
Why Attend Our Experiential Open House?
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Get a firsthand look at the studio and our state-of-the-art facilities.
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Participate in a live Q&A session with Artistic Director Charlie Sandlan.
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Meet current students and learn about their experiences.See an interactive demonstration of the Meisner Technique.
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Learn more about our First-Year Acting Program starting in January 2025.
What Our Students Are Saying

“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
MEET CHARLIE SANDLAN
Artistic Director and Master Teacher
I believe that the job of the actor is to create behavior. Exceptional actors do this organically and truthfully from genuine experience. The Meisner Technique, when taught properly, fundamentally grounds an actor in craft, and provides a roadmap to achieve vivid, fully realized human experience, consistently. As the caretaker of Maggie’s lifetime commitment to the craft of acting, I am privileged to have the opportunity to provide a safe, nurturing, and artistic home for our students to embrace the creative struggle and risk something deeply personal. The standards set by Maggie and me are high, rooted in work-ethic, discipline, and dedication to artistry. The students who have strived to reach our bar have turned themselves into serious professional actors.

frequently asked questions
Without making direct comparisons to other NYC acting studio’s, we can say that MFS is not a factory. We do not have 300 students, and we are not throwing you into a class with unqualified teachers who are pulling out notes from classes they took ten years ago. Every single person who applies has a direct, in-person meeting with Artistic Director & Master teacher Charlie Sandlan. You do not interview with our studio manager or their assistant. If you are accepted to MFS, you are also guaranteed to be trained in the Meisner Technique with Charlie himself. We also do not make you purchase a book in order to meet with us. We are a boutique studio with one of the best reputations in the United States for training and developing serious actors and artists. You will not be therapized in class, nor will your personal life issues be used to embarrass or humiliate you. You will be provided a safe and nurturing space to play full out with yourself, and make mistakes. You will also be held to high professional expectations. Every teacher at MFS are masters of their craft, and have actually dedicated their professional career to the art of teaching. You will be surrounded by other students who are passionate, dedicated, and serious about why they are here. We will teach you, mentor you, listen to you, and be available for you not only while you are here, but long after. If you are accepted, we want MFS to be your artistic home for as long as you want it to be.
Sanford Meisner created his renowned actor training method in the late 1930’s. A member of the legendary Group Theater, Meisner created a two-year technique that instills in the actor all of the necessary fundamentals required to consistently create organic, vivid, fully realized human behavior, consistently. The Meisner Technique will actually teach you how to act. You cannot learn how to act in a scene study, monologue, or on-camera class. This acting training will get you out of your head, onto your spontaneous impulses, fully present, in the moment, listening with empathy, vulnerability and sensitivity. You will learn how to truthfully do under imaginary circumstances, craft in a simple specific and personal way, break down a script, and emotionally prepare, all while fully grounded and centered every time you act.
MFS has created three program options for you to choose from: the Bare Essentials, the Core Program, and the Professional Actor Training Program (PATP). Every student here has work and financial concerns that greatly influence how they approach their acting training in NYC. The decision on which program to choose will depend on your financial flexibility, and the class load you are capable of taking on. The PATP is every class offered here at MFS, the Core Program is a selection of important classes needed to enter the industry, and the Bare Essentials is what we believe is the absolute minimum needed in order to realistically pursue and sustain a long and stable acting career. Both the Bare Essentials and Core Program allows students the flexibility to add additional classes when they are interested. These classes are then added to the overall balance due.
It does not matter if you have acted before or have never taken an acting class in your life. The Meisner Technique was developed for all levels of experience. All students start at the very beginning of training, and progress through class collectively, step by step. You will not be able to tell who has experience and who hasn’t. In truth, there are benefits to beginning this training with no experience; you aren’t riddled with bad habits or confused by previously bad teachers.
Our acting training is offered in our Acting 1 and Acting 2 Meisner Technique classes. We do offer workshops throughout the school year. Some examples include workshops on self-taping, on-camera technique, clown & mask, voice-over technique, commercial auditioning, and breathwork.
If you want to train at MFS, we will work with you to create a payment plan that fits your needs. The biggest savings is to pay in full at the time of enrollment. We offer payment plans that can extend to 12 months.
Don’t Miss Your Chance—RSVP for Our Macrh 23rd Open House!
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