The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory, which has turned out professional actors for forty-three years, will no longer be affiliated with Studio Theatre after this summer, founder Joy Zinoman revealed in a post on medium.com yesterday.
“With no warning, the leadership of Studio Theatre — which I founded three years after the first class of the Conservatory — informed me of their intentions to eliminate the Conservatory as part of the theater,” said Zinoman, who served as Studio’s artistic director until 2010.
“Studio Theatre’s leadership says their intention is to move beyond education and focus on community engagement instead. They also informed us that their proposed multi-million-dollar renovation project would now necessitate our eviction from the building.”
Representatives from Studio Theatre were not immediately available to DC Theatre Scene. However, the Washingtonian Magazine quoted a statement by Artistic Director David Muse and Managing Director Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg, in which they confirmed that the Acting Conservatory would no longer be a part of Studio Theatre but disputed Zinoman’s assertion that she had no warning of their plans, asserting instead that they had discussed ending the Conservatory with Zinoman as early as June of 2018.
Studio Theatre has applied to the Washington Board of Zoning Adjustment to expand its facility at 14th and P Streets NW, including a partial addition to the rear portion of the building.
Notwithstanding the apparent pending separation between Studio Theatre and the Conservatory, Zinoman plans to continue the Conservatory’s work. “[W]e are happy to announce the new STUDIO ACTING CONSERVATORY. All our faculty, with a single voice, are committed to continuing our work. [Longtime Studio Deputy Artistic Director] Serge Seiden and Kate Debelack will be joining me in leadership roles. Jonathan Pitt has assumed leadership of the board of trustees. [A]ll our programs, scholarships, and faculty remain the same,” Zinoman said.
And with her well-known ability to forge ahead regardless of offsetting circumstances, which has served Studio Theatre so well during her tenure there, Zinoman added “I and my colleagues, along with over 10,000 alumni and current 500 students, have a deep affection for our existing space. While we are sad to say ‘goodbye’ to our physical home, we’ve identified several locations for our new space and are currently raising funds for this effort.”
The last class of the present Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory is scheduled for June 10 to August 4, after which the program will relocate, Zinoman’s representative Joe Crea told DC Theatre Scene. The Studo Acting Conservatory can be followed via this link.
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