Lauren Checo
Commemorative Speech:
Celebrating 125 years of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Hello and Welcome Members of the Board, President Roger Croucher, distinguished Alumni and honored guests. Today, we have gathered here at the top of Empire State Building to celebrate 125 years of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts! The Academy has had a long journey to get this place. We have been though multiple buildings and many changes in both New York and Los Angeles. We have struggled and have come out on top both literally and figuratively. The Academy alumni currently hold the most Oscar®, Emmy®, andTony® nominations of any acting school in the United States. But that is where we are currently and it would benefit us to start at the beginning of our story.
On October 3, 1884, a school that would eventually evolve into The Academy first opened its doors at The Lyceum Theatre. Also located here in Manhattan. The history of acting in America was changed forever on that day. Franklin Haven Sargent was our brave founder and none of this would have been possible without him. His father was a Harvard graduate who served as a progressive Unitarian minister giving long and passionate sermons in church. Sargent’s mother was the founder of Boston’s Radical Club of Chestnut Street, a highly notable literary society that met weekly with many famous authors visiting the Sargent home. These exposures brought to light within Sargent a personal understanding of the spellbinding power of storytelling. He ended up following his father’s footsteps and also attended Harvard University. After graduating, Sargent was invited to teach at the university and eventually become a professor of Speech. It was during this time that his began his in-depth study of ancient drama and theatre. During Franklin’s time, which was the late 1800s, the state of American theatre had been reduced to mostly slapstick and exaggerated performances. Sargent understood that the process and preparation of acting deserved fuller study in order to truly connect to the heart of a story, the character’s emotion and ultimately the audience.
Franklin Sargent wanted to open a school to provide the education necessary to transform the trade of acting into a respectable craft. Sargent’s concept was a revolutionary one for the time. After failing to make his dream work in Massachusetts and fueled by the importance of his calling, Sargent moved to New York City and worked to elevate the dramatic arts at a time when actors and directors seemed content to maintain the status quo and even mocked Sargent for the notion of a school dedicated entirely to the craft of acting. At that time in history, there were no schools for acting in the English-speaking world, but he pressed on and pursued his dream.
Due to Sargent’s tireless dedication and planning, The Academy soon became a training ground for a series of radical new ideas and groundbreaking acting methodologies. In 1963, the school moved to its present location on 120 Madison Avenue, not far from where we are right now, at the site of the historic Colony Club building. By 1974, the decision had been made to expand west and the first Los Angeles campus was opened in Pasadena, before finally moving to its current Hollywood location in 2000, on the south lot of the former Charlie Chaplin Studios.
The Academy has long understood that when a performer is classically trained and supported as an individual with encouraging mentors, something amazingoccurs. The education of the craft ignites passion in the student and encourages an environment for the actor to find their deepest potential. Beyond the training, this intimate connection to the craft creates a powerful bond with audiences, lifting up the human spirit and profoundly enriching us by crating unforgettable memories. Our exemplary faculty and leadership are committed to the same high standards established by Franklin Sargent 125 years ago.
To this day, The Academy’s legacy grows with emerging legends who are paving a new path in the world of acting, which is why today Mayor Bloomberg issued a proclamation declaring October 2nd "The American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Day” to forever show The Academy’s dedication toproudly and dutifully pass on its knowledge and passion for the craft of acting.
Franklin Sargent and his colleagues discovered that encouraging the pursuit of raw authenticity in performance ultimately led to a profound transformation among their students. They witnessed, for the first time ever in history, the inherent power of acting when taught as a craft. The training brought to light their students’ ability to deeply connect with truth at any given moment in any given circumstance. The Academy’s crest pays homage to the institution’s highest ideal with the Latin inscription, “Veritas.” Veritas meaning “Truth” is the intangible force that fuels unforgettable,career-altering performances. Today we have esteemed alumna, Lauren Bacall, here to flip the switch which will illuminate the Empire State Building with the Academy colors of white and blue and it will act as a torch on to the next generation of actors who are certain to enrich our lives for countless years to come with Truth.
Thank you.
Speech inspired by real event-