INTERVIEW: With origins in NJ, The Prep expands to California
Photo: The Prep’s co-founders and co-owners are Theresa Pittius and Jessi Clayton. Photo courtesy of The Prep / Provided by Social Sidekick with permission.
One has to love the alliteration of The Prep’s motto. This training studio for hopeful professional actors has a simple saying, prominently displayed on its website: “Professional Performance Prep.” The creatives behind this company are finding success in this particular preparation practice. They’ve actually outgrown their New Jersey studio and recently expanded to additional digs on the West Coast. The Prep is now bicoastal and adding aspiring actors, singers and dancers to its roster of talent.
At the head of the company are co-founders and co-owners Theresa Pittius and Jessi Clayton. They offer many different services to their clientele, according to The Prep’s official website. These offerings include private lessons; virtual group classes; and in-person group classes, workshops and events. In addition to their location in Little Silver, New Jersey, they now have offices in New York City and Burbank, California.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Pittius and Clayton to better learn about the expanding company and how their performers have met with success in the industry. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
For those who don’t know The Prep, what exactly are your services and your mission?
The Prep is the leading professional-track training studio for performing artists providing the skills, knowledge and support they need to succeed in the entertainment industry. We offer private in-person and virtual coaching and taping options for self-tapes; audition prep; callback/producer/director session prep; vocal technique; voiceover technique and VO coachings/recording sessions; career counseling; and even on-set coaching, film prep, and fully produced, original acting reels.
Our flagship studios are based in Little Silver, New Jersey, and we are thrilled to announce our two new studios in New York City and Los Angeles. In all three of our locations, you’ll find comprehensive training programs for film, television and stage for students of all ages and skill levels.
It has always been our mission to empower artists to refine their craft and reach their professional aspirations, whether their goal is to grace the Broadway stage or shine in film and television. We are dedicated to providing mentorship and support, fostering an environment where students can grow not only in their artistic skills, but also in their personal development and overall confidence in their work.
Have you found success in New Jersey?
Absolutely! Monmouth County in particular is home to a very long list of talented artists, and we’ve been lucky enough to work with many of them. With such close proximity to New York, we’ve found that over the years, many of our students and industry professionals are eager to visit our studio in Little Silver to teach and take classes as well as private lessons.
It just so happens that our studio is located across the street from the $1billion Netflix Fort Monmouth Studios currently under construction. With so many of our students and staff already starring and appearing in Netflix productions, and with our Screen Actors Guild-approved recording booth having a contract with Netflix Animation, it feels like kismet bringing such exciting opportunities right to our doorstep! Our little neck of the woods is quickly becoming “Little Hollywood,” and we expect even more talent and success to come in the near future.
What can your clients expect from the expansion to the West Coast?
We just recently held our grand opening for our brand-new studio in Burbank, California. It features professional-grade self-tape studios, a voiceover booth and group studios. For years now, we’ve had students in California who we’ve taught via Zoom as well as in person every other month, so making our mark with this official studio right in the heart of the Burbank production studio hub feels like the perfect move. This location will enhance our existing studios, aiming to inspire and cultivate creativity while equipping our students with the essential skills to thrive in Hollywood.
What’s a particular success story that you’re proud of?
We really can’t narrow it down to just one success story over almost a decade, but we are proud to say we have two students in the new Netflix-produced Broadway production of Stranger Things, four students starring in a new Disney Channel series, students celebrating film premieres from indies to Hollywood blockbusters (Marvel Studios, Mission Impossible, etc.), a student in almost every animated series, and over 100 series regs across the board! It’s hard to keep track, but that’s the fun part! We love celebrating each and every win, whether it’s a callback or a big, life-changing booking.
How difficult is it to “make it” as an actor nowadays?
It’s an extremely exciting time as it is a difficult time in the industry. There are so many talented actors across the country, and with casting teams using self-tapes since COVID hit, the amount of talent seen for each role has multiplied to extreme numbers. Self-tapes need to be competitive, and actors need to think outside the box rather than “play it safe” in their submissions. We work in class and in private coachings on making an actor’s work unique to them, which benefits in their reads standing out and getting action. While our actors have seen a ton of success, the no’s and second choices and passes are absolutely a part of this industry. Rejection makes us hungrier.
In the end, it comes down to more than just talent. It’s a combination of dedication, perseverance and resilience. Hard work will always pay off. We see it weekly.
What’s your measure for success?
When it comes to our business, success can mean a lot of things. Yes, a student booking a leading role in a feature film is a huge accomplishment, but for some students, success can be as simple as building confidence and putting themselves out there. We are very lucky to be in the position of helping people achieve their dreams. For us, we’re successful when our students find success — whatever that may mean for them.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Click here for more information on The Prep.
