Acting Programs at MSDA — The Working Actor Certificate
The MSDA Working Actor Certificate Program is a comprehensive four-semester acting curriculum designed to transform aspiring performers into working professionals. Founded by acclaimed actor Marc John Jefferies, MSDA provides the rigorous, practical training that prepares actors for real careers in film, television, and theater.
The program is structured as a progressive sequence of four semesters. Semester 1, Core Acting Technique 101, builds the essential foundation every serious actor needs, covering physical action, emotional truth, verbal action, and the imagination techniques that separate compelling performances from surface-level acting. Semester 2, Scene Study for Film and Television, applies those foundational skills to the specific demands of performing for the camera, including close-up technique, emotional continuity across takes, and partner work.
Semester 3, Core Acting Technique 201, pushes students into advanced territory with complex character transformations, sustained emotional arcs, and the deep preparation required for leading roles. Semester 4, The Art of the Audition, is the capstone course that transforms trained actors into booking actors, covering cold reading technique, self-tape production, callback strategy, and the business skills needed to navigate the entertainment industry professionally.
Each semester spans 12 weeks of intensive instruction with small class sizes and personalized feedback from industry-active professionals. Students work with professional scripts from current television productions, building real-world skills with the same material working actors encounter in their careers. The curriculum is continuously updated to reflect the current demands of the industry.
MSDA alumni have appeared in major productions including Spider-Man, Notorious, Luke Cage, She-Hulk, Law and Order SVU, Fallout, Blindspot, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, and Manifest. The program produces actors who book real roles because every element of the curriculum is designed around the skills casting directors and directors are actually looking for in professional performers.
Tuition is $450 per semester with flexible payment plans available. Complete all four semesters to earn the MSDA Working Actor Certificate. Classes are available online with live instruction, giving students everywhere access to New York-caliber training from the comfort of their own space.
Semester 1 — Core Acting Technique 101 at MSDA
Core Acting Technique 101 is the first semester of the MSDA Working Actor Certificate Program, designed to build the essential foundation every serious actor needs. Over 12 weeks of intensive training, students develop their imagination, learn to create truthful physical and emotional action, and begin the journey from surface-level performance to deeply authentic character work that casting directors notice.
This semester covers five core areas of acting technique. Physical Action and Truthful Action teaches students to ground their performances in authentic behavior rather than indicating emotions. Emotional Action and Verbal Action unlocks the secret to one of the most challenging aspects of acting by connecting genuine inner experience to spoken dialogue. Scripted Purpose trains students to analyze scripts in a way that reveals character motivation and drives compelling scene work.
The curriculum also includes Inner Stimulus and Inner Justification, which develops the internal life that makes characters feel real and lived-in, and the What If technique, a powerful tool used by all great actors from Viola Davis to Leonardo DiCaprio. Students work with professional scenes from current television productions including East New York, Ruthless, and Dutch and Knuckles, building real-world skills with industry-standard material.
The course is taught by Marc John Jefferies, an accomplished actor with credits spanning Spider-Man, Notorious, Luke Cage, She-Hulk, Law and Order SVU, Fallout, and Blindspot. Class size is limited to ensure every student receives personalized coaching, direct feedback, and the individual attention needed to develop their unique strengths as a performer.
Core Acting Technique 101 is a prerequisite for all subsequent semesters in the certificate program. Tuition is $450 with flexible payment plans available. Classes meet weekly for two-hour sessions combining lecture, demonstration, and hands-on performance exercises. Students gain access to the Flight Manual, a comprehensive digital course companion with weekly exercises, scene references, and homework assignments designed to reinforce classroom learning.
Core Acting Technique 101 is the first of two foundational courses in our certificate program, designed to establish the essential groundwork every serious actor needs. At its heart, this course is about rediscovering and strengthening your imagination — the single most powerful tool in an actor's craft.
Through a carefully structured curriculum, you'll learn to move beyond surface-level performance and begin developing the internal life that separates competent acting from truly compelling work. The course introduces core principles of character embodiment: how to find authentic emotional truth, how to build a character from the inside out, and how to bring genuine presence and specificity to every role you take on.
Whether you're stepping into formal training for the first time or looking to rebuild your technique on a stronger foundation, this course meets you where you are and challenges you to grow. By the end of the semester, you won't just understand acting theory — you'll have practiced the discipline of breathing a living soul into a character, and you'll carry that ability into every stage of your training that follows.
*This course is a prerequisite for Core Acting Technique 201.
Course Details
Duration12 Weeks
ScheduleOnce a week, 2 hours
Price$450
PrerequisiteNone
Next Step
Core Acting Technique 201
Continue your journey with advanced technique training.
