Best drama schools in California: find options near you

The Groundlings School teaches a foundation that is not only about comedy. It’s about linking ideas together and supporting each other. I had the privilege of taking a class here that reminded me of our basic tools to make an improvised scene occur. It is taught in a true ‘drill’ like fashion. Getting ‘the reps’ in feels good as it takes the pressure off the end result. I had the pleasure of having the fantastic teacher Echo Cullem. He teaches from the heart, knows the rhythm of a scene and how things should feel. He is a person we could trust as a group collective and one that made me feel open and able to adjust and learn. Eco reminds us that ‘The most important person in a scene is your scene partner.’ Our class was lucky to be given this amazing experience and I will miss each and every one of my talented classmates. Training at The Groundling is an honor for any funny or talented person who might be blocked or need to hit reset and you owe it to your talent and your Los Angeles story to train here.

This is a house of alchemy and magic. Before your very eyes, they transform a few suggested words into comedy gold. Simply a comedy "must". We love this place — so much so, that we are annual members even though we live in Norhern California. Their main shows usually kill and their totally improv shows can turn even lame audience suggestions into side splitting laughter. Do NOT miss going here.

I can’t believe The Groundlings is still the farm team for SNL talent. What a snoozer last night which was supposed to be improv night. None of the cast was remotely funny. It looks like they had plants in the audience who would laugh at anything too. They might as well have gone with a laugh track. The last time I went to a Groundlings show over two decades when Mike McDonald was in the cast it was hilarious. Again last night’s show was sadly pathetic. Reminds me of the Improv scene in Ted 2 when the cast would not take any suggestions lol

First time and really enjoyed it. Nice location and stage. Coming from Chicago who has a history of great improv it was great to see this famous location.

Great comedy with famous people you’ve seen in things but can’t quite place. Definitely worth the trip and the hassle of parking. Definitely worth a trip to LA from wherever you live that isn’t LA. Come to Groundlings. Don’t go to any other improve show ever!

First timer here. Nice historical theater that's been well preserved and restored to its original condition. Not a bad seat in the house!

Went to the sold-out O-Town, Chris Kirkpatrick, and LFO Pop 2000 Tour last night and was BLOWN AWAY! Hope they come back to Tracy again soon! 🍾🎉 Love the people who work here and how they keep the space. 🩵 Def excited for more events like this one at The Grand! I am also thinking about taking some of the pottery and glass making classes they offer too! 🧐🏺

Great theater! Been remodeled. We have seen quite a few shows. Decent prices.

First time ever attending this place when to seek Con Funk Shun I will be back lot of good shows lots of parking close to the venue had a great time

Being new to this area I've slowly been exploring and I feel so fortunate that my daughter has a performance for her school here. It's so beautiful and historic. The sound was amazing and there was even a consession stand! If you can get tickets to something at the theater I would!!! Beautiful addition to this beautiful town! 😍 It would be amazing for a wedding venue to!!

Saw the second concert I've seen at this venue tonight. Both times the music was awesome, but the sound must have been run by a drunk monkey, you couldn't hear the singing at all. Is there a sound engineer at The Grand?

It was awesome 👌plus the inside of the theater is so beautiful even the harmonica players I went to see mentioned that. The acoustic sound was really good for a concert.

So happy to have found Actor’s Edge. Alyssa has enjoyed every session from commercials to skits to movies and music videos! This is her passion and loves all the hands-on opportunities, and projects they have worked on since joining. Such a welcoming environment and well run program. Aaron is a passionate and talented instructor. So supportive of his students. We are so lucky to have such a talented individual teaching here in the central coast! Alyssa is so excited for the start of the next season!

Actor’s Edge has been such a wonderful experience. Aaron is an incredible instructor! He's patient, creative, and clearly passionate about what he does. He creates an environment where kids truly feel comfortable being themselves, and it’s amazing to see how much he values everyone’s ideas and input when creating their movies. This class is perfect for creative kids and especially great for building confidence in a fun, supportive way. Highly recommend!

Our family absolutely loves Actor’s Edge! Our daughter has a deep passion for acting, but she’s also naturally shy. Aaron has helped her build confidence in a way that no other acting teacher has been able to. She beams when I pick her up after class and eagerly tells me about the games, activities, and challenges they worked on that day. Not only is she developing her acting skills, but she’s also gaining valuable life skills like public speaking, creative and adaptive thinking, collaboration, and self-confidence. We are so grateful that Aaron shares his talents with the Central Coast each week. His abilities as an acting coach are truly impressive, but what stands out even more is the genuine connection he builds with the kids in his classes. He creates an environment where they feel seen, supported, and empowered to grow. We are continually amazed by the positive impact he has had on our daughter and highly recommend Actor’s Edge to any family looking for an exceptional acting program.

