The Fall Method Series 

Taught by Brandy Hotchner
Founder and Artistic Director

This is the work that started it all. More than twenty years ago, AZAA began as a private Monday night Method acting class. From those humble beginnings grew the institution we are today.

More than a century old, American Method acting remains the most influential approach to actor training, shaping generations of extraordinary artists for the stage and screen. Despite its name, it is not a single “method,” but an approach to the craft. It is a collection of techniques and exercises designed to cultivate emotional truth, imaginative depth, and the courage to fully inhabit a role.

View Fall Sessions
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AZAA’s Most Flexible Program

The Method Series is organized by season rather than semester.

This series combines Method-based exploration, practical application, and ongoing artistic development in a format designed for today’s working actor.

Attend a single session. Spend a season with us. Return whenever you’re ready for deeper work.

Register for Fall 2026

Who This Is For

The Method Series is designed for actors who want an advanced, ongoing place to practice their craft.

Whether you’re reconnecting with art, continuing your development between productions, supplementing another acting program, or returning to AZAA after time away, the series offers a flexible and supportive environment for continued growth.

  • Flexible participation with no semester commitment
  • Open to current AZAA students and the public
  • Take one class and get a shot in the arm of inspiration
  • Take the whole series, ensuring individual, progressive growth and your spot
  • Spots are limited
Questions? Contact AZAA

Lineage-Based Training

The Method Tradition

The Method Series is rooted in a direct lineage of training passed teacher to teacher, actor to actor.

Brandy Hotchner studied under Barbara Poitier and Sandra Seacat, both direct students of Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan. That lineage continues through the work taught at Arizona Actors Academy today.

“When you work with Brandy, the lineage is clear: Lee Strasberg to Barbara Poitier to Brandy. She creates a safe, joyous, and rigorous environment found only in the classroom of a precious few coaches living today.”

— Gabe Fazio
(Actor: A Star Is Born, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Good Nurse, Maestro, Roofman)

The Method Series | Fall 2026

Continue the Work

Monthly Session Rhythm

1st Tuesday — Method Workshop

A rotating exploration of Method-based tools, principles, and practice. Each class is fully participatory with a unique focus for the month. Sensory, Emotional Truth Without Forcing, Animal Work for Character Development, Removing Blocks and Tension and more.

2nd Tuesday — Applied Technique: Monologues

Bring prepared material and apply the work through direct coaching and practical exploration.

3rd Tuesday — Method Workshop

Continue monthly focus.

4th Tuesday — Applied Technique: Scenes

Bring prepared material (sides available if nothing prepared) and apply the work through direct coaching and practical exploration.

Who Should Attend?

  • This series is open to all levels, Brandy will meet you where you are
  • Actors seeking ongoing training without a weekly class commitment
  • Current AZAA students looking to deepen and advance their work
  • Former students visiting or returning to the craft
  • Working actors wanting to stay sharp between projects
  • Artists interested in Method-based training
  • Actors ready for deeper exploration and continued growth

Fall 2026 Schedule & Pricing

Tuesday’s 8pm – 10:30pm 

Flat Per-Session Tuition

$50 — Current AZAA Students
$60 — Public

Every listed Fall session uses the same flat tuition. Select one date during registration and complete full payment to reserve your place.

Method Workshops are limited to 15 actors. Applied Technique: Monologues and Applied Technique: Scenes are limited to 10 actors to allow meaningful coaching and individual attention.

AZAA student pricing applies to anyone currently enrolled in an ongoing AZAA program.

September 2026

September 1 — Method Workshop

September 8 — Applied Technique: Monologues

September 15 — Method Workshop

September 22 — Applied Technique: Scenes

October 6 — Method Workshop

October 13 — Applied Technique: Monologues

October 20 — Method Workshop

October 27 — Applied Technique: Scenes

November 3 — Method Workshop

November 10 — Applied Technique: Monologues

November 17 — Method Workshop

November 24 — Applied Technique: Scenes

December 1 — Method Workshop

December 8 — Applied Technique: Monologues

December 15 — Method Workshop

December 22 — Applied Technique: Scenes

Register for The Method Series

Choose one Fall 2026 session date and complete full tuition payment at registration.

AZAA Students: $50 per session | Public: $60 per session

Private Coaching with Brandy

Need individualized support?

