So in conclusion, if you are ready to receive the best training and be all that you can be as an actor, I think the Ward Studio is for you. more

She worked me extremely hard And was often particularly, and relentlessly, tough on me. I have cried, sobbed, felt humiliated, defeated, and confused. And she is the best acting teacher I have ever studied with The greatest teacher I have ever known She changed my acting My life She opened my mind and heart to the human experience Taught me hard life lessons no one else was willing to push me to realize I am a different person, and actor, because of Wendy Ward. I have much to thank her for. She gave me the greatest, most creatively satisfying, and challenging, experience of my life. I will continue to study with Wendy and recommend her. more

I meet Ms. Ward a year ago when I found out about her 6 weeks intensive and decided to participate in it. Before this I engaged in numerous workshops varying in technique and approach, as a building block to my professional carrier. And I must admit that most of the workshops in the past, were exploring what is the essence of true performance and at times real moments were experienced. However these moments were fleeting, and impossible to reproduce beyond the boundaries of the workshop. After having done the six weeks intensive with Ward Acting Studio, there was an instant understanding that the seeking for the best workshop has ended, and that the real work and training in the craft of acting began. Also this was the beginning of my carrier as an actor. In my experience this was accomplished by the straightforward teaching of Meisner approach to acting, by the audition and text classes incorporated in the intensive, by the follow up training available, and mostly by Ms. Ward's never ending dedication to her students and their excellence. If you wish to train with a master I'd recommend training with Ms. Wendy Ward. more

If you're looking for 6 weeks that will completely change your outlook on acting and begin transforming your work from simply entertaining to actually compelling, I would recommend you spend some time in the studio with Wendy. The intensive is not a summer program designed to be a teaser for a longer program. She teaches you everything she can in six weeks, meaning that she doesn't waste time consoling your ego when you're struggling. Be prepared for this, and understand you'll be a stronger artist for it. Wendy has a sharp eye for affected behavior and a keen sense on how to correct it. You will discover your biggest competition is yourself, freeing you to have confidence in the work that only you as an individual can produce. That realization in itself is well worth the time and money spent at the Ward Studio. more

All right! It's friday and yesterday was the last day of the course. I've waited to write a review till the end of the course, although I wanted to do it just after the first week. Why? Because the night before I decided to do the course and pay for it, I read the review here in citysearch, and one of them was so so so bad that I got scared and nearly decided not to do the course because I didn't want to find myself having paid quite a money to a bad teacher. But then I decided to follow my instinct and I rememer the extremelly professional and also generous talk I'd had on the phone with her who explained to me some basic of the course was about. \r So the course is finished and I can say how beautiful it's been. Wendy is just AMAZING! And for the ones who are scare of tough people (like i've alway been), just know that, first: if she weren't that tough, she wouldn't be that good. Her being tough is not about power, but about concrete talk, concretelly hit bad habits that make a bad actor; second: she's tough when you do need to be hit, non always; third: she's perfectlly able to tell when you're good and when you work well and actually she makes sure you feel the difference in your good work and in your bad work; fourth: she is an amingly sensitive person and if you look at her eyes you can see such sweetness, such wit, such comprehension on human being; fifht: she is so so so generous in her teaching, she's always, each second 100% there with you. always. she's never never never superficial in the way she lead the class; sixth: she really wants you to be a good actor in the way it's good for you to be a good actor, and what I mean by that is that everything is about who you really are. so working with her is not about learning how to fake well, but it's about being! for real, on stage. ""Casting directors don't want you to be interesting. They want you to be real!"".\r taht's it. I hope it wasn't too long, but I writing just to tell the people out there who do not know who to study with, well: Go to Wendy and her wonderful career and voice teacher.\r Onether thing: I'm italian (I might have made mistakes...) and she perfectlly knew whether there was a language limit (which might have happened really few times) and when there was an acting problem. \r So: she knows what to tell and when to any specific person!\r Good luck and have fun!\r aglaia more

I recently completed the Meisner training with Wendy Ward of the Ward Studio. NOW and only now after completing the training do I feel that I can actually ACT!!! It's very very important in this industry to work from an honest, true, real place... casting directors, directors, producers don't want to EVER see someone 'acting' and it translates as phony on camera... Wendy's training has brought me to a place as an actor where all I EVER do is tell the truth and it's paid off! I've been supporting myself as an actor (and actor only) for about a year and just relocated to LA where I'm finding great results!!! I absolutely attribute this to Wendy's training! She herself is very fair with her students. She expects excellence all around. She also is exceptionally generous with her encouragement... she WANTS her students to succeed. She's honest with how she runs her studio. One NEVER has to worry about not receiving what they pay for. She has the utmost respect for artists and treats them accordingly. I highly HIGHLY recommend working with Wendy if you are interested in becoming the kind of actor who has the skills to succeed in this difficult and competitive field. Pros: All Pros more

