Mission & History

History

The Studio Acting Conservatory, now celebrating its 50th anniversary of offering rigorous training to actors and directors, is the oldest and largest acting program of its kind in the DC area.

Founded in 1975 (as the Joy Zinoman Studio) SAC is an independent non-profit training program with a faculty of 22 extraordinary teachers and serving 500-600 students each year. Comprised of a 3-year core program, individual classes, a Young People’s program as well as Weekend Workshops, SAC is a vital cultural asset in Washington, DC.

Zinoman trained in Chicago with the legendary Alvina Krause, who was directly connected to the Group Theatre and American Realism. Then in Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia she began teaching, directing and studying Asian theatre and its relationship to Realism. These efforts became the basis for the curriculum – a rigorous and deeply embodied acting practice.

In 1975 and now based in Washington, DC, Zinoman held her first acting class in Georgetown. It was the beginning of what was the Joy Zinoman Studio and, eventually, the Studio Acting Conservatory. From basements and porches to shared spaces with the Dance Exchange and Zenith Gallery on 14th and Rhode Island Avenue, the school grew steadily. From the start, it stood apart: a place for serious actors, unaffiliated with a university program, offering a challenging and uncompromising curriculum grounded in process and craft. Teachers were trained and Voice and Movement specialists were added. Students (now over 13,000) left with technique, tools, and the foundation of a lifelong artistic practice.

Zinoman founded The Studio Theatre in 1978 and the Conservatory, along with the theatre, found a longstanding home on Church Street and then on the corner of 14th and P Streets, actively engaging with the community and making a major contribution to the revitalization of the 14th street corridor after the devastation of the 1968 riots following the death of Martin Luther King. The Conservatory continued to grow its programming through the years, adding a Young Actors program in 1986.

In 2019, after over 40 years at Studio Theatre, the Conservatory became independent, and secured a temporary space with city support. In August of 2021, its permanent home in Columbia Heights was opened- a beautifully renovated former church, designated Logan Place in honor of lead donor Dan and Gloria Logan, with specifically designed studios for actor training. During construction, a huge mural, The Last Supper by artist Akili Ron Anderson was found, with a depiction of Jesus and disciples as African American men. The Conservatory offers public viewings of this important work.