Inter-Session 2026

• Please note our Inter-Session sliding scale tuition pricing! You may select your tuition when registering.
• Inter-Session 2026 features shorter in-person classes and intensives held at 30 Grant Avenue in San Francisco.
• Students with financial need interested in scholarships should consult the Scholarships page for details on how to apply.
• It is not possible to visit 30 Grant Avenue outside of scheduled class times. However, the Melissa Yandell Smith Library is open—info and hours here. Studio A.C.T. students have access to the library for a full year after their last class.
• Questions? For any additional questions or concerns please visit our Studio FAQ page or email us at studio@act-sf.org.

Tuition for our annual weeklong Inter-Session is priced on a sliding scale to better accommodate the variety of financial circumstances among our many students. You may select your tuition when registering.

Why sliding scale? 

Your class tuition supports everything that goes into making Studio A.C.T. possible within the vibrant ecosystem of American Conservatory Theater, from paying faculty and staff a fair wage, to maintaining our studio spaces, to getting the word out about what we do. We respect every dollar you pay for your classes, and consider your tuition a key contribution in support of our mission to provide an engaging, energizing, creative space for all.

Are scholarships still available for Inter-Session? 

Yes! Scholarships are still available for Inter-Session. Please visit our Scholarships page for details on how to apply.

NEW CLASS!

Five Classes, Mon-Fri, Dec 7-11
6:30 to 9:00 PM

This new class, facilitated by longtime Bay Area and Oregon Shakespeare Festival actor, Armando McClain, focuses on scene work using an improvisational technique called “Jumps." Short scenes will be assigned, and we will work on certain fundamentals related to them—relationships, objectives, tactics, and ambiguity. The difference between a good scene and a great scene is our investment in these fundamentals. We will explore them using the “Jumps” improv technique to open up the scenes to wider possibilities of acting choices, creating greater range and depth for you and your scene partner. You will surprise yourself with how much further you can go, always asking the question, “What if it were real?”

This five-night Acting: Scene Work Jump Start class is for you if:

• You’ve already taken Intro to Acting, Acting 1, and Acting 2 at Studio A.C.T., or their equivalent elsewhere, and wish to continue advancing your acting skills.

• You minored in theater as an undergraduate in college and wish to dive back in.

• You already have some acting experience, have a serious interest in exploring acting as a career, and wish to get a good “workout” to hone your acting muscles.

• You wish to explore techniques to help your scene work be more spontaneous, dynamic, and specific.

Five classes, Mon–Fri, Dec 7–11
6:30–9:00 PM

This introductory class explores the groundbreaking techniques of Russian actor and teacher Michael Chekhov, nephew of playwright Anton Chekhov. Michael Chekhov’s world-renown acting technique helps actors to physically transform into characters, employ their imagination to listen more deeply, and rely on their body as a resource and means of expression. Recognizing that our bodies and imaginations are inextricably linked, the technique focuses on doing and experiencing, getting “on your feet” right away. Through practical psycho-physical exercises, actors quickly develop their sense of inspiration and learn to trust their own artistic individuality, all the while discovering ways to bypass mental acting blocks and preconditioned ideas—whether of themselves, other people, or acting in general. Chekhov’s tools are useful for any style of stage or film acting and add greatly to an actor’s necessary skill set.

The five-night Intro to Michael Chekhov Acting Technique class is for you if:

• You have taken some acting classes before, such as Acting 1 or Acting 2 at Studio A.C.T. or equivalents elsewhere, and you wish to explore the techniques specific to a more physical approach.
• You wish to physicalize your exploration of imagination and character as it relates to acting.
• You wish to learn tools to help you overcome acting blocks, find inspiration deeper within yourself, and to work in a playful, creative, and safe way.
• As an actor you have found yourself on the receiving end of un-actable direction, or knowing what you want in a scene but not knowing HOW to get it, or grappling with a character that is very different from you and you don’t know where to begin. Michael Chekhov’s work is an invaluable tool that can address in real time these common actors' dilemmas.

Five classes, Mon-Fri Dec 7–11
6:30–9:00 PM 

This five-night class offers a crash course in directing for theater. Together we will explore foundational tools for analyzing a script during pre-production prep work, as well as techniques for using scenic, lighting, and sound cues in staging and performance to help tell story. The class will also include a sample rehearsal organized by Peter J. Kuo with invited actors, offering an opportunity to observe working with actors on scenes, as well as a discussion and Q&A regarding a career in directing.