My 11-year-old daughter has been attending Actor's Edge for the past year and absolutely loves it. She has found a supportive community where she feels comfortable taking creative risks, building confidence, and having fun. In fact, she always looks forward to class and has a great time every week. Through Aaron Metchik's instruction, she has learned improv, on-camera acting, auditioning, commercial acting, and even aspects of filmmaking behind the camera, including helping develop ideas and scripts for class projects. She recently landed a role in a short film, which we credit in large part to the skills and confidence she gained at Actor's Edge. We are incredibly grateful for the positive, encouraging environment Aaron and his team have created. I highly recommend Actor's Edge to any young person interested in acting and filmmaking. We are grateful to have Aaron and Actor's Edge here on the Central Coast.

Aaron has been an exceptional mentor to our daughter. Having recently attended the end of session performance and hearing Aaron share about each student and their progress, his passion for what he does is palpable and you know it comes from a sincere space. His methods inspire the student from within, really allowing them to come into their roles and writing. We feel grateful to have him at our daughter's side as she continues to challenge herself in this space of performance. Thank you to the whole Actor's Edge Team! Sabrina is a dream too in answering all of our questions!

Great venue, plenty of parking and great community events!

An incredible theater and one of the "jewels" of San Leandro. The venue showcases the amazing talent of San Leandro students.

Great theater and home of SLAM, the San Leandro Academy for Multimedia

I went here for High School and graduated class of 93. How things have changed. The school changes so much. The theater is a beautiful addition to the school. Went to my niece's school orchestra school performance. So many talented students. Glad it's not just a gym for every award ceremony and shows like back in the days.

The AEC is a beautiful place for school events. The seats are comfortable and you have a good view from every angle. It’s encouraging to see the students creativity come alive.

Lovely grounds. Clean and easy to navigate inside. A lot of notable people have graduated from this institute.

Such an incredible college for the arts! The tour was outstanding and the facilities are gorgeous, modern and clean. Far exceeded my already super optimistic expectations of what I envisioned this school of the arts to be!

Located in the Santa Clara area of California in the United States, the California Institute of the Arts was formed by the merger of the Chouinard Art Institute, which was established in 1921, and the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, which was established in 1883, and is an art colleage where art and music coexist. The alumni association was founded in 1965 by Walt Disney's younger brother, Roy Disney, and is now considered the most prestigious college with the most expensive tuition and the best professors, faculties and graduates in the field. There are majors of Art & Technology, Program in Art, Photography and Media, and Graphic Design.

In 2018, I visited the California Institute of the Arts for my university trip. CalArts is the most prestigious institution in California. I had a tour around the school, looked at some student artwork and the campus was astonishing. I first heard of CalArts in "The Pixar Story" where some alumni attended there and later employed at Disney such as John Lasseter, John Musker and Brad Bird. It was such a wonderful visit to CalArts.

They had a large grass area as well as a place for people to sit on concrete seats. It was a bring your own food put your blanket on the grass and enjoy the show. It was a great show.

I truly appreciate how Amanda makes herself available and how consistently she responds to emails. That level of communication means so much, especially in this industry. Her staff is just as responsive with every question and request has been met with kindness, clarity, and professionalism. What stands out most is how genuinely Amanda cares about her students and their families. She takes the time to see each child’s strengths, and I’m grateful for how she recognized my daughter’s talent early on. Through their talent showcase program, my daughter was discovered by a reputable talent agency, and that opportunity has been such a blessing for our family. We’ve had a wonderful experience, and I’m thankful for the heart and dedication Amanda and her team bring to their work. Thank you, Amanda! – The Santos Family

Super satisfied with my progress in the art of acting. I'm in the adult classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and instructor Conn excels with helping me to improve the characters I'm playing. The atmosphere is cheerful and supportive. I appreciate the improv warm up, and the overly class structure. In our 2.5 hours, we accomplish a lot. Also, I spoke with Amanda, who runs the studio, and I felt the warmth she put into the customer service of the studio. Thank you so much!

3-2-1 Acting Studios has been amazing for my son, Alek! He’s learned so much and gained incredible confidence since joining. The teachers are supportive, patient, and truly bring out the best in each student. We’re so grateful for how much he’s grown, both as an actor and as a person!

3-2-1 Acting Studios has been SO amazing for my daughter! She has learned so much from her acting classes in such a short amount of time! Amanda and all of the staff have been so wonderful and attentive in making sure each student is getting the best experience possible! My daughter will definitely be continuing her classes here to gain more knowledge and exposure. Thank you so much, 3-2-1!

