The San Francisco Acting Academy

Michael Navarra is a top notch teacher! Whether you are just starting out or very experienced, he will take you through the basics of the acting craft in the most clear way, and kindly, but firmly, hold your feet to the fire. (He is such a kind person, hard to use that analogy, but true.) I have studied with a lot of excellent teachers in my life, but he is as clear as it gets. Did I say he has a kind way of teaching? You will practice scenes on camera, receive excellent feedback from Michael and, everyone is treated equally in terms of respect for where they are in their development. You will also come away with highly useful printouts of these basics so you can refer to them over and over… and over, and over. Some money we spend as actors can be ‘ok’ in terms of usefulness, but money spent on Michael’s class is immensely worth it. Do it!

This class was awesome, Stan Roths experience and dedication to acting make his coaching invaluable. He knows exactly how to improve your performance no matter how much experience you have. If you take his direction seriously, you will without a doubt walk out of his class a significantly better, wiser actor.

Stan is great. He makes his class both enjoyable and challenging. Expect to act, and expect to take it seriously. Stan is a professional and likewise you should prepare yourself as a professional would for the class. I highly recommend Stan’s class.

Stan Roth is a coach and instructor unlike any other. His expertise, knowledge, and honesty make the COLD READS UP ON YOUR FEET course an enjoyable and challenging experience.
This class will not only provide you with the tools necessary to nail any audition, but also digs deep into scene work. Stan will help you break down your monologue/​scene and challenge you to make character choices outside of your comfort zone.
One of the most beneficial parts of class is the ability to watch yourself on camera. Stan will provide constructive feedback for all those in class which is critical to the development of your instrument.
After I have been privately coached and taken 2 session of Stan’s classes, I can promise that this is a course that you and your career cannot miss. You will leave each session with the fire to work harder, be better, and inspired to go out and share your art with the world.

Stan’s Cold Read Class… I’ll be back… You want straight forward, direct, no nonsense learning experience? Work through your limits… No better feedback, then to see yourself on camera. Did I mention the fun you have working with others with similar interests!!!
Wm L

Stan Roth’s class is fantastic. He starts off each class with some breathing exercises giving you the tools to center yourself before a reading. His years of experience really show as he easily tweaks you in the right direction. The best part is being able to watch everyone’s performance really transform on camera with each take and feedback from Stan. His classes can run a bit long due to him going off on a tangent, but that’s something that will happen with anyone who has accumulated a full life of interesting stories and experience. Overall he is exuberant, honest and relatable making for a great teacher. I hired him for a one-​on-​one session and with his coaching was able to get a callback for a big project!

Having taken classes with Stan and benefitted from his teaching I would absolutely recommend these classes to anyone getting started or looking to polish their on-​camera acting skills in the Bay area!
He’s honest, straight forward and speaks from years of experience citing specific examples to help you better understand and relate to his teachings. He also gives each individual actor notes and tips to help them in their preparation for roles as well as their performances. On top of that he is a wealth of information on casting agents, directors, head shot resources, etc.
I truly enjoyed getting to work with Stan as he chose a scene that really pushed me as an actor for his cold read and on-​camera class. He was able to walk through the beats with me and my partner while giving us tons of great suggestions and information to help us improve our craft. I especially appreciated him playing back the footage of our scenes so that we can see ourselves on camera and avoid those little «nuances» or ticks that we develop over the years and don’t necessarily notice that we’re doing while acting. ;)
Seriously, if you’re looking for a down-​to-​earth teacher with years of experience and who himself is a WORKING ACTOR in the Bay, then Stan is definitely someone you should be considering.

A dear friend of mine recommended Stan Roth’s COLD READS UP ON YOUR FEET and I am so happy that I took her up on that!
Location: VERY CONVENIENT and EASY to get to. Like a 5 minute walk from Bart and close to major bus lines such as the 38 and 14.
SPACE: The classroom we used was big and open which is wonderful. Enough space for everyone to sit at the table comfortably. Camera/​sound equipment we used worked great and got the job done.
TEACHER: Stan Roth is a talented teacher and coach. He created a safe and playful environment for us to take chances, commit to our choices and grow. Stan is passionate about his craft and very experienced. He’ll push you to make choices that are outside of your comfort zone so you can grow and commit to your craft. Being able to watch yourself on-​camera and then go over your work is CRITICAL to growth as an actor and Stan does an excellent job of being direct and constructive.
Overall, I give this class an A+ for serious actors to grow into their craft and instrument. If my schedule permits, I will definitely be taking this class again!

