I started off in NYC performing comedy/ I did quite well, but i realized that many of the comics i admired had amazing, subtle acting skills...skills i lacked. I approached one of my comedy mentors (he was always booking work) and he directed me to Caymichael Patten. I studied at Cay's studio for 2 years. I learned a great deal and think very happily on my time there. I grew alot as an artist and i booked my first commercial and off-broadway work while studying under Cay. Although, i left to focus on music . . . I will always treasure my time at the studio and HIGHLY RECOMMEND Cay to anyone seriously longing to learn the art of acting. Cay, unlike so many other teahers, isnt a failed actor; she is an acclaimed director. So, she doesnt resent you your talent or success, but rather cultivates you and shares in the joys of her students triumphs. --May L, student from 2004-2006 read more

I started studying with Cay about three or four years ago, and when I'm in town, I'm in class. I have studied a number of places, and I always felt that the teacher was pushing his own ego-driven agenda -- which was some version of "just invest in my technique, and I will make you a better actor... but if you're not working in exactly the way I tell you, you'll never be any good." I really feel that Cay's work is student-centered, and that I have become a much better actor during my time with her. And I've witnessed a lot of other people doing the same. Cay and I aren't best friends. We don't have drinks, and if there's an "inner/favored" circle of students, I'm not a part of it. But I love every minute I spend in that studio, and I'm so lucky to have found her. That said, not every teacher is for every person. I'm sorry that Callie and some others had bad experiences, and I think it's good that they left. Acting is, by its nature, incredibly personal. It's like choosing a therapist: there are lots of good ones, but if you're not personally connecting with them, then it's a good idea to move on. read more

Yelp removed my review, but it retained Caymichael Patten's statement, something that appeared on yelp right after a series of accounts was opened, all for the purpose of not only giving this place 5-star reviews, but also harassing me via public reviews and private messaging. Whoever this was called me a 'terrible person' and that maybe I'm just 'untalented'. Cay's statement defending her business while getting my review deleted suddenly appeared right after those accounts were closed. Interesting timing. In a nutshell, my experience was not a good one. Classes ran very long and certain students were favored. Not everyone got to work every class. Stating that you had a less than positive experience at this place gets you harassed and bullied, apparently. This was my experience, both at the school, and then reviewing the school. read more

My time with Cay without exaggeration, changed my life. So many teachers in this city will name drop and try to direct you or verbally break you down so that you can be vulnerable. Cay does none of these useless things. Cay taught me to use myself, because when it comes down to it, that's the only person I have when working on a job. She is hands down the reason I booked a Broadway show out of an open call. The classes are long, yes, and DELICIOUS to watch! I often learned more by observing others than I did working and rehearsing my own scenes. She is tough, no doubt, has a hawk-eye sense for authenticity, and she'll call you out on it--and then help you through it. Cay's the bomb. I'm working right now but looking forward to returning to class soon! read more

I'm wondering if Rae M. actually studied at the studio for longer than a few weeks. I began training at the Caymichael Patten Studio over a year ago and the knowledge and skill I have acquired during this time has changed my life. I have supplemented my scene study class with the drill and vocal technique classes and my instrument has opened up and centered itself immensely. None of this would have been possible without Cay's ability to help the actor find the way in to the material. Words just can't do justice to her breadth of understanding of plays, character/relationship dynamics, accessing one's true emotional state & connecting to one's breath. She has cultivated so many performers that she knows when to push you to the next level and when to hold back and let you find it for yourself. She teaches you how to work on your own, so you can always do your best work even in poor conditions. I really appreciate her organic approach to the material - so I can discover and play it how I connect to it, rather than just playing words. The work starts living under Cay's guidance. If you come with a hard work ethic and the desire to give your all, even when you feel stuck, Cay can grow you into a stellar actor. Fred C. Waggoner teaches a powerful drill class. He has selected the effective elements from many different techniques and leaves out the one's that don't work. If you trust him, he can tune your instrument into a strad. Emily Caigan teaches a Chuck Jones Vocal Technique class that will connect you to a powerful, dependable voice you may never have known you had. Again- the results will come if you trust the teachers' process and give weight to their instruction. It takes commitment and openness. Two more things: 1) I've never heard Cay talk about celebrities she's nurtured 2) I've seen her alter her schedule to accommodate students in need of private coaching sessions. read more

