What The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute does

The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute (LSTFI) is a private for-profit C-Corporation founded in 1969 by Lee Strasberg and Anna Strasberg to teach Lee Strasberg's Method Acting technique in its complete and authentic form. The Institute operates two physical campuses — a New York headquarters at 115 East 15th Street in Union Square and a West Hollywood campus at 7936 Santa Monica Boulevard — and is institutionally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), with the LA campus additionally licensed by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). It serves a globally diverse student body drawn from 157 countries, spanning aspiring professional adult actors, young actors in grades 2-12, international students on M-1/F-1 visas, military veterans, and NYU Tisch BFA candidates taught through a 40+ year partnership studio relationship.

LSTFI's core technology is its proprietary Method Acting curriculum, a systematic actor training methodology built on Konstantin Stanislavsky's system and refined by Lee Strasberg. Distinctive exercises — affective/emotional memory, sensory memory, Private Moment and Animal exercises, Song and Dance, and a deepened relaxation technique — are taught only at LSTFI in their complete form, supported by Lee Strasberg's archived class videos preserved by the affiliated nonprofit, The Lee Strasberg Creative Center. The Institute's trademark portfolio (Lee Strasberg®, The Method™, LSTFI®) protects the curriculum and brand. Notably, LSTFI does not participate in federal or state financial aid programs, operating on a self-pay tuition model supplemented by institutional and BIPOC-targeted scholarships.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition across 1-Year and 2-Year Conservatory programs, the 12-Week program, the LA-exclusive Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) Degree, intensives and workshops, the Young Actors at Strasberg (YAS) youth program, and online classes. Ancillary streams include space/theatre rental at the LA campus, the Lee Strasberg Film Festival, the StrasbergTALKS lecture series, the Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission, and event-driven programming. Distribution is conducted through direct enrollment at both campuses (Open House events in NY and class audits in LA as primary conversion mechanisms), the NYU Tisch partnership, online platforms serving global students, and international workshops. The Lee Strasberg Creative Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, supports scholarships, archival preservation, and community outreach partnerships with the NYPD Youth Strategies Division and NYCHA.

Name

The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute

Legal name

The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute

Website

https://strasberg.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is a private, NAST-accredited acting school founded in 1969, operating campuses in New York and Los Angeles that teach Lee Strasberg's Method Acting to adult, youth, and international students via conservatory, degree, and online programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Method acting training
• Acting conservatory programs
• Theatre arts education
• Actor certificate programs
• Performing arts school

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Conservatory Certificate Programs: Revenue from 2-Year Conservatory, 1-Year Conservatory, and 12-Week Program tuition fees in New York and Los Angeles campuses. Programs award Certificates of Merit or letters of completion upon completion.
2. Associate Degree Program (AOS): Associate in Occupational Studies in Acting degree program at the Los Angeles campus, the only degree program in Lee Strasberg's Method Acting Technique in the world. Higher tuition revenue than certificate programs.
3. Intensives and Workshops: Revenue from 2-Week Method Acting Intensives (LA), Intensivo en Español (LA), part-time classes, group workshops, and summer programs for kids and teens.
4. Online Acting Classes: Monthly online acting class offerings for remote students, generating recurring subscription-style revenue.
5. Young Actors at Strasberg (YAS): Year-round and summer acting programs for kids and teens in grades 2-12, including scholarships.
6. Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission: Annual playwriting commission sponsored by The Lee Strasberg Creative Center, fostering new theatre works with emerging playwrights.
7. StrasbergTALKS Lecture Series & Events: StrasbergTALKS is a lecture series and special events series at the New York campus generating event revenue.
8. Space/ Theatre Rental: Theatre rental income at the Los Angeles campus through Space Rental program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Institute is an acting school that teaches Lee Strasberg's Method Acting technique in its complete and authentic form across New York and Los Angeles campuses. Programs span 2-Year and 1-Year Conservatory certificates, an AOS degree (LA only), 12-Week intensives, NYU Tisch BFA partnership, online classes, and youth (YAS) programs for grades 2-12, all anchored in the proprietary Strasberg Method curriculum.

Product overview

The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is an acting school offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs centered on Lee Strasberg's Method Acting technique. The core offerings include Conservatory Programs (2-Year, 1-Year, and 12-Week formats), Intensive Courses, Summer Programs, Part-Time Classes, and Group Workshops at both New York and Los Angeles campuses. The Institute also offers an Associate Degree Program (AOS) exclusively in Los Angeles and a NYU BFA Partnership in New York. Specialized programs include Young Actors at Strasberg (YAS) for kids and teens, Online Acting Classes, Casting Workshops, and various performance opportunities such as the Actor Showcase, StrasbergWORKS productions, and film festivals (Lee Strasberg Film Festival, 3x5 Film Festival, Young Actors Film Festival). The Institute also hosts StrasbergTALKS lecture series. A nonprofit branch, The Lee Strasberg Creative Center, supports scholarships and the Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission while preserving the legacy of Lee Strasberg. The school is the only institution in the world that teaches Lee Strasberg's Method Acting in its complete and authentic form.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Actors at Strasberg (YAS): Program for kids and teens (grades 2-12) interested in developing a foundation in Lee Strasberg's Method Acting
• The Lee Strasberg Creative Center
• StrasbergTALKS
• StrasbergWORKS
• Young Actors Film Festival

