William Esper Studio
Encyclopedia
The William Esper Studio is a school
for the performing arts
located in Manhattan
, New York
; the school was founded in 1965.
and Maureen Stapleton
in a touring production of The Rose Tattoo
... "[I] was so struck by the acting ... [A]fter the play was over, I decided to go around the corner to get a cup of coffee so I could think about it some more. I walked into a little drugstore, and Eli was sitting there having a bite to eat ... he talked to the actor [and] Wallach told him he had studied at Sanford Meisner
's Neighborhood Playhouse ... [A]fter college he moved to New York and began studying with the teacher [Meisner] who was famous for his exercises in repeated dialogue ... "I started directing. I started coaching people ... "[I] lost my love of performing."
In 1965 Esper founded the eponymous William Esper Studio. Among those he has coached and taught are Aaron Eckhart
, Richard Schiff
, Timothy Olyphant
and Oscar-winner Kathy Bates
. The studio moved from its original location at 261 West 35 Street to its new facilities at 208 W. 37th Street in New York City. Contact information is at the Studio's website
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
for the performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
located in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
; the school was founded in 1965.
Background
When William "Bill" Esper (1932- ) was a young man, he saw Eli WallachEli Wallach
Eli Herschel Wallach is an American film, television and stage actor, who gained fame in the late 1950s. For his performance in Baby Doll he won a BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer and a Golden Globe nomination. One of his most famous roles is that of Tuco in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
and Maureen Stapleton
Maureen Stapleton
Maureen Stapleton was an American actress in film, theater and television.-Early life:Stapleton was born Lois Maureen Stapleton in Troy, New York, the daughter of Irene and John P. Stapleton, and grew up in a strict Irish American Catholic family...
in a touring production of The Rose Tattoo
The Rose Tattoo
- External links :*...
... "[I] was so struck by the acting ... [A]fter the play was over, I decided to go around the corner to get a cup of coffee so I could think about it some more. I walked into a little drugstore, and Eli was sitting there having a bite to eat ... he talked to the actor [and] Wallach told him he had studied at Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner , also known as Sandy, was an American actor and acting teacher who developed a form of Method acting that is now known as the Meisner technique....
's Neighborhood Playhouse ... [A]fter college he moved to New York and began studying with the teacher [Meisner] who was famous for his exercises in repeated dialogue ... "I started directing. I started coaching people ... "[I] lost my love of performing."
In 1965 Esper founded the eponymous William Esper Studio. Among those he has coached and taught are Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American film and stage actor. Born in California, he moved to England at the age of 13, when his father relocated the family. Several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Sydney, Australia, for his high school senior year...
, Richard Schiff
Richard Schiff
Richard Schiff is an American actor. He is best known for playing Toby Ziegler on the NBC television drama The West Wing, a role for which he received an Emmy Award...
, Timothy Olyphant
Timothy Olyphant
Timothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
and Oscar-winner Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
. The studio moved from its original location at 261 West 35 Street to its new facilities at 208 W. 37th Street in New York City. Contact information is at the Studio's website