My son has been attending classes at 3-2-1 Acting Studios, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. He truly enjoys coming to class, and we’ve seen a big improvement not only in his acting skills, but also in his confidence and comfort expressing himself. The staff and teachers are very friendly, supportive, and always responsive. They create a positive, encouraging environment where kids feel safe to learn, try new things, and grow. The showcase program is an especially great value. It offers a lot of real experience for both kids and parents, extra perks, and excellent preparation for meeting agents and managers from multiple companies. Even if representation doesn’t happen on the first try, students are always invited back to quarterly showcases with full support from the 3-2-1 Acting Studios team, which is very reassuring and motivating. We highly recommend 3-2-1 Acting Studios to any parent looking to help their child build skills, confidence, and real industry experience.

Wonderful experience, friendly energy, safe space to be bold and be your true self. I highly recommend, the staff are extremely friendly, helpful, and motivating. They’ve help me be comfortable being uncomfortable and expressive with my acting

We are truly grateful for 3-2-1 Acting Studios! Since enrolling our children, we've seen remarkable improvements in their public speaking skills and overall confidence. The nurturing environment encourages them to express themselves freely, helping them overcome fears and hesitation. Their performance in school plays has noticeably improved, showcasing increased self-assurance and enthusiasm. The dedicated instructors tailor lessons to each child's needs, fostering growth and creativity. Watching our children flourish both on and off the stage has been wonderful. We highly recommend 3-2-1 Acting Studios to any parent looking to boost their child's confidence and performance skills in a supportive, inspiring setting.

Was here to watch a choir concert. It is nice for a high school theater. Seats are comfy. Could have been more seating. Tech was working, good lighting and effects. The indoor waiting area outside of the theater is kind of small, could use some benches. Bathrooms are clean. There’s a drinking fountain. They played the concert on the TV in the hall in case you had to wait outside the theater, so you wouldn’t miss anything. Overall, 4/5.

My review is only for the theater that is one of the best for a school here in the bay area with state of the art looks and great acoustics.

I was here to watch a dance performance. The school is so big that we parked at one end as per Google maps and the auditorium was at the other end. I wish Google maps had shown that parking lot area when the auditorium address was included. It looked good, neat and clean and big enough for such a performance. There is enough space to get out and close by restrooms for both genders. I enjoyed the performance at this school auditorium.

I enjoy going to see my granddaughter's performances with The Dancers Institute. The auditorium is well taken care of! What beautiful school & performance arts building! Dublin should be very proud.

It's a good-sized theatre with enough parking for a sold out performance. The venue is also conveniently located close to I-580 and I-680. The theatre is not too big. Any section /seat has a good view of the stage and performers.

Saw a Leighton Dance Project 'recital' there (second one actually).. Have to say, Sacramento is very fortunate to have this facility and the LDP to perform there. The level of show they do is way beyond what one would expect. The audience is 90% parents and family so one expects enthusiasm. Although for this show it would've been impossible to contain it in my view. Lucky enough to have a granddaughter taking lessons at LDP therefore lucky enough to have been invited (tickets ain't free but that's fine) to the winter one (a very nutty nutcracker) and this one; "Game Night". Amazing productions of each genre and age of performing dancers. There was a poignant send off of the graduating seniors, as well as a hilarious open floor dance for dads, and also a father daughter routine which went very well and was thoroughly entertaining. What an enjoyable Saturday they both were. Leighton Dance Project is a true Gem of the region. Oh I imagine there are several troupes here, but their (LDP) shows have incredible production quality. So well thought out and put together.

Wonderful place! I've been there for multiple shows and events!

Was here for my grandson's school band concert and my first time as well. I was impressed with the quality of the place. Very nice!

Great place for a concert. The Rancho Cordova River City Concert Band was awesome.

Nice campus and friendly staff. Attended a very moving graduation for one of my boys here.

I really like NYFA because of all the opportunities it offers, not only academically, but also the chance to meet and connect with students from many different countries and cultures. I also love being surrounded by people who are part of the entertainment industry, which gives you the opportunity to build connections and learn more about the field. Another great thing about NYFA is that they offer different financial opportunities and support options to help students continue pursuing their education and professional goals.

One of the bests school in the area and industry. Offers various short term programs and also undergraduate degrees.

Can’t really see much so I’m just a wonderer walking around , maybe if you do the tour will be much better. As we know W&B produce phenomenal entertainment

As a professional filmmaker, I feel compelled to share my experience with the New York Film Academy — and it's not a positive one. My wife was a student there and wanted to give me a tour of the campus. I had an official NYFA security sticker, yet their security staff treated me with unnecessary hostility. One guard took it upon himself to deny me entry, completely ignoring the sticker and my connection to a student. To make matters worse, they later sent me a rude, unprofessional email and placed me on some sort of blacklist without any explanation. I attempted to reach out to the administration directly, hoping to resolve the situation and understand why this happened — but received no reply at all. It’s truly disappointing that an institution claiming to nurture future filmmakers would treat people this way. Unprofessional, disorganized, and completely disrespectful. NYFA seriously needs to reevaluate the people they hire and how they handle situations like this.

