Beginners Acting Class in Auckland

Who the Beginners Class Is For

This is the starting point at Elena Stejko Actors Studio. It suits adults who have never taken an acting class, people coming back to acting after years away, and writers and directors who want to understand the actor's process from the inside. The course is an introduction, so you do not need to know anything about the technique before you start. Students arrive from every kind of background and level of experience.

If you have already trained, or have a few terms of classes behind you, look at the intermediate and advanced classes instead.

What a Term Covers

The beginners course introduces the fundamental elements of the Michael Chekhov technique and the process of creating a character. You will work with:

• Atmosphere. The mood that fills a place or a scene, and how an actor works with it.
• Psychological gesture. A movement that captures what a character wants. You find it physically, rehearse it, and then carry it inside the performance.
• Qualities of movement. Chekhov taught movement dynamics such as moulding, floating, flying and radiating as a way to find the physical core of a character.
• Body centres. Where a character leads from, and how moving that centre changes the way they stand, walk and speak.

These are simple, practical tools, and the same ones professional actors use. They are explained in more detail on our page about the Michael Chekhov acting technique.

What the Course Is Designed to Do

The class is intensive and practical. Its aims are the same for a first term student as for a working actor:

• Deepen your understanding of the script and of a casting brief.
• Give you confidence in your own choices when you prepare.
• Expand your tool box and your rehearsal methods.
• Wake up your creative mind through the character creation process.

Each class runs for three hours, once a week, for the seven weeks of the term.

The Recorded Session With a Casting Director

At the end of term there is a recording session with a casting director, and every actor receives a copy of their scene. For a beginner this is the first time you see your work the way the industry sees it, on a screen, and it gives you a clear marker of how far seven weeks has taken you. Screen auditions are now commonly recorded as self tapes rather than held in a room, so getting used to the camera early is time well spent.

After the Beginners Class

You take one class a week according to your level. When you are ready to move on from beginners, the next level is the Tuesday intermediate class, followed by the advanced class, and there are two camera based classes, self tape and short film. You can see how the levels connect on the acting school page.

Dates, Fee and Booking

The beginners class runs on Mondays from 6.30pm to 9.30pm for the seven weeks of the term, in person at Studio 3.2, 1 Cleveland Road, Parnell, Auckland, with no more than 12 people in the class. The fee is $695 per term including GST, and members of Equity New Zealand, the performers' union, receive a 10% discount. Term 5 2026 starts on 19 October 2026. Places are limited, so book early. The studio confirms your place by email after you send a booking request.