named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Comedy Division
Training program dedicated to comedic performance for stage and screen, offering instruction in stand-up, sketch, improvisation, and solo performance, culminating in original devised work
Devised Comedy Winter Immersion
Two-week intensive program in comedy writing and performance led by Comedy Division Director Matt Gehring, resulting in a final presentation of original material
Harold Clurman Laboratory Theater Company (HCLAB)
Professional theater company serving as a creative laboratory for students and faculty, producing experimental and reimagined classic works in New York and Los Angeles
Outside/In
Free theater workshop for justice-involved individuals and people in recovery from addiction, using acting and improvisation to foster creative expression and community; includes 12-week cycles and public performances of original work
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Theater and Performing Arts in Corrections 2 activities
- Delivering theater instruction in correctional and public education settingsProvides weekly theater instruction in jails, public schools, and rehabilitation facilities across New York City, serving an average of 300 currently incarcerated individuals annually.
- Providing community-based theater programs through Arts Justice DivisionRuns the Arts Justice Division, which offers free weekly acting classes and 12-week theater workshops for men in recovery from addiction and emotional suppression, with an 85% completion rate. Supports participants in creating and performing original semi-autobiographical theater pieces in public performances twice a year. Also operates the Outside/In program and plans a city-wide tour of it.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 2 activities
- Operating a new Comedy Division for comedic performance trainingOffers a Comedy Division that trains actors in multiple comedic forms including stand-up, sketch, improvisation, and solo performance. Provides a laboratory for devising and performing original comedic work, including the Devised Comedy Winter Immersion and other intensive programs.
- Operating conservatory programs in actingOffers day and evening conservatory programs in Manhattan and Los Angeles, including training in film, television, and theater using Stella Adler’s techniques. Serves over 1,000 students annually, with facilities including black box theaters, rehearsal studios, and a film studio at its Lower Manhattan location.
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Arts Education Scholarships 1 activity
- Awarding need-based scholarships through grantmakingGrants $1 million in need-based scholarships over the past 20 years to graduates of the Arts Justice program to support their continued training and development.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Hosting public performances and arts eventsPresents public performances such as SpaceBridge at the 2025 Under the Radar Festival, hosts gallery exhibitions like “Conversations in Art” at the Ellen Adler Art Gallery, and organizes public-facing media events such as CBS Mornings segments demonstrating acting classes and filmed scenes with coaching from faculty.
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Arts Education Access Programs 1 activity
- Operating an ambassador program for community engagementRuns an ambassador program that engages conservatory students and alumni as volunteers to support Arts Justice initiatives and expand community outreach.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Operating the Harold Clurman Laboratory Theater CompanyRuns the Harold Clurman Laboratory Theater Company as a professional artistic platform in New York and Los Angeles, producing public performances such as the adaptation of Anna Karenina titled annA, with post-show talkbacks. The company also develops new plays and presents them in association with partner organizations like Theatre East.
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Accessibility Services for Cultural Programs 1 activity
- Providing accessibility and inclusive access to programsEnsures ADA-compliant access at its 65 Broadway facility through a ramped entrance, elevators, wide hallways and doorways, Braille signage, and wheelchair-accessible theater seating.
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Alumni Leadership and Career Support Programs 1 activity
- Supporting alumni and program graduates in professional developmentSupports program graduates in becoming actors, teachers, national justice leaders, and staff or leadership at the Center. Alumni have gone on to active careers in stand-up, television, and film comedy.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$8.74M
Contributions & grants$418K5%
Program service revenue$8.28M95%
Investment income$12K0%
Other revenue$32K
expenses
Total expenses$9.86M
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$4.90M
Grants paid out$687K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$19.49M
Cash$2.29M
Investments$0
Liabilities$22.66M
Net assets$-3.17M
Liquid reserves2.8 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +10.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOM OPPENHEIM | PRESIDENT & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | 40 | $138K |
| MICHAEL GRENHAM | EXECUTIVE MANAGER | 40 | $109K |
| JONATHAN YODER | SCHOOL DIRECTOR, LA | 40 | $95K |
board members · 7
- ALLAN NEUWIRTH — MEMBER
- ARJUN GUPTA — MEMBER
- MIKE MEDAVOY — MEMBER
- SHARIF EL-GAMAL — MEMBER
- SONIA SANCHEZ — MEMBER
- STEPHEN DEMBITZER — CHAIR
- WELLAND H SCRIPPS — MEMBER
relationships · 28
Who they work with
- Amtrak Government — Rail service used to reach the Stella Adler Center for the Arts via connections from Pennsylvania Station.
