About Maggie Flanigan Studio

We Believe Acting Is an Art Form

Acting is not entertainment.

It is the lifelong study of human behavior.

It demands empathy, imagination, discipline, courage, curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to truth.

At Maggie Flanigan Studio, we exist to educate artists—not simply train performers. Every class, every rehearsal, every conversation is rooted in one belief: that truthful acting has the power to illuminate the human condition. That belief shapes everything we do.

A Conservatory Built on Artistic Excellence

Founded in 2001 by Maggie Flanigan, the studio was created to fill what she believed was a significant gap in American actor training.

She envisioned a conservatory that remained small enough for individual attention while maintaining the rigor, discipline, and artistic standards of the world's finest professional training programs.

More than two decades later, that vision continues.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director and Master Teacher Charlie Sandlan, Maggie Flanigan Studio has evolved into one of the country's most respected conservatory programs for actors committed to serious artistic work.

Our mission remains unchanged: To develop complete artists capable of sustaining meaningful careers in theatre, film, and television.

Beyond Technique

Talent is never enough.

Professional actors require a disciplined process that becomes second nature under the pressure of rehearsal, auditions, and performance.

The Meisner Technique forms the foundation of our conservatory, but it is only one part of a carefully integrated curriculum.

Movement. Voice. Script Analysis. Film History. Theatre History. Cold Reading. Dialects. Clown. Breathwork. Self-Care for Actors. Alexander Technique. Devised Work.

Every discipline exists for one purpose: To develop every dimension of the actor's instrument.

Our curriculum is intentionally designed so each class strengthens and supports the others, creating an actor who is physically free, vocally expressive, intellectually curious, emotionally available, and professionally prepared.

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SIX-WEEK MEISNER SUMMER INTENSIVE

Begins June 12th, 2026

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(917) 794-3878

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The Meisner Technique

The Sanford Meisner Technique is one of the most influential actor training methods ever developed.

Charlie Sandlan has dedicated his professional life to preserving the integrity of Meisner's complete two-year progression while continuing Maggie Flanigan's commitment to teaching the work with clarity, precision, and respect for its original intent.

The first year develops truthful behavior through listening, imagination, spontaneity, concentration, and craft.

The second year teaches actors how to apply those foundations to script interpretation, character development, and increasingly sophisticated dramatic literature.

The goal is not simply to produce talented actors. The goal is to produce actors with a reliable artistic process that can sustain a lifetime of creative work.

Teaching Is an Art Form

The quality of any conservatory is determined by its faculty.

At Maggie Flanigan Studio, we believe teaching is its own artistic discipline.

Our faculty are selected not only for their professional accomplishments, but for their ability to mentor, challenge, and inspire the next generation of artists.

Each instructor shares a common philosophy: Truth before performance. Process before results. Curiosity before certainty. Art before ego. Together, they create a culture of rigor, generosity, accountability, and artistic excellence.

Preparing Artists for a Lifetime of Work

Our responsibility extends beyond the classroom. Actors today need more than craft alone. They need to understand collaboration. Professionalism. Auditions. The business of acting. Financial responsibility. Creative resilience. Long-term artistic development.

Our optional Professional Actor Business Program prepares students to make the transition from conservatory training into the realities of a professional career through industry mentorship, business education, marketing materials, self-taping, audition preparation, and meaningful relationships with agents, managers, and casting professionals.

The goal is not simply to book a job.

It is to build a sustainable artistic life.

Our Responsibility

Great acting asks audiences to see themselves more clearly.

That responsibility begins with the actor.

At Maggie Flanigan Studio, we ask our students to approach their work with humility, discipline, generosity, empathy, and courage.

We expect them to work hard.

To support one another. To embrace discomfort. To remain curious. To protect their inner life. To pursue excellence without sacrificing their humanity. Because acting is not simply a career. It is a way of engaging with the world.

And we believe that artists who commit themselves fully to that pursuit have the capacity to change both themselves and the people who experience their work.

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

“I was placed in the intense reigns of Charlie Sandlan. I became a better artist, actor, friend, sibling and daughter because of the studio. Even now, I crave the studio every day. What I learned is present in my work every day. I truly believe in everything they stand for.”

Jes Macallan

“After working for ten years, I did the 2 year program, and now feel that I have the tools I need to become the actor I’ve always dreamed of being. Maggie Flanigan instilled in me a clear sense of truth and a standard of perfection. I am a better actor because of this studio.”

Piper Perabo

“Maggie Flanigan and Charlie Sandlan helped me tremendously to become the working actor I am today. I booked my first off-broadway play with Signature Theater Co. I could not be more proud to call myself a student of the studio.”

Reed Luplau

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ACTING STUDIO NEW YORK NY

The Maggie Flanigan Studio is the leading acting studio in New York City where professional actors train for long careers. The acting programs at the drama school are based on the Meisner Technique and the work of Sanford Meisner. The two year acting program includes acting classes, movement classes, voice and speech for actors, commercial acting classes, on camera classes, cold reading, monologue, playwriting, script analysis and the Meisner Summer Intensive.