They do not care about hiring teachers that will harass students. I was a student there and had 2 teachers that constantly made inappropriate comments about the girls, as well as touched us with the excuse that they were correcting our posture. Another teacher I had literally called my class "a disgrace full of cry-babies" because we asked him to upload the material that was going to be on the mid-term exam. We complained as a class and nothing was done about it. The only incident where they did something was when a teacher had a tantrum in class and called an African American student the N word. These are just some examples of how they do not care at all about who they hire. The few teachers that are actually good constantly complain about how the school is trash and eventually leave after a couple semesters. In regards to the industry, they have industry showcases for agents and managers, but NO ONE ever shows up. This school is not worth anyone's time or money. Go somewhere else.

I just wanted to take this moment to thank Joanna Figueroa financial counselor. We ran into a situation. Ms. Figueroa was there for us 1,000 x's 10% of the way. We are proud to say that our son will complete his senior year. I am humbled and blessed by God for people who are willing to help with every step.

My daughter has had a fantastic time at this school and their year end Performance was fantastic.

I’m currently studying at AMDA. It’s really the best decision I have ever made. The teaching method is really good, I’m in my second semester and I feel that I already learned and developed a lot of skills. Besides that, the teachers are amazing, they are really from the industry and are giving us the real training to be there. The conservatory is intense, but that is really why Amda have a lot of amazing alumni now working in the industry. As an international student, Amda’s support from the beginning was always really important for me, and the friends that I’m making here are really the best.

I joined AMDA NYC back in 2021 Fall. This school has changed my life. Incredible staffing who are all working professionals within the acting world and all are incredibly motivated, fun and inspiring. My time at this school has been nothing but positive thus far and, the school continues to get better and better. I have done my own reading into reviews and the bad reviews have definitely changed. I have seen things change here, I have seen things become progressively better for the students here at AMDA. AMDA has become much more of a supporting and safe environment for not just me but for everybody who needs it. You certainly learn a lot here, develop great connections with your teachers and get plenty of opportunities out here. I myself, am certainly glad that I chose this school. Great friends, great classes, great locations, great teachers and all around an incredibly exiting journey.

I attended Amda for two years and finished their conservatory program in July, and I can tell you it's really not worth it going in there. Getting into the school isn't super hard, which means there are tons of people who get in and have this fantasy of being an actor and working in Hollywood, but without actually wanting to put in the effort or time to get there, which translates into lots of people who aren't willing to rehearse. But say you can't control who's with you in the program, so let's keep going. The school has a terrible and a strict absence policy, and they changed it in the last year or so so that even with a doctor's note, it's hard to make up for your attendance grade, which counts for the majority of your overall grade. Adding on to that, during my 2-year stay, from day one, we never had a nurse on the New York campus, and I've heard from faculty that the school wasn't able to find a nurse, which I'm having a hard time imagining how the school wasn't able to provide a nurse in 2 years considering that their full tuition before any scholarships amounts to $49,500. Like, where does all that money go to…? Which leads me to my next point: the cafeteria food, which consisted mostly of cold salads and celery/carrots with some dips, which then became a joke among students and even some faculty members, and I heard a teacher say they got sick after eating something from the cafeteria. And again, it makes you wonder where all the money goes, but moving on. When it comes to the quality of education you get, it depends highly on the teacher you get. where I had some teachers that I learned a lot from, and others not so much. However, for the amount you pay each year, it's just not worth it in my opinion. It's highly debatable whether it's needed to even attend an acting conservatory in order to do acting, but I do think in some cases you will get the same education, if not better, if you were to take acting workshops and put yourself out there, audition, and do acting jobs. I think an acting school is a good fit for people who want that college acting experience; however, there are better options than AMDA. Talking about faculty, I've met some incredible teachers who made my experience here better, but I wouldn't credit that to the school itself, as I also had other teachers who maybe shouldn't have become a teacher to begin with and others who made racist remarks to me, and even after being reported, the most that the school did was removing ME from the teacher's class (applauding AMDA for their problem-solving skills) The school always preaches about being an accepting, welcoming school, but in my experiences, that doesn't apply to everyone, as I've had to sit in class and listen to a teacher either make a racist joke or remark multiple times. Personally, I didn't stay in the NYC dorms, so I can't say much about that, but every week I had to listen to horror stories from my other classmates who did. From cold water to mold in the showers to the school not giving them time to move out at the end of the semester, and more. People always say that AMDA is what you make out of it, which can be true, but also, there are way better options out there; you really don't need to come here.