Hearst Foundations Award $35,000 to Stella Adler Studio of Acting

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting was awarded a $35,000 grant from The Hearst Foundations. The world renowned studio will use the funds to expand their Outreach Division, which provides free actor training to underprivileged students in New York City. This year, for the first time ever, thanks in part to the grant from The Hearst Foundations, a group will be accepted in January. These students will work from January through July and select students will be invited back for a second year from September 2011 through May 2012.

"We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from The Hearst Foundations and very pleased to offer additional classes for inner-city youth who do not have arts access. Through generous donations, the studio has provided over 2,000 underprivileged teenagers with free acting training at one of the most prestigious theater schools in the world. I believe deeply in the healing power of the arts. My hope for the young people we serve is that they realize their full potential, both onstage and off," said Director Tom Oppenheim. "An arts education can have a huge impact on a young person's development and therefore on society at large. Studies have shown that an education in the arts may decrease destructive behavior and improve academic achievement across the board."

To learn more about The Stella Adler Studio of Acting's Outreach Division visit: http://www.stellaadler.com/cultural-center/outreach-division/

About The Stella Adler Studio of Acting
Established in 1949 by Stella Adler, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting was founded upon Adler's belief in the supreme seriousness of her art, and has, for the last five decades, enriched every part of the American theater and film arts. Adler's philosophies kept many well-known members of the theater coming back for her intelligent and passionate advice and the school has since trained many of the brilliant actors of our time, including Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Elaine Stritch, Benicio del Toro, and Salma Hayek. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is a nonprofit organization, which trains over 500 actors annually and also presents world-class lectures, poetry readings, jazz, classical music, theater, and dance theater events. www.stellaadler.com