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Hollywood, Los Angeles · 6502 Santa Monica Blvd

The Gloria Gifford
Conservatory

for the Performing Arts

Study with Hollywood's TOP Acting Teacher

Not Just Another Acting Class — A Professional Acting, Directing & Writing Arena

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"To make it unacceptable to study anywhere else — because we will work the hardest to train you, ignite your passion, and guide you to your own personal Olympics."

— Mission Statement · The Gloria Gifford Conservatory

The Conservatory

A Professional Arena

The Gloria Gifford Conservatory is not a beginner's workshop. It is a living, breathing professional arena — a place where trained actors, directors, and writers come to do the real work, raise their level, and build lasting careers.

Founded and led by Gloria Gifford — actress, director, and master teacher — the Conservatory draws on decades of first-hand industry experience across Broadway, studio films, and network television.

Located in the heart of Hollywood at 6502 Santa Monica Blvd. This is where careers are built — not just dreamed.

8+
Major Awards Won
30+
Years in Hollywood
BW · Film · TV
Gloria's Credits
Gloria Gifford teaching — GGC class in session
In the arena — Gloria Gifford teaching her advanced class, Hollywood CA
Gloria Gifford — Master Teacher, Director, Actress
Broadway Film Television NAACP Winner Ovation Award Valley Theatre Awards LA Times Critics Choice Eclair Magazine
Gloria Gifford — Broadway debut, The Merchant of Venice
Broadway Debut · Merchant of Venice
Gloria Gifford — early career headshots
Early Career · Hollywood
Meet the Master

Gloria Gifford

One of the only and rare acting teachers in town who has actually worked — in all mediums. And she's still working.
— Benito P., GGC Company Member

Gloria Gifford began her training at HB Studios in New York under the legendary Walt Witcover, building her foundation in truth-based acting through O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Chekhov, Ibsen, and Shaw. She brought those roots to Hollywood and built one of the most varied and distinguished careers in the industry.

Her Broadway debut came in The Merchant of Venice. Her film and television career spans decades — from studio comedies and horror classics to network dramas — working alongside Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Nick Nolte, Peter Falk, and more.

As a director, she has won the NAACP Award for Best Director, multiple Valley Theatre Awards, the Ovation Award, and the LA Times and LA Weekly Critics Choice honors. She brings every ounce of that hard-won knowledge into her teaching — with love, humor, rigor, and zero tolerance for alibis.

View Full Career →
View Full Career →
Watch

Who Is Gloria Gifford?

Watch Gloria's story in her own words — from her Broadway debut and Hollywood career to the Conservatory she built in the heart of Hollywood.

Who Is Gloria Gifford?
BroadwayWorld · Master Teacher Profile
The Gloria Gifford Conservatory
GGC · In Action
Filmography & Television

The Career

From Neil Simon on Broadway to Hollywood blockbusters — Gloria Gifford is a working actress with first-hand knowledge of every medium she teaches.

Gloria Gifford on the cover of Eclair Magazine — A Journey from Broadway to Award Winning Director
Featured In
Eclair Magazine
Special Cover · "A Journey from Broadway to Award Winning Director" — an exclusive profile on Gloria Gifford's life, craft, and legacy in the performing arts.
The Merchant of Venice — Globe Theatre
The Merchant of Venice
Globe Theatre · Broadway
Broadway debut — The Merchant of Venice
Broadway Debut
The Merchant of Venice · New York
California Suite (1978)
California Suite
1978 · Bill Cosby · Richard Pryor
Halloween II — Mrs. Alves
Halloween II · Mrs. Alves
1981 · Universal Pictures
Halloween II — press photo
Halloween II
1981 · Press Photo
Halloween II — scene
Halloween II
1981 · Behind the Scenes
48 HRS. (1982)
48 HRS.
1982 · Nick Nolte · Paramount
D.C. Cab — with John Candy
D.C. Cab
1983 · with John Candy
D.C. Cab — with John Candy (scene)
D.C. Cab
1983 · with John Candy · Mr. T
D.C. Cab press photo
D.C. Cab · Press
1983 · Universal Pictures
D.C. Cab — Full Cast with Mr. T
D.C. Cab · Full Cast
1983 · With Mr. T
Dave's World — with Phil Morris
Dave's World
Television · with Phil Morris
Gloria Gifford on set
On Set
Behind the Camera · Archive
Young Gloria Gifford with camera
Gloria Gifford
Early Career · Archive
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) — Rob Reiner
This Is Spinal Tap
1984 · Rob Reiner
The Owl and the Pussycat — Gloria Gifford on stage
The Owl and the Pussycat
Stage · Canada
Halloween II — Cast Reunion
Halloween II Cast Reunion
Cast Reunion · Archive
Gloria Gifford — production portrait
Gloria Gifford
Production Portrait · Archive

"All great actors — all of them until the very last years of their life — daily developed and strengthened their technique with singing, fencing, gymnastics, and sport. There is no art that does not demand virtuosity."

