Wayne Dvorak Acting Studio

08/20/09

Excellent instructor for basics

by RomGuy at Citysearch

There are a lot of good reviews on here about Wayne's program. That's because he is a good teacher, but he also gives students a little incentive now and then to write up reviews online -- like one free private hour of instruction if you write a review on 4 sites like Yelp, Citysearch, etc. So that's why there are so many reviews about Wayne on so many sites. Maybe he shouldn't do that so much, but it has been helpful for him to get his studio's name out there so people come in to audit and check out the program for themselves. All he wants to get people to come visit him and decide on their own from there -- he really is genuinely honest.

That said, you do get a solid acting program with Wayne. He is HIGHLY technical, which is my only complaint -- if you can call it a complaint. For new actors, you really do need to be technical and get that out of the way. That's what all the British actors do, and to have that foundation is what makes great actors.

But I have seen that you also need improv and freedom to create and experience in your acting, and that is when you leave Wayne's program to add more to what you have learned at his studio.

So many -- the vast majority -- acting classes in Los Angeles are not disciplined and do not fully teach you the basics and allow you to step-by-step develop your craft. Wayne's is the exception, but it is only for the most disciplined actor. I saw all the undisciplined actors disappear, little by little, from his studio. He demands a lot from you. A LOT. And most 20 and 30-somethings aren't prepared to be so disciplined -- but that is how you become a professional in this business and stand out.

Good luck!

• Pros: Gives you necessary acting foundation, solid program, honest
• Cons: Sometimes can be too technical

03/04/09

Best 4 Your Buck!!!....Period!!

by BinLA at Citysearch

The Wayne Dvorak Acting Studio in Los Angeles, CA is a 2 year Meisner Technique training program. Aside from being one of the most affordable training programs in the city, it is also incredible training taught by an instructor with a lifetime of acting and teaching experience. Having taken years of acting classes in various methods the Meisner Technique is one that has only enriched my acting both emotionally and technically. Meisner has a very simple approach to a very complicated art and it is based on Meisner?s exercise work as well as scene study. Wayne Dvorak is a no frills, no B.S. type of teacher who is only there to help his students craft and guide them through the ?business? that is Hollywood. Wayne only allows 12 students max. in his program and you are GUARANTEED to work at least once in every class. I know many actors in LA that pay 3 times the amount I do and they get up to work in class every other week!! This training is not for the faint of heart since it is an intense program for 2 years and requires outside rehearsals which are key to success in this discipline. If you are serious about your training and are dedicated enough to put in the 2 years to complete the training, I cannot recommend a better place to study than at Wayne?s studio.

02/02/09

Meisner for coffee drinkers

by JohnS9879 at Citysearch

I moved out to LA a couple years ago, and found myself lost in a sea of school and techniques, I quickly found myself with all my other "actor" friends sitting in a coffee shop talking about how much better we were than the people on the billboard above us. I started to do a lot of reading about different methods, I dabbled in new age acting, took a sip of performance art, and dove head first into Stanislavski. I dug on what Stanislavski was saying and followed his progression of thought through the teachers of the past into Strasberg, Adler and Meisner. I felt much had been lost through the years in Strasberg and Adler. I read "Standford Meisner on Acting," and decided this was the type of class I wanted and needed. The tools and techniques that Meisner talked about I believed would make me a good a actor, and competitive in the world of Hollywood. I enrolled in Wayne's class about a year ago, and I have found it to be not only rewarding but also challenging. I have gone places that I didn't even know were possible. Through the work I have grown not only in my ability to act, but also personally. It has opened my eyes to all the little intricacies that are over looked by "civilians," and made me aware of my own action's effects on people. As I stated before I took many classes and one of the biggest problem was that I lost in a sea of people, but with Wayne he keeps the class small and you get to perform twice each class. I recommend Wayne to all my friends who are still sitting under the billboards talking about why they are better, because he will give you the tools but the rest is up to what you do with them.