Accademia Dell'Arte - Arezzo, Provincia di Arezzo

Daniele Davitti

Posto incantevole, pieno di vita. Gli studenti americani sono sempre uno spasso, ma in questo luogo tirano fuori il loro lato più creativo. Bellissimi gli scorci su arezzo, pratomagno e Alpe di poti.

Zibi Zibi

Splendido panorama della città di Arezzo

Liam Mulshine

I attended the Accademia dell'Arte in the spring of 2006. The emphasis of my studies there was Commedia dell’Arte and physical theatre with a healthy dose of clown, mime, Lecoq movement technique, Roy Hart voice, mask making (both latex and leather), philosophy and Italian.

I think if I had to distill down my favorite thing about the program, it was the freedom to experiment. More specifically, I learned how to be ugly. That sounds odd but just hear me out – coming from my very rigorous BFA program at BU, I was myopically focused on being a “good” and “impressive” actor. The Accademia felt like a laboratory for theatre nestled in the Tuscan hills where I left my “good” actor pretenses at the door and experimented to find how far and wide I could stretch by voice, my body, and the characters I created. My teachers and classmates really fostered this amazing ethos of getting down and dirty to see what we could learn about ourselves and about performance.

A big takeaway from studying at the Accademia dell'Arte that I’m realizing in retrospect is that it's a wonderful place to unplug and focus. Long ago in 2006, there was no such thing as a smartphone and high-speed wifi and connected cameras in every device were not the norm. I don’t mean to be a Luddite but I really valued how being in Italy without a device always at my side helped me see my life and the world from a bit of a distance and allowed me to put 100% of my energy into the work.

I also learned how good communication and storytelling doesn’t need a shared language – in fact, taking out words forces a new kind of creativity in understanding. The Accademia helped me find my weird, unique voice as a physical theatre artist. I learned there to try everything once, to say “why not?” more, and to approach the scary and unknown with courage.

My advice be for people considering attending the Accademia would be to reach out to anyone you know who’s studied there, or reach out to the school and ask to be connected with alumni. Get some first-hand experiences to really get a sense of the benefits (and even downsides) to attending the ADA. Ask the questions you’re REALLY wondering about, and hopefully you’ll get some honest answers that will give you a good a sense as any of what your life might be like as a student at the Accademia. The ADA has an amazing alumni network with loads of people who can’t wait to talk about their experiences.

Honestly, if you want to go abroad just to party, the ADA is probably not the place for you. The best ADA students are serious about work, excited to explore and travel, and open to new friendships across cultures. The ideal candidate is adventurous, creative, passionate, and might consider themselves low-maintenance.

ALi Landvatter

Attending to the ADA definitely changed my life. Go with an open mindset ready to learn new things and have new experiences. The teachers are incredibly insightful and intuitive and if you are ready to really work hard and push yourself, you will have amazing experiences that you can't get anywhere else. It's not a vacation, it's an intensive, conservatory-style school, so you do have to be prepared for that, but what a beautiful place to be!

Andre Thomas

If you're a student at all interested or involved in any aspect of theatre, do the physical theatre program at ADA. I did a fall semester here the first half of my senior year and loved it. The staff and faculty here are wonderful, helpful and always a joy to see. Homemade food, picturesque views, growth as a person and performer, all centered within the beautiful town of Arezzo. Do it!

Jay Bennett

This is one of the most eye opening experiences I’ve ever had as an artist. I learned so much about myself and the craft in such a short period of time. I was also able to travel and learn so much. The connections I was able to make here are some that I’m certain will last for a long time.

Katie Mcrae

This program was dangerous for the students, unfortunately. It was not rigorous training like they advertise. I learned little to nothing, and my fellow students and I grew very upset with the faculty. COVID protocols were not followed, and students were touched without consent.

Sean Mulvihill

I love studying for my MFA in Physical Theatre at the ADA. What an wonderful experience. The professors are attentive and knowledgeable, the grounds are beautiful, and the chances for professional work after school is completed are high.