The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, located on Madison Avenue between 30th and 31st Streets, has been in existence for over 130 years and trained many well-known actors including Robert Redford, Danny DeVito, and Anne Hathaway. It is through the professional exposure in the Academy Company where students perform in front of audiences, and those performances are offered to the public free of charge.
I witnessed two of those performances: Sam Shepherd’s A Lie of the Mind and Athol Fugard’s My Children! My Africa! I saw the 3 p.m. matinee shows on a Thursday and a Friday. Performances were also scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on those days. Each was held in a different studio in the building and seating is general. To learn about upcoming shows sign up for notifications by providing your email address.
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