- Ars Nova Partner — Matt Gehring co-founded CAMP, the Comedy Artist Makers Program, at Ars Nova.
- Art of Acting Studio Partner — Hosts the Los Angeles branch of the Stella Adler Center for the Arts.
- Benicio del Toro Partner — Honorary Chair of the Arts Justice Advisory Board
- CBS Partner — Collaborated on a public segment featuring a CBS host participating in studio programs.
- Cheryl Crawford Partner — Co-founder of The Group Theatre with Stella Adler and Harold Clurman.
- Chloe Fineman Partner — Studio alumna who participated in a filmed scene with a CBS host.
- Comedy Cellar Partner — Partnered with the Comedy Cellar on the Stand-Up Comedy for Actors workshop.
- Comedy Cellar Partner — Partners with Stella Adler Studio to offer a “Stand-Up Comedy for Actors” workshop.
- Harold Clurman Partner — Co-founder of The Group Theatre with Stella Adler and key artistic collaborator in shaping American theater.
- Herb Kohl Partner — Member of the Arts Justice Advisory Board
- Julianne Moore Partner — Member of the Arts Justice Advisory Board
- Konstantin Stanislavski Partner — Primary influence on Stella Adler's acting methodology; personally trained her during a five-week period in Paris.
- Lee Strasberg Partner — Founding member of The Group Theatre and early collaborator with Stella Adler in developing actor training methods.
- Long Island Railroad Government — Rail service used to reach the Stella Adler Center for the Arts via connections from Pennsylvania Station.
- MTA Government — Public transportation provider referenced for subway access to the Stella Adler Center for the Arts.
- Matthew Modine Partner — Member of the Arts Justice Advisory Board
- Metro-North Railroad Government — Commuter rail service used to reach the Stella Adler Center for the Arts via connections from Grand Central Station.
- New Jersey Transit Government — Rail service used to reach the Stella Adler Center for the Arts via connections from Pennsylvania Station.
- New York City Department of Correction Government — Engaged the studio’s former Director of Arts Justice to expand and centralize similar arts programs in correctional facilities.
- New York University Partner — Academic partnership supporting actor training programs.
- PATH Government — Transit system used to reach the Stella Adler Center for the Arts via World Trade Center station.
- Pete McElligott Partner — Faculty member who coached a CBS host during an acting class and filming.
- Phoenix House Partner — Residential treatment center that refers participants to the Outside/In program.
- The Hollywood Reporter Partner — Published an obituary about Jon Korkes, a teacher at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.
- Theatre East Partner — Co-presents annA by Matt Minnicino through the Harold Clurman Lab at the Stella Adler Studio.
- Theatre East Partner — Co-presents theatrical productions with the Harold Clurman Laboratory Theater Company.
- Whoopi Goldberg Partner — Member of the Arts Justice Advisory Board
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Art as Humanizing Intervention in Marginalized Settingsmethodology: arts_for_justiceBy delivering theater in carceral and recovery settings, the studio restores identity and humanity among participants, because artistic expression provides a non-clinical, dignity-affirming space for self-reconstruction and emotional vulnerability.
- Democratized Access to Artistic Practicemethodology: democratization_of_the_artsBy removing structural and cultural barriers to participation, the studio expands who can engage with theater, because transformative artistic experiences should be available to all, regardless of background or ability.
- Ensemble-Based Artistic Developmentmethodology: ensemble_based_trainingBy training actors collectively through ensemble work, the studio produces more cohesive and artistically rigorous theater, because collaborative growth fosters mutual accountability, deeper connection, and stronger stage presence than individualized training alone.
- Imagination-Centered Acting Pedagogymethodology: imagination_based_acting_trainingBy prioritizing imagination as the core mechanism of acting, the studio develops more authentic and psychologically rich performances, because imagination enables actors to access emotional truth beyond mechanical repetition.
- Socially-Engaged Actor Trainingmethodology: socially-engaged_actor_trainingBy integrating social justice and community contexts into actor training, the studio produces culturally aware and socially responsible artists, because artistic education should serve broader human and societal development beyond performance technique alone.