The Patterson Studio

"I am currently a student in the Master Class at the Patterson Studio. I have found it to be a place of utmost professionalism, for actors who truly want to gain a full understanding and complete way of working. I have been truly challenged to go beyond what I thought possible, and have experienced a way to approach the craft that is rewarding and fulfilling. It is a place for actors who desire to work at the highest level, with utmost integrity."

"I was a student of Robert Patterson back in the day, and since I have come back to watch him teach on occasion. He has only more to offer his students today. I have been to and seen the “actor mills” around the city, and understand the economics involved in the mass production of “trained actors”. I have been that glassy eyed student in an acting class behaving as if I sat at the feet of a guru, only to come to find out, they were merely performing parlor tricks while claiming to raise the dead. Bob is on a level incommisurate with that approach. He has a complete approach to the craft, and since I left his studio, I have been working steadily as an actor and director, save the decisions I’ve made to explore other crafts in my life. All young actors think they are old and are in a hurry to see themselves on the screen, but if you don’t take the time to become a completely trained fully flexible acting instrument you may get your fifteen minutes, but you will not have longevity, nor will you ever be able to separate your personalized truth for an objective truth in the creation of a role."

"I took the Tuesday acting class in 2017 and it was pretty affordable and is free now. The 4 other students really seemed focused and interested in learning the craft of acting with everyone working scenes in class together -- it was intense and impressive. Mr Patterson's method may appear to have ruffled feathers with some but from what i experienced he is exacly what you need if you're serious and determined that you need a foundation in acting. He doesn't play around - hes not teaching quick audition tricks -- he's like the old school masters you hear about in New York theater that werent there to reassure you how wonderful you are -- he's there to train you as a serious actor and instruct you in techniques he developed and like any mastery of arts will require you to fail occasionally then get up and do it again. He definitely has a tough approach but you wont find a more passionate or accountable acting coach -- one that will reshape your understanding of acting and challenge you to understand your craft and deliver your best every time."

"I interview with Bob Patterson in 1981. A close friend gave me the referral. I came out of ACT and was unsatisfied with what I had learn as an actor, I needed more. I interview with Mr. Patterson, he ran through some of the process of his work. I struggled to keep up because, I was trying to comprehend all that he was saying. I soon learned that I shouldn't try to comprehend anything, (acting is doing). I knew right then and there that this acting class was for me. His class met early in the evening. 8-10 people. A studio in a basement on west 74th street; cool in the summer, warm in the winter. Small, framed, quotes from all my favorite writers decorated the room. The quote I loved most is Stendhal, "they cannot teach the heart without crushing it". His classes were always interesting. In learning the repetition exercise, special attention was always given to keeping your attention (off yourself) and, don't do anything until something happens to make you do it. These are the things that really captivated me in his class. I had never heard of such things. Keeping your attention off yourself, is a key factor; it is so basic; it frees one to really let go and act. There is a whole curriculum that must be followed: he gave me a reading list that truly changed my life. I could never see things the same way again. He gave out things to do on a weekly basis; concerts to see, dance, museums, opera, ballet, plays, and movies. These thing broaden my horizons and gave me a sense of the place and time, which is essential when acting a role. As an actor you need to fully immerse yourself in the time, place, and social forces of that society. It all made so much sense to me. It's simplicity and not its complexity; "but to look at things intensely is not to see them as they are". Robert Patterson is a teacher way beyond his years and anybody that is serious about being an actor should take his class. It will change your life as well as your career. -Stephen Christopher."

"Sure is a lot of controversy here, but I can't help noticing that the good reviews seem to be logical and coherent, and to mostly come from professionals, some who give their names; but the bad reviews seem to come from a bunch of bitter, angry, frustrated people, who find each other's bitter, angry, frustrated feelings helpful, and to be generally peppered with poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Personally, I took Patterson's introductory class more than once, as I wasn't able to commit to the time involved in taking his full class. However, I learned more about acting in the six weeks I spent there the first time through, than I learned in 4 years at another well known studio whose name I won't mention. It probably has something to do with the fact that Robert Patterson actually studied with Sanford Meisner, unlike most other 'Meisner teachers'. As far as these goofy claims that Patterson is only interested in making money, doesn't it make sense that if that were true, he'd be charging much higher rates like most of the other major acting studios in NY? Granted, he's a very intense and dynamic individual, and some people obviously aren't able to handle that, but you won't find anyone in the business more dedicated to teaching, or to advancing the craft of acting to another level. If that weren't the case, I doubt he'd have been teaching at the same location for almost 40 years. Bear in mind, a lot of people hated Sanford Meisner while he was teaching, but would that stop you from wanting to study with him if he were still around? If it would, you may not be cut out for classical acting, but you can still work on soaps or in many other mediums. If you turn on your TV, you'll see a lot of people who aren't classically trained, and a lot of people who are, and with a little training and observation, it's pretty easy to spot the difference. Which kind of actor do you want to be?"