— Stanislavski · Statement of Purpose of the Class

Virtuosity
Technical Skill  ·  Excellence  ·  Control  ·  Power  ·  Magnificence
What You Bring

Tools Needed For the Class

01
Passion
A powerful emotion or appetite

You must want this. Not casually — with everything you have. The Conservatory meets that fire and raises it. Without passion, technique is mechanics. With it, it becomes art.

02
Courage
From the French "coeur" — meaning heart

Courage is not the absence of fear. It is choosing the truth even when it costs you something. In class, that means going further than you think is safe — every single time.

03
No Alibis
We build careers here

There is no room for excuses or playing it safe. The Conservatory is a professional arena. You are treated as a professional — and held to that standard from day one.

Programs

The Classes

Inquire & Apply
Advanced · Trained Professionals Only

Advanced Scene Study

The flagship class. Only trained, professional actors, directors, and writers are accepted. Gloria works directly with each actor on prepared scenes, pushing the work until it is true, specific, and alive. Guest industry professionals attend select sessions — including Casting Director John Frank Levey and other top Hollywood names.

DaysSun & Wed
Sunday2:30 – 6:30 PM
Wednesday7:30 PM – Midnight
Intro · "Tyro" · Beginners Welcome

Intro Scene Study

For actors taking their first serious step into professional training. Built on the same rigorous foundation as the advanced program — truth, specificity, courage, and the reality of the moment. Scene work from the classical canon and contemporary material. You will be challenged from session one.

DaysSat & Wed
Saturday2:30 – 6:30 PM
Wednesday7:30 PM – Midnight
Location
Hudson Theatres, 6502 Santa Monica Blvd On Zoom
Hollywood, CA 90038
Standard
Professional Arena
Come prepared. Come with courage.
Industry Events
CD Workshops & Seminars
John Frank Levey & other top Hollywood pros
GGC Audition Seminar with John Frank Levey — Legendary Casting Director
Featured Industry Event
Audition Seminar with John Frank Levey
The Gloria Gifford Conservatory invites you to an exclusive audition seminar with legendary casting director John Frank Levey — limited to 20 actors. This is the kind of direct industry access that only the GGC can offer its company members.
Email for Info & Pricing
GGC Players

Productions & Company

The GGC Players produce full-scale theatrical productions — Shakespeare, musicals, and original works — giving company members real performance credits and industry visibility.

Love Allways — GGC presents the LA Premiere, full company
Love Allways
LA Premiere · Joseph Bologna & Renee Taylor · Full Company
Love Allways — GGC Production
Love Allways
GGC Players · LA Premiere
Down On Your Knees and Up to the Moon — showgirls in pink feathered dresses
Down On Your Knees and Up to the Moon
Full Company · Original Musical · Directed by Gloria Gifford
Down On Your Knees — poster collage
Down On Your Knees
NAACP Nominated · Extended Run
Antony + Cleopatra Opening — GGC Players
Antony + Cleopatra
Opening Night · GGC Players · Valley Theatre Award Winner
Antony & Cleopatra — Full Cast
Full Company
Antony & Cleopatra
Much Ado About Nothing — action scene
Much Ado About Nothing
NAACP Award — Best Director
Much Ado About Nothing — Fencing scene
Much Ado — Fencing
Directed by Gloria Gifford
Comedy of Errors
Comedy of Errors
Valley Theatre Award — Best Ensemble
Comedy of Errors cast
Comedy of Errors
William Shakespeare
Lost in Yonkers — Cast Reading
Lost in Yonkers
Cast Reading · Neil Simon
The Motherf**ker with the Hat — Full Production Poster
The Mother***ker with the Hat
Directed by Gloria Gifford · Stephen Adly Guirgis
Much Ado About Nothing — Full Cast
Much Ado About Nothing
NAACP Best Director · Full Company
Antony & Cleopatra — The Musical
Antony & Cleopatra
The Musical · Extended Run
The Art of Dining
The Art of Dining
GGC Players
Two Small Bodies — Jamaica Moon Productions · GGC Theatre · Directed by Gloria Gifford
Two Small Bodies
Jamaica Moon Prods. · GGC Theatre · Directed by Gloria Gifford
Stand Before You Naked — by Joyce Carol Oates · Directed by Gloria Gifford
Stand Before You Naked
Joyce Carol Oates · Directed by Gloria Gifford
The Owl and the Pussycat — GGC Production · Directed by Gloria Gifford
The Owl and the Pussycat
Directed by Gloria Gifford · GGC Theatre
Boys in the Band — Cast Reading · Men of the GGC
Boys in the Band
Cast Reading · Men of the GGC
Much Ado About Nothing — Stage Production
Much Ado About Nothing
Stage Production · GGC Players
Much Ado About Nothing — Lead Performance
Much Ado — Centre Stage
NAACP Best Director · GGC
Down On Your Knees — Production
Down On Your Knees
Production Still · Valley Theatre Award
Motherf**ker with the Hat — Scene
The Mother***ker with the Hat
Scene · Directed by Gloria Gifford
Antony and Cleopatra — The Musical Much Ado About Nothing Comedy of Errors Down On Your Knees and Up to the Moon Our Lady of 121st Street The Art of Dining Almost Touching In Arabia We'd All Be Kings Antony and Cleopatra — The Musical Much Ado About Nothing Comedy of Errors Down On Your Knees and Up to the Moon Our Lady of 121st Street The Art of Dining Almost Touching In Arabia We'd All Be Kings
NAACP 27th Annual Theatre Awards — Best Director of a Musical — Gloria Gifford — Much Ado About Nothing — February 26, 2018 Gloria Gifford and GGC Company at the 27th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards
Recognition