Products and services

• 2 Year Conservatory Program A comprehensive two-year acting program teaching Lee Strasberg's Method Acting technique in its complete and authentic form, culminating in a Certificate of Merit. Available at both NY and LA campuses for adult students.
• 1 Year Conservatory Program An intensive one-year acting program focused on Method Acting training, offering a letter of completion upon finishing. Available at both NY and LA campuses.
• 12 Week Program A twelve-week introductory program designed for integration into the One or Two Year Conservatory, with hours counting toward Conservatory requirements.
• Associate Degree Program (AOS) An Associate in Occupational Studies in Acting Degree program offered exclusively at the Los Angeles campus, the only place in the world to obtain a degree in Lee Strasberg's Method Acting Technique. Cohort-based with audition requirement.
• NYU BFA Partnership A partnership with NYU Tisch School of the Arts allowing students to pursue a BFA through the Strasberg Institute, available at the New York campus for over 40 years. LSTFI serves as partner studio delivering Method Acting curriculum.
• Young Actors at Strasberg (YAS) Year-round acting classes for kids and teens from grades 2 through 12, tailored for all levels from beginners to Broadway veterans and professional child actors.
• Online Acting Classes Remote acting instruction through the Institute's online platform, including month-long programs accessible to students globally.
• Intensive Courses (2-Week Method Acting Intensives) Short-term intensive acting programs including two-week Method Acting intensives at the LA campus, open to all without an interview requirement.
• Summer Acting Programs Seasonal intensive acting programs offered during summer sessions at both New York and Los Angeles campuses.
• Part-Time Classes and Group Workshops Flexible part-time acting classes and workshop-style group acting classes for various skill levels, offered without admissions interview requirement.
• Casting Workshops Specialized workshops focused on audition and casting techniques for film and television at the LA campus.
• Lee Strasberg Film Festival An annual three-day celebration of independent cinema and exceptional acting, featuring film evaluations across categories such as Best Short Film and Best Screenplay, culminating in an awards ceremony.
• Actor Showcase Annual showcase event at the Los Angeles campus where students and alumni can audition for industry professionals.
• StrasbergWORKS Student-developed production program offering a crash course in creating and producing original work, including opportunities to assemble teams of designers, producers, and actors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lee Strasberg's students have won more awards than students of any other acting teacher in history
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYU Tisch School of the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Institute is a partner studio of NYU Tisch School of the Arts BFA program, having proudly been part of this program for more than 40 years. LSTFI faculty teach Method Acting as part of the NYU Tisch curriculum, and students receive LSTFI-based training alongside their NYU degree.
• The Lee Strasberg Creative CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lee Strasberg Creative Center® is the Institute's nonprofit 501(c)(3) branch that sponsors scholarships, the Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission for emerging playwrights, StrasbergTALKS lecture series, community outreach, cultural exchanges, and international collaborations. It also conserves and maintains Lee Strasberg's archives.
• New York Arts ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast partnership supporting artistic development and outreach initiatives for students and the broader community.
• NYPD Youth Strategies DivisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Institute has partnered with the NYPD Youth Strategies Division which creates programming for at-risk youth in New York City, providing Method Acting training and arts education access to underserved youth populations.
• New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMore than 30 years of collaboration with NYCHA, providing arts education access and outreach programs to public housing communities in New York City.
• Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE)coreOthersThe Los Angeles Institute is licensed to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. Student Consumer Information and Annual Reports are available through BPPE.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HB Studio: Historic NYC acting school founded by Herbert Berghof offering conservatory and short-term acting classes; directly comparable as a private NYC acting institution serving both aspiring and professional actors with multi-tier programming.
• Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre: NYC conservatory famous for the Meisner Technique, serving aspiring professional actors with two-year certificate programs and short courses; directly comparable to LSTFI as a long-established private acting school with a singular pedagogical identity.
• Stella Adler Studio of Acting: NYC-based acting conservatory teaching a Stanislavski-derived approach (Adler Technique), directly comparable as a private, brand-name Method-adjacent acting school serving aspiring professionals and adults with conservatory and short-course offerings.
• The Actors Studio: Founded by Lee Strasberg, Cheryl Crawford, and Robert Lewis in 1947, The Actors Studio is the historical parent institution of LSTFI's Method Acting lineage and remains a leading private acting membership organization in NYC.
• Atlantic Theater Company Acting School: NYC-based conservatory teaching the Atlantic Technique (practical aesthetics); comparable to LSTFI as a private NYC acting school offering conservatory programs, summer intensives, and youth programs targeting similar adult professional segments.
• New York Film Academy (NYFA): Private for-profit performing arts school with campuses in NYC and Los Angeles offering conservatory and degree programs in acting and film; comparable to LSTFI in business model, multi-city footprint, and BPPE-licensed status.

Broad incumbents

• NYU Tisch School of the Arts: Large university drama program with which LSTFI has a 40+ year BFA partnership; comparable as a much broader institution that absorbs some of the same prospective student pool while embedding LSTFI's Method training within its curriculum.
• Yale School of Drama: Premier graduate drama program offering MFAs in Acting, Directing, and Design; comparable as the elite conservatory alternative that competes for top aspiring professional actors seeking credentialed training.
• Juilliard School - Drama Division: Elite performing arts conservatory offering a four-year BFA in Drama; comparable as a higher-tier acting school alternative that competes for the same top aspiring professional actors but at the university degree level.

Regional players

• London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA): One of the oldest conservatoires in the world offering degree and short-course acting programs in the UK; comparable as a heritage international acting school competing for the same global pool of aspiring professional actors outside the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ8R9p7i1jDxvfHgD6TyX8A
• Facebookfacebook.com/StrasbergInstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/strasberginstitute
• Pinterestpinterest.com/strasberginstitute
• Xx.com/lstfiNY

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute