The Actors Studio to Welcome the Public Inside its Doors for ACTORS STUDIO IN PROCESS

The Actors Studio, now celebrating 75 years as the world's most celebrated and influential membership association for professional actors, directors & playwrights, will open its doors to the public to observe "Actors Studio In Process" on Friday, November 11 and Saturday, November 12 at 7PM. With this new series, the legendary Studio opens its doors to the public for a rare opportunity to observe representative work from its private sessions. Seating is free, and extremely limited. Those who would like to attend must RSVP at TheActorsStudio.org/ProcessNov to receive confirmation of access.

"Actors Studio In Process" offers audiences a glimpse behind the doors of The Actors Studio, observing curated evenings of advanced work, drawn from acting sessions. At these open rehearsals, audiences may observe a scene from a larger production, a variation on a scene, and/or exploration of work designed by the actors-just as is done every week in session at the Studio. A moderator will lead a short Q & A after the work, where the audience can ask questions about what they have seen.

"People often wonder what goes on inside The Actors Studio, and now we offer a rare chance to come and see our members at work," says Beau Gravitte, Artistic Director, The Actors Studio (NYC). "While the work in session will always remain private, the selected scenes presented are representative of the work we do, week-in and week-out at The Actors Studio. These are open rehearsals, where the emphasis will be on process and not on result. The program that is presented on Friday night will repeat on Saturday night."

The November 11 and 12 sessions will be the first in a series of "Actors Studio In Process" events to come in the 75th Anniversary Season. For more information about The Actors Studio, visit TheActorsStudio.org.

Both a place and a philosophy, The Actors Studio is an association of artists who, drawing from this common wellspring, have made enormous contributions to American art. Founded in 1947 in New York City by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, and Robert Lewis, the Studio began as a place where theatre artists could gather, privately, to explore new and deeper connections to the work. The founding members, a group of actors, writers, and directors, were committed to redefining the art of acting, to developing a series of techniques an actor could use to search for and express the truth onstage in the moment. The workshop went on to become the most powerful influence on American acting in the 20th century and continues today serving new generations of actors who are committed to the same ideal. Founding Artistic Director, Lee Strasberg, developed a series of techniques and exercises that became known as 'The Method' and changed the art of acting worldwide.

Membership is free. After successfully completing a series of auditions, the actor is invited into membership for life. Membership is bi-coastal, and to support them there are two locations. New York is The Actors Studio's birthplace and administrative headquarters. The only branch, Actors Studio West, is located in West Hollywood, CA. All members benefit from having a home with similar activities on both coasts.

Current leadership of The Actors Studio includes Co-Presidents Ellen Burstyn, Alec Baldwin and Al Pacino; Artistic Directors Beau Gravitte (NYC) and Salome Jens (L.A.); Co-Associate Artistic Directors Estelle Parsons, Michael Aronov and Javier Molina (NYC), and Katherine Cortez (L.A.)

Notable members, past and present, of The Actors Studio have included Bea Arthur, Anne Bancroft, Michael Bennett, Marlon Brando, Roscoe Lee Browne, Montgomery Clift, Common, Bradley Cooper, James Dean, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Ben Gazzara, Lorraine Hansberry, Julie Harris, Dustin Hoffman, Celeste Holm, Kim Hunter, William Inge, Elia Kazan, Harvey Keitel, Stephen Lang, James Lipton, Martin Landau, Cloris Leachman, Melissa Leo, Norman Mailer, Walter Matthau, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Clifford Odets, Geraldine Page, Sidney Poitier, Sydney Pollack, Jose Quintero, Jerome Robbins, Mark Rylance, Eva Marie Saint, Kim Stanley, Maureen Stapleton, Rod Steiger, Eli Wallach, Tennessee Williams, Gene Wilder, Shelley Winters and Joanne Woodward, to name a few.