Awards & Honors

The crystal above is the actual NAACP 27th Annual Theatre Award for Best Director of a Musical — awarded to Gloria Gifford for Much Ado About Nothing on February 26, 2018 at the Millennium Biltmore, Los Angeles.

Gloria Gifford and the GGC Players have received widespread critical recognition from the NAACP, Valley Theatre Awards, the Ovation Awards, and the LA Times and LA Weekly.

Join the Company
Gloria Gifford at NAACP — Antony & Cleopatra win GGC Company at NAACP Awards ceremony 27th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards — GGC Much Ado About Nothing — Full Cast
2018
NAACP Awards
Best Director
Much Ado About Nothing
★ Winner
2018
Valley Theatre Awards
Best Director & Best Ensemble Cast
Antony and Cleopatra
★ Winner
2017
Valley Theatre Awards
Best Director
Down On Your Knees and Up to the Moon
★ Winner
2016
Valley Theatre Awards
Best Ensemble / Best Director
Comedy of Errors
★ Winner
2007
L.A. Times
Critics' Choice
Our Lady of 121st Street
★ Critics Pick
2007
L.A. Weekly
Critics' Choice
Our Lady of 121st Street
★ Critics Pick
2007
Ovation Award
Ovation Award
Our Lady of 121st Street
★ Winner
2018
Valley Theatre Awards
Best Sound & Best Lighting Design
Antony and Cleopatra
★ Winner
Industry Support

Endorsed By Hollywood

Gloria Gifford's work as a teacher and director has earned the endorsement and respect of some of Hollywood's most distinguished figures.

GGC Company with Garry Marshall
GGC Company with Garry Marshall
Happy Days · Pretty Woman · Runaway Bride · Director / Producer
Legendary director and producer Garry Marshall with the GGC gentlemen company — a testament to the caliber of talent the Conservatory attracts and develops.
Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Star Wars · Luke Skywalker · Broadway · Film & Television
One of the most iconic actors in cinema history and a stage-trained professional — among the distinguished Hollywood voices who endorse the GGC.
Gloria Gifford with John Candy — D.C. Cab
John Candy
D.C. Cab · Cool Runnings · Trains Planes & Automobiles
Gloria starred alongside the beloved John Candy in D.C. Cab (1983). His generosity and professionalism on set is something she brings into every classroom.
Garry Marshall
Garry Marshall
Happy Days · Pretty Woman · Runaway Bride · Director / Producer
One of Hollywood's most beloved filmmakers — and a champion of the GGC Company. Pictured above with the full GGC gentlemen's company.
Gloria with Joe Mantegna
Joe Mantegna
Criminal Minds · The Godfather III · Emmy Nominated
Emmy-nominated actor and industry heavyweight. Pictured with Gloria and friends — a reflection of the real Hollywood relationships the Conservatory cultivates.
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis
Cape Fear · Natural Born Killers · Oscar Nominated
Academy Award nominee and one of Hollywood's most fearless performers — among the industry connections the GGC maintains in the heart of Hollywood.
Alumni & Industry

Connections & Company

GGC alumni are working actors across film, television, streaming, and stage. The Conservatory also presents LA premieres and industry events that keep company members plugged directly into Hollywood.

GGC presents the LA Premiere — Love Allways by Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor
GGC Presents: Love Allways
LA Premiere · Joseph Bologna & Renee Taylor
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary
GGC alumni on network television — the training produces working actors.
In Arabia We'd All Be Kings — cast reading
In Arabia We'd All Be Kings
Full company cast reading. GGC creates real performance opportunities for its members.
GGC company — COVID-era play reading
Company Play Reading
The GGC Company kept working even during the pandemic — readings, workshops, and continued training.
Yes Virginia — Play Reading with Gloria and collaborators
Yes, Virginia — Play Reading
Gloria with collaborators at a GGC play reading — the Conservatory creates real work, not just classes.
Broadway World Nomination — The Tempest
Broadway World Nomination
Company member Chad Doreck nominated — The Tempest. GGC work earns industry recognition.
Past Students

Alumni Who Work

The Gloria Gifford Conservatory has trained actors who went on to become household names — from Oscar nominees and Grammy winners to series regulars and film stars. This is what the training produces.