I have been taking classes with Wendy at the Ward Studio since September and I can tell you from experience it is well worth the work. Wendy gives her students a realistic approach to acting that benefits not only their performances but their reactions to the difficulties in the industry as well. She is extremely dedicated to her students and pushes each and every one to be the best possible performer they can be. The Meisner Technique in and of itself is a wonderful way to bring about real and true emotions in ones performance and Wendy is especially good at helping her students find emotional states within themselves that otherwise would have remained buried. Not only can she do this, but she helps her students to harness their new found abilities and use them in the way they are needed for whatever part they are asked to play. If you want to be a genuine actor who has the guts to face the tough realities of the industry and can back up their toughness with confident talent, this is the place for you! more

After too many acting classes in boasting NYC studios filled with exercises that always left me thinking ""Okay... but how does that relate to ACTUAL scene work?"" I skated out my final revolving door and found the Ward Acting Studio. Wendy Ward's studio is a boutique. A focused environment with committed students and an even more committed teacher. You work EVERY class. Wendy's keen eye for bullshit and no nonsense approach to giving notes never leaves you with any gray area of ""what did she mean by that?"" Wendy sets the bar high and teaches you to be SPECIFIC in your acting. And after you learn that, you start to see it's the piece most actor's are missing. I've never worked harder and never gotten so much out of a class or program before. You will see the change in yourself, and be motivated by your classmates improvement! The proof is in the pudding. Go to a play at the studio and the students work will speak for itself. Specific, honest, and simple. A committed graduate of the Ward Studio, I'm now a working actor living in Los Angeles. Along with the rest of Wendy's alumni who has migrated here, I often wish Wendy would come out for a brush up course. I'm sure I've gotten lazy.. Pros: Master Meisner Teacher- no snow job more

The Ward studio offers an unparalleled technique to becoming an actor. The Meisner approach, taught by Wendy Ward, is by far the most efficient and logical technique that every actor hopes to come across in their training. I have studied under many different teachers around the world, yet when comparing the training I have received at Ward Studio to all previous training, it becomes blatantly obvious that Wendy’s approach to teaching is vastly superior to anything else which I have experienced internationally. After completing the 6-week summer Meisner intensive in 2009 at Ward Studio, I found Wendy to be a master teacher of the Meisner technique and the best teacher I have trained with. I laid new foundations for my acting which in turn helped me become a stronger actor and secure numerous auditions and casting based on my training alone. Wendy takes her time to assess each individual students ability. She offers a detailed critique to enable each individual actor to find the flaws in their acting. She is down to earth and tells you truthfully how you are progressing as an actor, which is the most beneficial thing about training at Ward. How can you expect to get better as an actor if you are not willing to be challenged? The time spent in every class is always productive. Wendy utilises the time with students effectively and efficiently. She never compromises quality for time management. As I was an international student Wendy insured I fit all my training in before I left by organising subsidiary classes for myself and fellow international students. In short Wendy Ward is a master teacher in the Meisner approach. I have known no other institution or teacher to offer such a level of quality training. Those lucky enough to train here are far ahead of their fellow actors. If you are serious about acting, then there is no other place to be. Pros: Detailed critique, Quality Training, For the real actor more

Wendy Ward teaches the Meisner technique. i did the 6 week summer intensive in 2009 and it completely changed me. in fact i decided to come back to new york for Tech 2, which is what i'm doing now (jan 2010) i became far more humble and grounded. i realised that my public solitude (the ability to be alone in front of an audience/camera crew) needs a lot of work. i learned to read the behaviour of the other people in the scene (and respond to said behaviour, which keeps the scene alive). i find i surprise myself more, because my reactions are real, instead of 'this is how i would respond to this situation"" it's ""shit! this is how i AM RESPONDING to this situation"" Wendy is unapologetic and tough on her students, which is marvellous. There is no tip-toeing, she doesn't tell you that what you did was 'interesting' when it wasn't. Either it reaches the high bar she holds or it doesn't. and when you've reached the bar you know you've done well. Having said that, Wendy is absolutely soft on the inside and available to discuss anything difficult that's coming up for you as a result of the training. she really is brilliant. Pros: Ms Ward has really high expectations for her students more

Training at the Ward studio is like training to be in the "" special forces"" of acting. It is truly amazing ! I use the phrase "" special forces"" because the Ward Studio will make you an elite force to be reckoned with in the industry! Wendy is an amazing teacher with a wealth of experience and knowledge. Wendy figures out her students and identifys the best way to explain her point to the particular individual. Give her 100 percent of your energy, drive and commitment. You can be rest assured Wendy will give you the same in return. This is a serious school for people who are serious about acting. This does not mean you need to be an academy award winning actor/actress to go there ( I was a beginner myself) it just means you need the heart and drive to go there. Wendy and her Staff cultivate a feeling of family in the studio. It is an amazing feeling to open the door and know this is where you belong! You will also train with people from all over the world and different parts of the United States. The bottom line is this : The Ward Studio is an amazing place to train and will improve your acting beyond any previous bar you have set for your self. more

I am now taking my third technique course with Wendy Ward at the Ward Studio and intend to take an audition course in the Spring. I have put my money where my mouth is in praising this studio - in the fall I lost my job and tuition for the spring came due before it was clear whether or not I'd be eligible for unemployment. I paid it in full out of my limited savings because I know that as a young actor, there was no place that would serve me better and that I would work everything else out around moving forward in my training at the Ward Studio. Wendy is an expert in her craft and is able to translate this into helpful notes with every exercise and/or performance. Her manner is direct and frank and she is invested in the success of every single student. She never plays favorites; she simply invests as much energy into you and you invest in the class. If you're the kind to show up late or unprepared, don't expect to be coddled along. If you show up on time and demonstrating dedication, she will help you advance light years in your craft. The prices at the Ward studio are absolutely reasonable for what you get out of studying there. I have taken cheaper classes elsewhere, and I got what I paid for. After my first class with Wendy I haven't considered studying anywhere else. Pros: Exceptional instruction, small class size more

Wendy Ward is a terrific teacher and painstaking perfectionist. Therefore, classes are sometimes terrifying and always challenging. This is not the school for you if you need your ego stroked, but it is a brilliant, well explained introduction to the Meisner technique. Wendy offers genuine feedback on in class work for the serious actor. Classes are small and supportive. Everyone could use some training the Ward studio. Pros: Location, class sizes, committed staff. more

She doesn't 'push you."" More often, she wants to humiliate you with the power she has over her students. She did attempt to be sketchy with a money situation with me. Though, usually she s pretty flexible. To the students she does like...she is very dedicated to them. Although, I often feel she lets her personal feelings for her students, get into her teaching. She is brilliant...but she needs a break to re-evaluate her treatment of many of her students. There should be more class time. Pros: Great Teacher Cons: Only who she chooses to be one to. Often a very nasty person more

This school is for people who are really serious when they say they want to be a professional actor. This school is not for babies who want to take a class where they will be told how wonderful they are all the time. This school is for people who want the best Meisner training in New York City and who want to be able to graduate ready to go straight out and start booking acting work!\r \r The Ward Studio has a Six-Week Intensive Program (perfect for students not from NYC) and a Part-Time Acting Program (the duration is 3 months and classes met 2-3 times a week). They also offer voice classes, audition technique training, text classes and monologue sessions. The training is hard but incredibly satisfying and will completely change you from the kind of actor you are into the kind of actor you need to be to have a real career. The faculty is absolutely committed to each and every student and they do everything in their power to help you overcome the hurdles you will face during your training. Wendy is not just an acting teacher she is an artist. She teaches with passion and with an absolute love for what she does and that is a really rare thing in this city. To be taught by an actual artist who inspires you and who enriches your experience training at the school with over 20 years experience is something that every student of acting deserves. \r \r If you really want to become an actor and you really want to get serious about getting your career going then this is definitely the school for you. You don't need to look any further. Pros: Exceptional teaching, best results, convenient location, great value more

I spent two semesters at this studio. I was not satisfied from week one. Three hour classes often finish within 1.5 hours. Wendy will tell you that this is because she doesn't need 3 hours to train you but I discovered that this wasn't at all true once I went to another studio (where students have longer to work and thus teachers used all of the class time plus sum). Wendy was encouraging to her favourite students while she ignored others. She actually made derogatory, judgemental and cruel comments about students behind their backs to other students (yes, to me on a number of occasions). Wendy was hot-tempered and moody. Wendy did not explain the technique well and refused to answer questions. It is very difficult to explain what was so dissatisfying about this school. I was unhappy at this school and did not feel supported or secure in what I was learning. I couldn't put my finger on what exactly was wrong with the War Studio. It wasn't only Wendy's teaching style and personality; there was also something else lacking in the training. It wasn't until I finally left and started studying at another school (William Esper) that I realised how weak Wendy's understanding of Meisner is and how poorly she teaches it. Do yourself a favour and don't go here. more

Class size is small enough for individual attention, yet enough people to make the experience with other actors a positive learning experience. The teacher really cares about the class and the integrity of the of the art or acting. This studio is highly recommended for Misner work as well as other classes the studio offers. I am almost done with my 2nd semester of Misner training and feel confident to start going out into the acting world. Do youself a favor, and check it out. Pros: Attention, Cost, Quality more