This five-night Intro to Theater Directing class is for you if:

• You are an actor, playwright, or other theater artist interested in directing for theater.
• You want to strengthen your eye and ear for reading and staging plays.
• You want to gain techniques to help you work productively with actors in rehearsal.
• You want an introduction to the broad range of tasks a director must consider in their work.

Five Classes, Mon–Fri Dec 7–11
6:30–9:00 PM

Ready to get medieval? This class will prepare you for great steel slinging roles like Joan of Arc and Richard III. Plus, sword fighting is good clean fun! With a focus on safety, partnership, and telling the story of the fight, this class will cover basic sword fighting technique and vocabulary, culminating in students rehearsing and performing a classical scene which includes broadsword combat. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to take a Skills Proficiency Test for recognition as a Theatrical Combatant with Dueling Arts International. Actors whose résumés include stage combat techniques have an advantage when auditioning for productions involving theatrical violence. 

This five-night Stage Combat: Broadsword class is for you if:

• You are an actor who wishes to expand your stage combat skill set. 
• You are a person who is not an actor but wishes to explore a fun, creative, and empowering mind-body practice.
• You enjoy combining physical and intellectual challenges in creative ways.
• You are an actor who wishes to enhance your résumé with demonstrable broadsword skills. 

Five classes, Mon–Fri, Dec 7–11
6:30–9:00 PM

This five-night class introduces you to the fundamentals of acting on camera, using short scenes drawn from existing film and television scripts. Participants will explore the principles of truthful on-camera acting and learn practical techniques particular to acting on camera versus onstage.

This five-night Acting: Intro to On-Camera Acting Extended Intensive is for you if:

• You’ve already taken Intro to Acting, Acting 1, and Acting 2 at Studio A.C.T., or their equivalents elsewhere.
• You have past acting experience but not with on-camera acting, are curious about acting on camera, and want an unintimidating and engaging opportunity to introduce yourself to it.
• You’ve done a bit of on-camera acting in the past, but it’s been a while and you’re hungry to get back in touch with acting on camera. 

Three classes, Mon–Wed, Dec 7–9
6:30–9:00 PM

This three-night workshop will introduce students to practices aimed at developing their confidence, understanding, and fluency with using their full voice to speak with greater clarity. Participants will learn practical techniques to develop a richer, stronger, and more versatile speaking voice. This short workshop course is open to students of all experience levels and is designed to accommodate each student at their individual level of experience. Though not required, students are encouraged to pair this class with Intro to Dialects later in the week.

This three-night Intro to Voice & Speech workshop is for you if:

• You are an actor who wishes to improve your ability to speak with greater clarity, variety, and richness.
• You are not an actor, but your job requires public speaking and you wish to strengthen your clarity of speech and confidence in speaking.
• You are a person who enjoys language and wishes to have a practical, enlivening experience with it.

IT'S BACK!

Two classes, Thu–Fri, Dec 10-11
6:30–9:00 PM

Shakespeare’s plays can be intimidating. We are told the dude was a genius and his language is beautiful. Well... okay. But it’s hard to understand, and difficult for many of us to connect with as a result. So why all the fuss about these old plays written in English so antiquated it’s virtually a foreign language? This two-night class will introduce you to practical techniques for understanding Shakespeare’s language, and for speaking it in a natural, organic way. Once an actor has tools to navigate Shakespeare’s poetic dialogue, personal connections and contemporary resonance follow. One need not be a Shakespearean scholar to understand and enjoy the plays. No secret access code is required. This class will provide you with simple keys to unlock your own personal inspiration in Shakespeare’s rich array of characters and stories. Though not required, it is recommended that students who take this class also take Intro to Voice & Speech earlier in the week.

This two-night Intro to Speaking Shakespeare workshop is for you if:

• You are an actor who is curious about Shakespeare, finds the plays intimidating, and wants practical tools to demystify them.
• You are not an actor, but for other reasons—curiosity, an interest in poetry, maybe you’re a playwright exploring heightened language in your own work—you wish to have an introduction to navigating Shakespeare’s language so you can more easily understand and connect with it.
• You are a person interested in Shakespeare or poetic writing in general and wish to have an on-your-feet experience with speaking it.