🎭 Core Acting Program

Beginners and New Actors

Beginners and New Actors

Your Journey Starts Here.

Build Skill, Confidence, and Craft.

One Level at a Time.
Arizona Actors Academy’s Core Acting Program is a progressive training path designed to meet you where you are – and take you where you want to go. Whether you’re a total beginner, a curious creative or a returning actor looking to deepen your craft, our three-level structure provides a clear, supported progression. 

Estimated completion is 8 to 12 months. You set the pace!

Your Journey Starts Here.

Build Skill, Confidence, and Craft.

One Level at a Time.

Arizona Actors Academy’s Core Acting Program is a progressive training path designed to meet you where you are – and take you where you want to go. Whether you’re a total beginner, a curious creative or a returning actor looking to deepen your craft, our three-level structure provides a clear, supported progression. 

Estimated completion is 8 to 12 months.

You set the pace!

All our classes are ages 18 and older.

Best of Our Valley 2024

🔹 Level I: Acting Foundations

Acting Foundations

In-Person Class

Meeting Wednesdays

6:00pm – 8:00pm or 8:30 depending on size

$225 per month | $450 Full Program

Instructor: Rachel Riggs

Open enrollment for beginning actors and you can begin anytime.

Start here. Build confidence, presence, and a love of the work.

Your first step as an actor.
This high-energy, welcoming class introduces new actors to the fundamentals of the craft in a fun and supportive environment. Through warm ups, group games, and acting exercises…, you’ll begin to build a foundational acting technique while reconnecting with the creative spark that brought you here.

🎯 Ideal for: Total beginners, returning actors looking for a reset, or anyone seeking a safe space to explore acting for the first time

🔗 Explore Acting Foundations →

Develop confidence and presence through group work and ensemble play

Practice the fundamentals of acting: objectives, obstacles, and actions

Build basic scene and monologue skills through guided exercises

Cultivate focus, listening, and emotional honesty on stage

Embrace risk, imagination, and your unique creative voice

Total beginners with little or no acting experience

Adults (18+) curious about acting or looking to try something new

Returning performers who want a fresh start and reintroduction to the basics

Individuals seeking a supportive, low-pressure space to build confidence

Anyone who wants to explore creativity, communication, and presence

Gift Cards and $50 Off Acting Foundations
Gift Cards and $50 Off Acting Foundations

🔹 Level II: Acting Essentials

Acting Foundations

In-Person Class

Meeting Wednesdays

8:30pm – 10:00pm

$175 Two Pay | $350 Full Program

Instructors: Rachel Riggs and Maren Maclean Mascarelli

Open enrollment with approval and you can begin anytime.

Build your instrument. The creative core every actor needs.

This 6-week developmental class helps you deepen your connection to body, voice, and text while learning to work confidently in ensemble. It’s the bridge between exploration and performance – the place where expressive freedom meets growing skill.

🎯 Ideal for: Students who’ve completed Foundations or have prior acting experience

🔗 Explore Acting Essentials →

Embody physical awareness and emotional presence

Free and strengthen your voice through breath and articulation

Analyze text and explore character subtext

Collaborate within an ensemble with trust and play

Prepare for the demands of scene work and character development

Students who have completed Acting Foundations

Actors who feel emotionally ready but need more tools to work with text or character

Individuals with prior acting experience who are “rusty” or disconnected from their body, voice, or ensemble work

Performers transitioning from instinctive play to intentional craft

Anyone preparing for the demands of scene work, character study, or professional training

🔹 Level III: Acting Technique

Acting for Adults

In-Person Class

Meeting 

Sundays 1:00pm – 4:00pm*

Thursdays 6:30-10:30pm*

$240 per month

Open enrollment with approval and you can begin anytime.

Where craft meets performance. Script work, character, and commitment.

This ongoing class is the culmination of our Core Program. Here, you’ll put your tools into practice through scene study, character development, and emotional truth. With individualized coaching you’ll begin to work like a professional actor.

Actors may move on to our ongoing advanced acting classes; Meisner, Scene Study and Relaxation & Sensory after meeting Acting Technique’s graduation goals (two monologues and one scene) for the course or stay and continue their development here.

🎯 Ideal for: Actors with strong foundational tools, ready for script and performance work

🔗 Explore Acting Technique →

Break down scenes with clarity and precision

Build layered, authentic characters from the ground up

Use emotional truth and personal connection in performance

Refine your technique for both stage and screen

Rehearse with discipline and artistic purpose

Students who have completed Acting Essentials (or comparable training)

Actors ready to take on full scenes, in-depth script analysis, and character development

Performers looking to refine their technique for stage and on-camera work

Returning professionals seeking a disciplined training environment

Anyone serious about taking their acting from exploratory to performance-ready

  • Thursdays – 6:30pm-10:30pm*

  • Instructor: Rachel Riggs

  • *End time is dependent on class size.

Ongoing Shakespeare

We recommended that students by this level who wish to be competitive in the industry add Improv Mechanics, Ongoing Shakespeare and/or Stage Combat.

Tuition to add an additional focus is $150/monthly with our added program discount.

These classes are all available to audit through the registration form. 

Not A Beginner? Or wish to add a class?