Playhouse West-Philadelphia - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Shaunpaul C.

If you're looking for serious acting training because you want to be excellent in the craft of acting then there is only one place to study and that is at Playhouse West-Philadelphia. Tony Savant is arguably the world's best acting teacher alive today. In my tenure at Playhouse West-Philadelphia I've witnessed Mr. Savant adapt to what works and what doesn't when it comes to his students, form new exercises in areas where students are consistently weak in, and offer additional FREE classes to give you every opportunity to become excellent in the craft. It's apparent that he works daily at being a teacher of higher quality. He has changed my life for the better. There are so many tools, besides the foundations of acting, that will be instilled in you that aren't offered or taught by other teachers and/or classes. Some of these additional skills are screenwriting, voice and speech, in-depth film and play analysis classes to name a few. This is a rough industry and the chances of "making it" are slim to none but with Tony Savant and Playhouse West-Philadelphia the chances are a little bit better everyday you train with him.

Erica M.

This is an exceptional school for anyone who wants to improve as an actor and be in a supportive, creative community. On top of that, classes are very reasonably priced and there are all sorts of extra perks for students such as opportunities to enter the annual film fest, weekly voice and speech classes, a library of plays, and more. Director Tony Savant is an outstanding leader, delivering honest, constructive feedback to every student and sharing words of wisdom from his decades in the business. I’ve been taking classes for a year and highly recommend it! I look forward to classes every week. If your goal is to be a serious, working actor and have a lot of fun in the process, this is the place to go in the Philly area.

Navia P.

As a student of Playhouse West for nearly two years I ~finally~ am ready to review it. Every actor knows that “luck” plays a huge part in achieving this dream. Without luck, this all seems rather daunting. After living a little and also researching the phenomenon of luck itself, I’ve realized that luck is just being deeply present, emotionally open, discerning, and fearless. Being present in a moment to notice the chance, emotionally open feel it’s gravity, utilizing discernment which speaks for itself, and then being fearless enough to follow through. Sounds a lot like the fundamentals of acting to me! I’m saying this because, I had the epiphany that simply being a student in Playhouse West Philly under Tony's direction is luck in and of itself, not just for myself but for all of us currently enrolled. If you can attend PHW, you are lucky.

Tony has dedicated his life to this craft. To receive great training, from a genuinely dedicated teacher, in a secondary market like Philadelphia, for this price (which I’ll admit is 100% a steal). That’s lucky. To think, in the grand scheme of time, the 12 years of PHW Philadelphia’s existence so far is a blip and it’s quality is an anomaly—having the fortune to be aligned timeline wise to not only receive this training, but be in the place emotionally to invest in it; there’s no doubt in my mind that’s luck.

I feel the need to share this sentiment, with a caveat. Tony is a fantastic teacher but he's not going to sugarcoat the truth. So while some people would prefer that, I think it'd be a disservice. If you're going to come here, I'd say get comfortable being a little uncomfortable because growth is uncomfortable. I've seen a lot of newer students put Tony on a pedestal and blind themselves expecting “perfection” from him. He is a human so sometimes you'll disagree with him. That's okay. The craft is the craft, and this man knows it like very few do. If you're willing to learn and open yourself up, you'll thrive in your training. Come here to learn and express the depths of human nature–which Tony is an expert at cultivating. It’s much easier to learn from someone when you respect them as a person, and not as the personification of one’s own personal expectations. As a teacher, Tony deserves the utmost respect, and I can confidently say he will respect you in return.

Alyssa L.

Playhouse West is a great place to learn the foundations of acting.
Tony does a phenomenal job of critiquing you in a way that promotes growth.
You also get an incredible deal for the cost of classes!
I highly recommend Playhouse to anyone looking to ignite their passion for bringing stories to life.

Deborah

I have been at Playhouse-West for almost 2 yrs and can truly say that I have grown as an actor. Tony takes the time to nurture each persons talent and help them grow in a knowledgeable and encouraging way. The students are supportive and dedicated to the craft in and outside of class. I’m glad I audited and took the step to join PHW

Daniel R.

If you take or want to take acting seriously and you’re located in the tri-state area this is the place to learn the craft. Tony Savant is an excellent teacher and the community to learn, grow, and work on films and theater productions is second to none. Playhouse West will always hold a special place in my heart. A true diamond in the rough.

Nick C.

I have never acted before and was nervous about where to even begin or what expectations to come with, but after a couple weeks here at Playhouse West I am coming to an understanding that vulnerability (truthfulness) is the key foundation. It’s hard, but that’s what I appreciate about this class. Both Tony and Ed will be the first to tell you your flaws and what you need to work on. Great experience overall!

Peyton C.

I've been at Playhouse West-Philadelphia for just 8 months now, and what sets it apart from any other acting school, especially university training, is how SERIOUS and PROFESSIONAL the craft is taken here. There's no room for average here at PHW, and that is something Tony enforces on a daily basis. However, while you are told to take the craft seriously, it is also equally enforced that you must not take yourself seriously, and that's just one example of the types of values you can expect in training here at PHW.

In addition to that, the school has an incredible environment and culture of kind people wanting to grow, and an abundance of opportunities here at the school from classes to rehearsals to do exactly that. Playhouse West has a very unique, full curriculum incorporating mostly Meisner techniques, but also some influenced from Stella Adler, and it is training that will certainly creatively challenge you, but that's the type of work you should expect to put in if you want to be a great actor. And on top of all of that, it's very reasonably priced, especially when compared to other programs/workshops (which would likely charge you more money for significantly lesser training anyways). I recommend PHW to all of my peers who are searching for acting training.

From the values to the environment to the network to the actual training and more, Playhouse West-Philadelphia is truly an amazing school. If you have serious aspirations about becoming a working, successful actor, I can't stress enough that you should at least come and audit a class at PHW, and see for yourself how there's no better place to make that happen!