HB Studio

HB Studio, founded in 1945, aims for a meaningful dramatic expression of the times and country in which we live. To help establish a theatre of experimentation based on classic tradition, the Studio is dedicated to the development of individual artists who may actively contribute to a theatre of national character. Conceived as an artistic and working home, it offers an outlet for practice and growth for the professional theatre artist, and an opportunity for the young to establish roots in their intended craft. The Studio's guiding principle is creative freedom, which has as its logical consequence responsibility to a noble art.

HB’s founders—actor/director Herbert Berghof and actor and master teacher Uta Hagen—believed that the context in which theatre is made, and the purposes for which it is made, are as much at issue as the craft itself. Today , HB is a thriving cultural center continually reshaped by the theatre artists who teach and study here. We primarily serve artists, and we define artists broadly: all who love the work of acting itself are welcome at HB, regardless of how they may earn their living. Additionally, we aim to keep fees low because many who choose to pursue the business of acting sacrifice personal financial security to do so.

To further its mission, HB offers semester-long classes and performance labs, as well as opportunities to create solo projects in our studio spaces. The HB Ensemble, a resident company, meets twice monthly for group workshops and also presents two staged productions each year that are free and open to the public.

All of HB Studio’s initiatives serve the common purpose of fostering creative freedom, ongoing development and practice, and mutual support in the community of theatre professionals.