Our Legacy and Mission

Strasberg, along with his wife Anna, established The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute to offer the very special and individual nature of his work to a wider public. Since its inception, the Institute has remained a world-class leader in performing arts training.

The birth of the Institute was a natural evolution which began in 1931 with the formation of the Group Theatre. Co-founded by Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group was created as a progressive theatre company devoted to producing socially-conscious plays, as well as formulating a cohesive system of training for the actor. With its pioneering Broadway productions, many of which were directed by Strasberg, the Group quickly distinguished itself as one of the most revolutionary theatre companies in history.

After the Group disbanded in 1939, Strasberg began teaching private classes at both Carnegie Hall and The New School for Social Research. In 1951, he became the Artistic Director of the Actors Studio, a position he would hold for over 30 years. The legion of legendary actors, directors, and playwrights trained by him at the Studio skyrocketed the New York-based workshop to international prominence.

In 1969, the emergence of a new generation of teachers trained by Strasberg enabled him to establish The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Later that same year, Anna Strasberg became the Artistic Director of The Lee Strasberg Creative Center, a non-profit organization that offers scholarships to promising artists from the inner city. The Institute immediately gained national recognition and distinguished itself as a major force in professional dramatic training.

The success of Strasberg’s teaching, coupled with the overwhelming demand to study his technique, required that the Institute operate in both Los Angeles and New York City. The roster of successful actors trained at the Institute continued to flourish, making the name Lee Strasberg synonymous with superb acting.

Strasberg lectured at Harvard, Yale, UCLA, and Brown University, where a theatre has been dedicated in his name. He also became the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Florida. Abroad, Strasberg represented the American theatre at the Stanislavski Centennial in Moscow, lectured on Stanislavski in Paris, and held seminars in Argentina. His seminar in Bochum, Germany remains one of the most sought-after references on acting in that country.

Lee Strasberg’s Method is well-known throughout the world, and its influence endures. At any given time, students from more than 39 countries arrive at the Institute with a desire to learn Strasberg’s Method.

For over three decades, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute enjoyed an association with New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, developing some of the most accomplished artists working in the entertainment industry today.

In 1974, Strasberg made a triumphant return to acting in Francis Ford Coppola‘s masterpiece, The Godfather Part II; his performance earned him an Academy Award® nomination as Best Supporting Actor. He continued to star in such films as The Cassandra Crossing, Boardwalk, Going in Style, and …And Justice for All. On television, he starred in Macbeth, Emmy® Award-winning The Last Tenant, and the critically-acclaimed Skokie.

As a respected authority on acting, Lee Strasberg was a frequent contributor to numerous publications and became the only teacher invited to write the definition of acting for the Encyclopedia Britannica. His top-selling book, A Dream of Passion, is considered required reading for all students of the performing arts. The Lee Strasberg Notes, based on the tapes from his Institute classes, is regarded as one of the most illuminating books on acting ever published.

Since Lee Strasberg’s passing in 1982, the Institute has continued to thrive under the artistic leadership of Anna Strasberg, who has passionately upheld his uncompromising standards. In 1999, Lee’s son, David Lee Strasberg, joined the Institute as Creative Director.

For over four decades, actors, directors, and writers from around the globe continue to acknowledge The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute as the place to discover, define, and explore their own unique talents.

Our Mission

The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is the only school in the world that offers training of Lee Strasberg’s Method Acting in its pure form.

For over 40 years, the Institute has built its outstanding reputation on the proven value of Lee Strasberg’s teachings, the astonishing achievements of our students, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

We challenge our students to be bold in their choices, original in their ideas, and passionate in their pursuit of creative individuality.

Our highest goal is to ensure that each student masters Lee Strasberg‘s technique and its disciplines, as well as encouraging every student to become a successful artist within his or her chosen field.