This review is for the 4-week Introduction to Acting class for beginners with Valerie. Overall, I enjoyed my classes. A large part of how much you will enjoy the class is dependent on 1-- the temperment and personalities of your fellow classmates 2-- what you want to get out of the class and how much you want to put into it and 3-- the scene work, exercises and assignments you or the other folks in the class. The theme of the courses, or at least, what you should come out of the classes with is firstly, how to "be in the moment" and be believable to an outside observer. As someone with zero real stage experience I thought this was useful and interesting in terms of how one would go about a scene and still be fresh even though you know what is coming next. Secondly, the course tries to teach you to be true to yourself while engaging in a scene to be more believable. I don't agree with the philosophy -- I think to be great, you have to be adaptable and believable regardless of how close or far you stray, but that is neither here nor there. For a beginner, I think this is useful because you don't have to strain yourself as much to be credible in whatever role you are taking on. Cay sat in on the first class I took and I thought her comments were fair. I think that when she is engaged, she should be a pretty sharp teacher, but again, this is only based on the very first session which was the only one she sat in on. My instructor was Valerie who has been working with Cay for some time. I had fun with the warm up exercises and drills that were introduced in class. I thought the class was a little long for what it was -- it is a mix of watching advanced beginners who have been taking classes for a few months perform their exercises and listening to them being critiqued to having one exercise/scene you are responsible for during the class. For something like this, I think it is hard to strike the right balance where you can keep everyone engaged between observing others to doing your own exercise in front of the class (roughly 5 minutes). As such, the class could have shaved 30 minutes to 1 hour timewise and I would have had the same takeaways and learnings. One of my main criticisms of the class is I disagreed with some of the critiques given to my classmates and the interpretation of the scene and characters. Overall, I felt the comments and suggestions were fair, but I think the instructor brought a lot of biases and personal interpretations in her critiques of my fellow classmates and the work. What I mean by this is there might be a specific interpretation of a scene in her head that didn't get played out and it would be viewed as a negative, but I think the alternate version the actors played out were equally valid if not better. I tried to add in a comment but felt it wasn't realy given any real consideration and didn't think further opinions would be well received. Ultimately, I kept my comments to myself since no good comes out challenging or undermining someone's credibility, but it was disappointing to see folks be confined to such a narrow view and reading of the material. For me, I was primarily interested in learning more about how folks approach acting and it was an interesting and fun time for me. For folks who have never done anything like this before, I think you will enjoy the Intro to Acting class at this studio. For folks who have, I can't really comment, but a number of the students in my class had been taking it for a number of months and seemed to enjoy it and learn so I think it is worthwhile to consider. Personally, I would consider coming back to this studio for the intermediate course to try it out if I had more time and was accepted in. read more

After trying a bunch of acting studios in New York, I found a fabulous home base and a truly gifted teacher at Caymichael Patten Studio. Cay Patten is warm, insightful, encouraging - but honestly, my favorite thing about Cay is how her perspective and humor attracts an awesome pack of students and creates an environment that's fun to work in. Cay is such a breath of fresh air in this industry - her class always leave me feeling lit up with inspiration. Cay has an incredible ability to work with actors of all styles and methods and communicates with each in a way that resonates - so it's a fantastic studio for all levels. She's taught me how to really use myself to put my unique stamp on every role. In the process, Cay has zero ego and encourages trying different methods and tools to explore what works best. Her experience is quite simply unparalleled - for stage, camera and especially the industry as a business - she's a powerful secret weapon. You work every class. There's no pretension or favorites. Newcomers and professionals have a place. The studio space is stunning. Great class rates. Super friendly staff. Especially Fred. But the secret ingredient - and a person I am so grateful for - is Cay. read more

Incredible work being done in this studio. I came here as a working actor looking to improve on my craft, which at the time was feeling a bit stale. Cay spent a few sessions just observing my work, at times providing minor adjustments. About the third or fourth class she really started challenging me, pushing me to break out of old habits. Her observations and adjustments have really gone a long way in helping my to understand the kind of work I need to do on my own and how to make the best of time spent with a partner. She is a master of specificity and "for-reals" listening and responding. I think more than anything, I have benefited from her ability to help an actor create deeply personal connections to other people or objects onstage. It sounds corny, but after two months with Cay I had booked two consecutive gigs here in NYC. Yes, the classes can go long - but isn't that a good thing? If you have to leave by a certain time, she is very accommodating, but I look at it like bonus time. It's like buying an hour massage* and getting an hour and a half. Who complains about that? *There are no actual massages. Unless a scene calls for it. read more

