Fiasco's Commitment to Financial Aid

There is no other program like the Fiasco Conservatory in NYC: one that explicitly seeks to give early-career actors of all backgrounds autonomy and agency. The tools we used to build Fiasco do not “belong” to us; they are for everyone who has the passion and desire to use them. When we see what our students and alumni can make with these tools and hear the demand from other young actors for more opportunities to learn these skills, the need for an ongoing program is clear.
Unfortunately, the current training model in NYC exists either through universities or for-profit studios/private teachers—which put a financial burden on students. We offer excellent training to all talented, passionate students, not just those privileged to afford it. This commitment is also specifically anti-racist practice: BIPOC actors experience systemic obstacles to high-level training in this industry, the financial burden being one. For our 2019 Conservatory program we provided scholarships to all students with need. 3/4 of these students said they would not have been able to enroll without receiving aid. We cannot overstate how transformative this was in enabling much of our class to enroll.

Knowing that students for 2021-2022 will likely have more need coming out of the pandemic, we are greatly increasing our financial aid fund goals. We would be thrilled and grateful to have your support so that we can continue to offer robust scholarships to reduce or eliminate tuition for students with need. Thank you for considering a gift to the Financial Aid Fund.

About the Conservatory

Fiasco Theater’s 9 Week Conservatory will train 16 early-career actors full time for nine weeks in our hallmark actor-driven, text-centric approach to rehearsing and making theater, offering students tools for creating a rehearsal process that centers their unique joy and maximizes their artistic agency. Our 9 Week Conservatory program is modeled on the success and structure of our 6 Week program in 2019. The program actively seeks to disrupt the current culture of professional actor training, and to offer a more humane and joyful alternative to the next generation of performers. More details on curriculum and faculty to be announced very soon!

In the first six weeks, students will study with highly-qualified faculty in Voice, Clown, Text-work, Scene study, ensemble rehearsal, dance and yoga on a weekly class schedule. In weeks 7-9 they will rehearse two plays. The program will meet Monday through Friday between 9am and 6pm (exact schedule TBD) with performances the final weekend, March 12-13. The program will be held at ART-NY studios in NYC, 520 8th Avenue.

Fiasco Theater is dedicated to building an equitable environment that is mixed across lines of difference and strongly encourages applications from Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women, transgender and non-binary candidates. Applicants from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply.

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