I have trained with Marla for nearly a decade, and I cannot recommend her enough as a teacher and coach to any actor who is looking to build a strong acting technique, while nurturing the unique and singular parts of themselves. Not only did Marla help prepare me for college auditions (BFA/MFA), but she continues to coach me as I navigate the professional acting industry here in New York.
Marla is patient, caring, attentive, funny, smart, and reliable. Our work sessions are focused, and I always leave feeling a deep sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue working towards my goals. If you are serious about acting - regardless of your skill set or level of experience - Marla is the coach for you.
actress ◦ Cincinatti Conservatory of Music
You won’t ever leave a session with Marla without being inspired, moved and exhausted!!
I can recommend every serious actor to work with the great inspiring lady. And I will assure everyone they won’t regret it!
actress, singer - Next To Normal,
Spring Awakening (World Premiers)
Amsterdam, Nederlands
Marla is one of the most dedicated acting coaches I’ve ever worked with. She cares immensely for her students and will push them to work past their comfort level so they can become better actors. Through my work with Marla, I’ve booked a number of shows, my callbacks have doubled, and I’ve found joy and confidence in my auditioning. Any actor who is wanting to better their artistry and simply increase their number of jobs should definitely work with Marla Schaffel.
actress ◦ singer (Sweeny Todd)
Central School of Speech and Drama
Marla is the acting coach I've always dreamed of. She is perceptive, caring, and intuitive with ever-helpful advice and opinions. Through working with Marla on graduate school auditions, I learned a lot about myself as an actor. I learned how to listen to myself, how to focus, and how to work with a piece of text in a manner I had never experienced before. Some of the best acting I have ever done is alone in the room with Marla and then in those graduate school auditions we had been preparing for. I hear her voice in my head every time I start a monologue now and I am very much the better actor for it.
actress ◦ Yale University
Marla's warm and encouraging way make lessons a safe place for artistic growth. With Marla I feel comfortable to try new things - to sing higher than usual, to jump on a trampoline before a monologue to skip around the room during one, to imagine another voice taking me over. To study with Marla is to study from an incredibly special teacher.
actress - Graduate of the Yale School of Drama
I have had the privilege to study with Marla both privately and in her workshops. She is a perceptive, passionate, and inspiring teacher. She is incredibly knowledgeable, and her insights make even the most sophisticated works accessible to her students. I grew so much under her guidance, and would recommend her classes without hesitation.
actress - Daredevil, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Marla is a rare find in private coaching. Her passion for both the spoken word and the musical phrase is inspiring and infectious. An immensely talented and versatile performer herself, from the moment I set foot in her studio, I knew I would never perform the same way ever again. Marla's techniques helped me reestablish the natural connection between my voice and the rest of my body. Her methods anchored my voice and I found I was able to sing with more power than I ever knew I had. Her coaching breathed new life into my monologues and gave me fresh insight into how I approach new pieces. It was an honor and a privilege to be in her class.
actress - singer - designer
Working with Marla was without a doubt the most productive and enlightening experience I have had in an acting class. Her guidance, support, and positive reinforcement helped me to move past my uncertainties and to really invest emotionally in my character.
I learned how to ask the right questions about the script, which led to a deeper, more emotional analysis of my monologue. Marla creates a warm, safe environment where it is easy to trust and to perform without fear of failure or judgment. What I enjoyed most was how I was challenged to push past my fears and doubts and to work diligently towards a more truthful and captivating performance.
High School Student at Exeter