I have studied with Cay for more than 7 years and have found a wonderful creative ally that has patiently brought me through a process of development from a very green/ unskilled actor to one who works and feels strong in technique. The city is full of acting teachers who will not challenge actors and therefore the actors do not progress in their work. Cay will not let this happen. She tailors each student's study individually for the next thing they need to address in their work, there is not cookie cutter curriculum and this is why the classes work for the greenest actor to the most seasoned. If you value honesty and finding your unique stamp to bring to a role, Cay is your woman. She helps actors find what only they can bring to the work, and this makes the work quite powerful. She is not for those who want to be babied and praised for laziness or mediocre work. I have done many private coachings with Cay and have always found them great experiences. She is so helpful, generous and supportive and you will always feel stronger going into an audition after spending time with her. I also recommend the audition class, on-camera class, body dynamics class, voice class, and the summer workshops Cay does with Melissa Smith. read more

I have worked with Cay Patten off and on now for about 7 years, off and on because I no longer live in New York. To prepare for certain roles, I still make the trip back to the City for private coaching with Cay. I have a fairly deep resume in film and television, and I have worked with several acting coaches over my long career. From the first day I began working with Cay, I realized her approach would take my work to a higher level. She works so specifically, like a fine surgeon, to solve problems you are having in your work. Her combination of intelligence and integrity in this business places her in a very select group of acting teachers. read more

Caymichael Patten is a very perceptive teacher. I love her insights into scripts and how she helps actors personalize their work. I see the results in the work my colleagues do and feel it in my own sense of connection when I'm working. I recommend her highly. read more

Simply the best acting teacher and coach I've ever had; Cay challenges actors in the best possible way. There's no "one way" to get it right in Cay's classes, other than to keep mining for the character's truth. She doesn't pander, and this is particularly true when she's working with experienced actors who've gotten into a safe groove in the way they work. She'll always coax out something better and stronger. She has a preternatural knack for reading what an actor needs to work on, what gifts he or she possesses but may not be drawing on. She also attracts great students; I've learned as much watching others in class as I've learned when doing my own scenework. And since every student works every class, there's constant opportunity to grow. There's no one in the business that I'd recommend more highly than Cay. read more

I studied with Cay in her advanced scene study class for two years and had a terrific experience. She is a smart, insightful responsible teacher who gave me real tools for auditions, rehearsals and performances. She also gave me the courage to relax and have fun on stage. Her class is strict - she doesn't allow feedback from other actors, and she doesn't tolerate dishonesty. She assigns scripts (and always chooses challenging high quality material). Sometimes her critiques can be tough to hear. However, she genuinely cares about her students, and about the future of American theatre. She appreciates hard working intelligent actors, and I especially recommend her to actors who, like me, have a tendency to over-think their work. She is very good at helping actors find "the moment". She has a reputation as a sensational private coach, and I know a lot of actors who credit her with taking them to the next level in their careers. Over the two years that I studied with Cay, I lost several classmates to Broadway shows and other great jobs. Cay definitely improved my booking rate. However, I think the best part of her class is the sheer fun of connecting with a great play "for real for real". If you are looking to live in the moment on stage, and you are ready to invest some solid time and energy, this class will blow your mind. read more

I've been taking Drill Class since January. It is continually challenging. It is helping me to understand myself, my body and my instincts. In just a few weeks, I've opened up, not just as a performer, but also in the course of my daily life. Other classmates are intelligent, sentient, and brave. Anyone would be lucky to study here. read more

I have been at the CP Studio for over 2 years and the experience has been outstanding. Cay as a teacher has an remarkable knowledge of plays and has given me scene work that has challenged me as an actor and opened me up as a human being. Cay's experience and knowledge allows her to make adjustments to an actor's work that can provide signficant, immediate shifts in their craft. I have been acting for 30 years and studied in LA and New York and she is simply one of the best. In regard to Callie's review, I have never seen a class run over, never been dressed down by a teacher, and never heard Cay 'name drop.' Ever. read more

Cay is one of the finest teachers I've ever had in any discipline. Her insights are stunningly accurate and for some folks perhaps that can be a daunting but I wouldn't have it any other way. We're here to learn how to be the best we can be. I have never doubted for one moment that Cay wants the best for every one of her students. Because of my work and travel schedule, I've had to take different classes so I've experienced the range of students and work and I've never seen Cay favor one student over another or bring anything less than her A game to every scene study. I, for one, love watching others work because I learn so much from everyone. As for the length of the class? Well, it only underscores the seriousness of the pursuit. I have never been in a class that runs over the allotted time and if it did, it wouldn't bother me in the least. Cay always considers my questions thoughtfully. And has never been anything other than kind, generous and supportive in the face of my self-doubt. There's a chemistry to any kind of relationship. Teacher- student is no different. And how one builds trust is different for everyone. But I encourage anyone who is seriously interested studying acting -- and is respectful of the fact that it's an art form, not an exercise in personal vanity -- to consider studying with Cay. I am not alone in saying she is a gift. So, too, is Fred Waggoner who teaches the drill class. Like Cay, Fred is an inspired teacher. read more