The names below represent just a fraction of the working actors who came through Gloria's classroom and went on to build real careers in the industry.

GGC Past Students on set — Power Trio, Secret Diaries
GGC Alumni · On Set
Past Students · Working Professionally
Jenna Elfman — Dharma & Greg
Jenna Elfman
Dharma & Greg · Fear the Walking Dead
Catherine Bell — JAG, Army Wives
Catherine Bell
JAG · Army Wives
Carlos Bernard — 24
Carlos Bernard
24 · Tony Almeida
Bianca Lawson
Bianca Lawson
Breakin' All the Rules · Pretty Little Liars
Kyle Massey — That's So Raven
Kyle Massey
That's So Raven · Cory in the House
Efren Ramirez — Napoleon Dynamite
Efren Ramirez
Napoleon Dynamite · Crank
Lauren London — ATL, This Christmas
Lauren London
ATL · This Christmas · NCIS: LA
Evan Ross — ATL, Pride
Evan Ross
ATL · Pride · The Hunger Games
T.I. — ATL, Hip Hop Superstar
T.I.
ATL · Hip Hop Superstar · Ant-Man
Taboo — Black Eyed Peas
Taboo
Black Eyed Peas · Film & Music
Larry Thomas — Seinfeld Soup Nazi
Larry Thomas
Seinfeld · The Soup Nazi
GGC Company Alumni
The Company
GGC Alumni · Working Actors
From the Company

What the Students Say

"

I have had the privilege to study with Gloria for a year now. My life has completely changed. If you want to really have a career in acting and learn how to run a business for yourself in this industry — this is the place for you! You will be challenged and ready for anything.

Jade W.
GGC Company Member
"

This is the place where you train to be the best you can be. Gloria Gifford has a resume that can choke a horse and is a master of her craft — having starred on Broadway and in numerous films and TV shows. Studying with Gloria has seriously changed my life, taking your acting career out of the clouds and into reality.

GGC Company Member
Working Actor
"

She goes beyond teaching us our craft. She actually teaches us how to run "our business." We learn how to do this as a career, not just a hobby. She is relentless, which keeps us on our toes. I am honored to have been part of Much Ado About Nothing — in which Gloria Gifford won the award for Best Director.

Sabrina W.
GGC Company Member
"

One of the only and rare acting teachers in town who has actually worked in all mediums — studio movies, hit TV shows, Broadway. She takes the mystery out of the craft and the business. Very direct. No BS. Personal. Hands on. Passionate. Teaches with love and humor. It will change your life and your career!

Benito P.
GGC Company Member
Latest from the GGC

News & Events

Stay up to date with new classes, workshops, intensives, and special events from the Gloria Gifford Conservatory.

Featured · Now Enrolling

7-Week Acting
Intensive on Zoom

A focused, seven-week online intensive taught by Gloria Gifford — the same rigorous scene-study approach as the in-person class, delivered live on Zoom. Limited spots available.

Starts July 7th, 2026
Schedule Every Tuesday · 7–11 PM PST
Format Live on Zoom · 7 Weeks
Questions 310-366-5505
Sign Up Now →
About This Intensive

Whether you're in LA or anywhere in the world, this intensive brings Gloria's classroom directly to you. Each four-hour session is structured like a live scene-study class — you bring prepared material, you get worked on, you go deeper.

This is not a lecture or a webinar. It is a working class. Come prepared. Come with courage.

Open To
All Levels Welcome Worldwide Live on Zoom
Stay in the Loop

New events, workshops, and special classes are added throughout the year. Check back regularly or reach out directly to be added to the GGC mailing list.

Sign Up Directly Below

7-Week Zoom Intensive — Registration Form

Get in Touch

Begin Your Training

Whether you are a working professional or taking your first serious step, the Conservatory is the place to build a real career. Reach out and we will find the right class for you.

Address
6502 Santa Monica Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90038
Email
ggccreate@aol.com
Class Schedule
Advanced: Sun 2:30–6:30 PM & Wed 7:30 PM–Midnight
Intro: Sat 2:30–6:30 PM & Wed 7:30 PM–Midnight
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A Note from Gloria

"When I first decided to become an actress, for real, for sure, professionally — I started taking classes in New York at HB Studios. I was very lucky to find a great teacher right away. The basics, the truth of acting, the reality. That is still what we do here."

— Gloria Gifford
Support the Conservatory — Donate