Some Quotes from Students

"It's a whole lot less expensive than therapy - and it works better."

"Because of my training at The Studio, I was able to get a $15,000 scholarship to the NYU Drama Department. Ms. Risley coached me in two monologues, and not only did I get the scholarship, but I felt incredibly prepared for my first year in New York."

"I'd just like to say that, because of The Studio, I just can't wait for Wednesdays. My job is just OK and my life really needed some kind of zip, so I signed up for the Comedy Improv class. I honestly feel that going there once a week has changed my life. The other students are really fun and supportive people, and each week I feel more and more confident. Plus, there's nothing like laughing."

"Ms. Risley has a way [in the scene classes] of working with you in a very hands-on way at first, and then slowly pulling back so that you can explore all your creativity on your own. I really love her coaching style."

"I trained with Anna for two years and was accepted into the Drama program at UCLA at age 16. I was also the youngest actor ever allowed to perform at the Utah Shakespeare Festival."

"After a pretty intensive two years at The Studio, I'm now in my second year at The New School in New York City, and because of all that I learned at The Studio, I've done really really well at The New School."

"When I decided to study with Ms. Risley, I felt absolutely hopeless about my job prospects. I was a graduate student hoping to land a job in the worst market in decades. In 2010, jobs were rare, and tenure-track jobs rarer still. I needed help presenting my work and making it accessible to others, if I was to have any hope of competing with thousands of graduate students for a handful of jobs. Ms. Risley is a pleasure to work with, particularly due to her perspicacity, charm and wit, but she was also of great professional assistance. She taught me how to present my work and helped me hone my skills for months. My practice talks went over extremely well; many in my department were surprised at my ability to present my work in a clear, compelling and engaging fashion. But, more importantly, I impressed the departments where I interviewed. Thanks to Ms. Risley, I received and accepted a tenure-track job offer. Let me stress that within the entire English-speaking world, there were only ten entry-level tenure-track positions in my subfield. I competed against hundreds of applicants and my ability to present my work put me over the top. Ms. Risley's extraordinary talents and endless encouragement improved my job prospects beyond my expectations. Thanks to her, my academic career is off to an exceptional start."
- Kevin, Professor of Philosophy