Miles Teller, Alyssa Rallo Bennett, and Gary O. Bennett at Stonestreet Studios 25th Anniversary gala.
written by Gabe Miller, originally published April 17, 2024
MILES TELLER’S PROMISE
Screen acting is its own art form.
You have to be microscopic with your choices. There’s an intimacy to it. But it’s also very deconstructed.
By 1990, Alyssa Rallo Bennett and Gary O. Bennett, the co-founders of Stonestreet Studios, were looking for a way to teach screen acting techniques in a field that was entirely dominated by theater acting.
Bennett explained:
“We had produced features like The Pack [starring Lucie Arnaz and Elisabeth Moss] & Rain Without Thunder [starring Jeff Daniels] at Stonestreet and wanted to create an immersive working environment for up-and-coming actors, who we aim to become our colleagues.”
What they created was a multi-faceted studio that allows actors & hyphenates to work in a real-world film set.
They equip actors with an understanding of not just screen performance techniques but also the entire filmmaking process, from scripting to shooting to editing, so they can become the producers of their own careers.
Some of their alums include:
Miles Teller (Whiplash)
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Idina Menzel (Frozen, Wicked)
Rachel Sennott (Bottoms, Shiva Baby)
At the heart of Stonestreet Studios lies its Residency Program. They offer one in New York and one in Los Angeles. Their NY six-week intensive workshop is geared to professionals and international students.
NY & LA residency include:
Screen Acting & Production
Directing the Actor
Screen Improv & Comedy
Creating Your Own Material
Producing Your Own Career
Screen Audition & Industry Prep
Weekly Industry Auditions
Successful completion of the full program leaves students with a polished original pilot, film, or series, as well as a newfound familiarity with the NY &/or LA landscape.
Veronica Rose-Franco, who attended last year’s LA residency, described her experience:
“The program allowed me to take my dream of working as a professional actor off of a pedestal — it’s more real, personal, and tangible to me than it was before… LA is now a familiar place I love, I can return to and know I have some roots.”
This residency provides an unparalleled opportunity for screen actors to advance their career.
The NY residencies begin May 20th & July 8th. The LA residency program is a four-week program from June 3rd–June 28th.
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