National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts

I completed the two-​year program at the conservatory and I’m glad I did.
As a bit of background, I had studied acting briefly at a major university known for its theatre program, but felt it was riding on a decades-​old reputation and was no longer as strong as perhaps it once was. It seemed more concerned with faculty reputations and grooming a handful of favorite students than providing a solid foundation for all its students. (And damnably, I never saw so much as a one-​hour seminar offered on anything related to the business of acting.)
In contrast, the Conservatory’s faculty is completely focused on giving every student dedicated attention. Small classes mean an excellent student to teacher ratio. The audition and business classes are particularly important, meaty, and useful for such a competitive industry. And the faculty continues to care, long after you’re gone – I have asked advice of a number of staff members since graduating two years ago, and they are always extremely generous with their time and attention. The people who handle enrollment, financial aid, billing, etc. are also very responsive, helpful, and friendly.
Classes include script interpretation, scene study, voice & movement (with a focus on Michael Chekhov), auditioning, business of acting, and rehearsal projects in Greek, Shakespeare, Commedia dell’Arte, Realism, and Absurdism. I loved every one of my classes and felt each was essential to the overall experience. The overall acting focus, which they call «the Job of the Actor» provides every student with a solid foundation in playing ACTIONS.
Graduates can continue to attend seminars of interest, or audit classes if they’d like a refresher, and borrow from the play library. Graduates of the advanced program can even use the rehearsal and performance spaces for their own projects.
Enrollment, currently, is not competitive. This would be the main disadvantage I could cite. However, if you have a dream of being an actor, have zero experience, and perhaps not even that much raw talent, you can get in and if you put in the work, they will make a decent actor out of you. For those with some experience who are looking for a more competitive environment, and hoping to learn as much from the other students as you do from the faculty, it’s a bit of a crap shoot. Depends on who ends up in your classes with you. More aggressive recruiting could help here.
The Conservatory clearly does not have much money, and that’s a bummer. I would love to see a much more extensive, up-​to-​date, electronically cataloged play lending library. While the facilities are sufficient for the small classes, it would be awesome to have two larger, more versatile performance spaces than the cramped, column-​blighted one they have now (not to mention a bit more room for costume, prop, and lighting storage, and set building and painting areas).
Note that they are wholly focused on acting, with only minimal time given to other aspects of stagecraft, despite their name indicating they’re a conservatory of dramatic «arts,» plural. I would love it if I could get as thorough an education in stage management or directing, for example, as I did in acting.
As far as I know, the Conservatory doesn’t have any big name alumni despite its 30+ year history. I don’t know why that is, because the education is excellent. Most of the graduates I know are very good to excellent actors. I do know that the current administration is fairly new. Maybe they are better than the previous generations of faculty, and then it’s only a matter of time before some of these excellent actors hit the big time.

I completed 4 semesters of the diploma program at NCDA, and went on to complete the ART program. I began my training in early 2005. I was initially most interested in the school when I learned that it was based on European conservatories and includes ongoing training in various disciplines needed for the craft of acting. At NCDA, actors train their bodies and their voices. They learn how to analyze scripts and most importantly, a technique that they can depend on to help them play their parts. The thing that clicked for me more than anything else is that technique. Its something I came to rely on in the many performance opportunities I had while there, and since, as a working actor.
This is a conservatory… if you are not serious about the craft of acting, then you should not go here, period. There are plenty of places to just take a class, that’s not what this is about. That’s not to say that its all glum — the first time I walked in the building, before I ever applied — I noticed the warm atmosphere of the place. One meeting with Nan and I knew it was the place for me to be. Talking to her, my dream once again seemed possible. It became the center of my life, and after 2 years of hard work with great teachers who are working professionals, I realized it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

If you are serious about obtaining this education and committed to the process, then this is the place to be. It is not for those who are looking to take a class or two, or those who are not sure what they want to do. You will get out of it what you put in– on all levels — training, knowledge of the business, respect for the craft and others in the profession. I know because I attended NCDA, and it was the foundation on which I base my career.

I attended NCDA and have so many great things to say about this place that I could write a book! So i will just make a list.
–only accredited acting school in the metropolitan/​dc area. Which allows u the ability to get financial aid.
–training comes from professionals that work in the industry which immediately connects u and sets u up to get work right after u graduate
— U can always come back and get coaching or audition prep and attend classes for FREE! Yes you heard it FREE!
–As a graduate u can use the conservatory space to produce your own show free of charge.
–You literally train and learn every aspect of acting. Comedy, Realism, Shakespeare, Greek, Modern Drama, Film & Camera technique, voice, movement, Audition, they even cover the business side of the industry.
–Nan and Ray are both fantastic. They treated me as if I were a part their family. It’s amazing because that’s how they treat everybody.
Truly blessed to have attended this school. I’m an actor and have been working consistently since I graduated. All because of the training I got from NCDA!

Being able to see young talent from DC and around the country before they strike it big? Awesome. Being able to see some classic plays for free? Even better.
The National Conservatory is DC’s answer to the FAME school in Manhattan or the Berkley school in Boston. The main focus of the Conservatory is as a school, which teaches actors all aspects of working on stage, on TV or film.
It hosts a few open houses a year as well as free «graduation» performances. The ticketed performances are reasonably priced, around twenty dollars a person.