Private coaching is available for auditions, monologues, scene work, performance preparation, professional development, and deeper artistic exploration.

Coaching sessions are scheduled separately from The Method Series and are subject to availability.

Contact us for current coaching rates and availability.

Request Coaching Information

The Method Series FAQ

Do I need to attend every month?

No. The Method Series is designed to be flexible. Attend a single session, participate throughout a season, or return whenever the work calls to you.

A strong foundation in the Stanislavski System is recommended. Our Core Program teaches these fundamentals and is the best place to start if you’re new to acting.

No. The Method Series is open to both AZAA students and the public. Current AZAA students receive discounted pricing as a benefit of their ongoing training.

Yes. There is no required starting point and no fixed curriculum. The Method Series is organized by season rather than semester, allowing actors to join when the timing is right for them.

Note: Applied Technique sessions utilize scripts. If you do not have a monologue or scene prepared, simply let us know and we’ll have material ready for you.

Not exactly. The Method Series is an ongoing studio for actors seeking continued growth. Some sessions focus on exploration and training, while others focus on applying those tools through monologues and scene work.

Method Workshops focus on developing the actor’s instrument through exercises, exploration, and Method-based training.

Applied Technique sessions focus on putting those tools into practice through monologues and scene work.

No. Actors from all training backgrounds are welcome. The Method Series explores one tradition within the broader craft of acting and is intended to complement—not replace—your existing training and experience.

Method Acting: Myths, Misconceptions & FAQ

Method acting is a collection of actor-training approaches that grew from the work of Constantin Stanislavski and evolved through artists including Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, and Uta Hagen. While their techniques differ, they share a common purpose: helping actors develop greater truth, presence, imagination, emotional authenticity, and connection to the human experience. Rather than a single technique, it is a tradition of training that developed in the United States throughout the 20th century alongside the growth of modern theater, film, and television. It continues to evolve today.

In many ways, it isn’t as different as people imagine. Most contemporary actor training traces its roots to Constantin Stanislavski, whose work influenced nearly every major acting approach taught today.

Method training places particular emphasis on emotional truth, imagination, concentration, and the actor’s personal connection to the material. Rather than teaching a single rigid system, The Method Series explores a range of tools and traditions that help actors create authentic human behavior under imaginary circumstances.

Yes. Although acting training has continued to evolve, many principles associated with Method acting remain at the heart of professional practice. Whether they identify as Method actors or not, many of today’s most respected performers use tools rooted in the Stanislavski tradition, including script analysis, imagination, concentration, emotional authenticity, and truthful behavior under imaginary circumstances.

No. Method acting is not about becoming someone else or losing touch with reality. Healthy training develops greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and creative control. The goal is not to disappear into a character, but to use your own humanity in service of the role and to be able to enter and leave that work consciously and safely.

No. Some actors choose to remain focused on their role between takes, rehearsals, or performances, but staying in character 24 hours a day is not a requirement of Method acting. In fact, Method training is intended to give actors greater control over their creative process, allowing them to enter and leave the work as needed. It is not something taught or recommended at AZAA.

No. Self-harm is not a Method acting technique. Stories about extreme actor behavior are individual choices, not Method training. Professional actor training emphasizes craft, imagination, preparation, and safety.

This is one of the most common misconceptions about Method acting. Emotional memory is one tool within a much larger system of training, but it is neither the only tool nor the primary focus of most Method work. Responsible Method instruction emphasizes imagination, concentration, observation, sensory work, and artistic technique. Historically, Method teachers such as Lee Strasberg cautioned actors against working with recent or unresolved emotional experiences. Actors are not expected or encouraged to relive personal trauma in order to create truthful performances.

When taught and learned responsibly, no. Good training emphasizes technique, preparation, imagination, self-awareness, and healthy boundaries. Like any art form, actors may explore challenging human experiences, but they do so through craft and technique rather than emotional recklessness.

No. The Method is not a style of acting. Actors working in comedy, drama, film, television, theater, improvisation, and classical work can all benefit from its tools and principles. The goal is not to create a particular type of performance, but to help actors work truthfully and effectively within any genre.

Sometimes. Much of the controversy comes from highly publicized stories about extreme actor behavior rather than the actual principles of Method training. At its core, Method acting is simply a tradition of actor training designed to help performers work truthfully and effectively.

Ready to Continue the Work?

Select a Fall session and reserve your place through the registration form.