7201 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046-7652
(323) 935-2100
Intro & Adv Classes @ $275/mo
Master Class @ $300/mo
The Ivana Chubbuck Studio teaches, appropriately, The Chubbuck Technique, which anyone can learn through reading her book The Power of the Actor. Though it’s labeled as her own technique, any actor who’s taken a class or two will be familiar with a lot of the points she discusses in the book. It’s basically her take on a combination of techniques developed by the great master teachers, Stanislavski, Uta Hagen and Sanford Meisner.
The structure of the studio is much like the other major LA acting studios: Introductory Class, Advanced Class and Master Class with Ivana herself. Classes meet once a week for 3 hours. Placement is dependent on a Ivana’s quick evaluation of you and your resume after attending the mandatory audit of her Thursday night Master Class (for $20, appt only). Once you observe her class, one by one the auditors are called into her office where she meets with you for 2-3 min, asks you some quick questions regarding your career, your resume and your schedule, and then says what level and class is best suited for you. She gives you the name of the instructor and to expect a call from him in the next few days confirming your first day in class.
After returning to LA from SF, I enrolled here. At the time, this seemed like the best option. I was placed in the Introductory Class and eventually made my way up to Advanced. As far as I could tell the movement from level to level seemed part-progress and part-arbitrary. If you wind up here, you can decide for yourself. I enjoyed my instructor, Deryl Carroll. He is passionate, honest and thorough. I had him for both the Intro and Advanced.
Scenes are selected from both plays and films, old and new. First you are assigned the scene and a scene partner. Then, you and your scene partner independently break down your scripts according to The Chubbuck Technique. Next, you get together with your scene partner to rehearse the scene 3-4 times throughout the week. When you return to the following class you will most likely perform the scene (depending on how many people are scheduled before you) bringing as many props as you can to set the scene. After you perform it all the way through, your instructor gives their critique. You return home to revise your analysis and rehearsals with these notes in mind. Then the next class you perform the same scene a second time only stop-and-go, really working specific moments and helping you get to the next level.
I chose to attend Ivana Chubbuck because had already attended Carter-Thor and wanted to try something new. I did not particularly connect to Howard Fine when auditing, and I did not like the Larry Moss Studio. Also, I wanted Ivana on my resume.