Took Stan Roth’s Cold Read Class at SF Acting Academy. Stan’s class was fantastic, absolutely world class. He has an experienced director’s eye, a seasoned actor’s heart, and a passion for acting and directing which means he can look at your performance and ask the questions and give you the kind of constructive notes that lead you to the performance he wants. He has a passion for teaching and mentoring and encourages exploration, risk taking and play. Suggests tools for getting to the character. Gets a handle on individual actors, and gives you the material and guidance to grow your instrument. He’s exacting in all the right ways yet positive, supportive and inspiring.
He’s the real deal, with incredible heart.

Stan Roth with his no nonsense approach to teaching, is the real deal… It is rare to find such a diversified Acting Coach/​Teacher with almost 30 years of real work experience from Los Angeles, living and teaching in Northern California.

Though-​out his career, Stan his done it all, Acting, Directing, Teaching and Coaching. His Cold Reading Classes, combines his vast background in theater and film to bring a unique perspective to his Coaching/​Teaching, that I found invaluable.
His classes fill up quickly and are kept are small, allowing for personal «one on one» attention. Stan also makes himself available to his students outside of class by providing his email, phone number and yes he answers his emails/​phone messages promptly.
If you can only take one class this year, any class you take from Stan Roth will elevate your craft to the next level and expose you to technics that will give you the «Auditioning Edge» to successfully get those call backs and bookings.
Thanks so much Stan… Julie Catlett

Within the first ten minutes of the first class of Stan Roth’s Cold Reads up on Your Feet, I knew I had struck gold. Stan’s intensity and genuine enthusiasm for acting is matched only by his warm personality.
Stan’s class gives you the tools necessary to prepare for any type of audition or role. You also get the invaluable benefit of watching yourself on-​camera! This is incredibly useful as you can see everything you do and also see what works and what doesn’t.
A typical class consists of a warmup (usually breathing and some light improvisation), monologues, and scene study. Throughout the class, Stan gives comments along every step of the way (rehearsing, filming, and playback). So not only do you receive comments from a master teacher for your individual work, but you also learn while the other students in the class receive their comments (which is always applicable in some way).
Overall, this is not a class to miss. It is, by far, the most beneficial class I’ve ever taken. Stan’s comments are always concise and to-​the-​point. After taking several sections of this class, I always leave with a better understanding of my craft, and I feel inspired to dig deeper and make more out of every line I deliver.

I have taken away such great experiences and extremely useful advice that has gotten me into the doors of more auditions thanks to Stan Roth at SFAA. I took Stan Roth’s «On Camera Audition Cold-​Reads» and he is honest, tactful, knowledgeable, and inspiring. He approaches acting in such a way that makes it seem so simple and appetizing. I was able to take a step back and watch myself from outside of myself, if that makes any sense. In the workshops, we record everything so you are able to see yourself actually performing scenes, cold-​reads, and monologues. We watched it together and Stan gave us loads of individual feedback (that usually can apply for the group as a whole) for a proper and memorable audition. There’s nothing like watching yourself and seeing what you think you’re doing may be not what you want to portray. I would take his workshop over and over again! Many of his sayings have stuck with me and I repeat them before every audition. (He also has great warm-​up exercises). Lastly, I also recommend taking his private coaching classes. I have done two already before some film auditions and they help SO MUCH! Thanks Stan!

I have taken Stan Roth’s on-​camera class. He’s easily one of the most inspiring teachers I have worked with! and that is because of his infectious passion for this art form. He is very experienced and able to give the right kind of advise. And specific enough to teach what is needed for on-​camera acting, which is very very critical in my opinion. He has a great sense for what the actor is struggling with and the best part is how he helps build strong and powerful characters and therefore strong actors for the screen. if you are looking for LA level quality of acting classes in SF this is where you have to go.

Took the 5-​week class with Michael Navarra, and it is a class that I greatly enjoyed, learned a lot from, and would highly recommend. Michael is very talented and attentive, and gives targeted, specific advice to every actor. He was always extremely kind, honest, and patient with all of us, and always gave us very poignant and attentive feedback and notes relevant to our individual performances to help us grow. I thought the structure of his class really allowed me to continue to develop as an actress with the scenes he specifically tailored to each of us in the class and the ability to learn from viewing ourselves on camera and incorporating his feedback. Excellent teacher!