William Esper Studio

The William Esper Studio was founded in 1965 as a school for the performing arts in Manhattan, New York. The school is dedicated to the acting technique of Sanford Meisner. Its founder, William "Bill" Esper, is occasionally referred to as the best-known of Meisner's first generation teachers. The William Esper Studio was listed as one of The 25 Best Drama Schools for a Master of Fine Arts numerous times. Background When Esper was a young man, he saw Eli Wallach and Maureen Stapleton in a touring production of The Rose Tattoo. As Esper later recounted: "[I] was so struck by the acting ...[A]fter the play was over, I decided to go around the corner to get a cup of coffee so I could think about it some more. I walked into a little drugstore, and Eli was sitting there having a bite to eat..."