Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts

An amazing place for actors, dancers, and singers of all ages. The life skills learned here have been invaluable for my daughter. I highly recommend SCSOPA. We have been to other performing arts programs and this by far is the best!

My son, Spencer, has been a student at the school for about a year and a half. He loves it. The teachers are beyond great. They show their enthusiasm and create an atmosphere of ‘family’. Spencer reads his scripts and has learned to speak with more feeling and attitude. We drive about 45 minutes to the school and he never complains about the drive and just happy to get there. They have a ‘bring a friend’ week and his friends love to visit. I can’t explain how he feels when he walks out of class. I love the expression on his face of confidence. We look forward to more classes and it isn’t even about the acting jobs… for us it’s about what Spencer has gained as a person from these classes/​teachers and he really feels so close to the other students. He is almost 14 and these years are difficult for some but I think the classes/​teachers and students at this school really help ‘ground’ him. The students are genuinely happy for those who have booked in a job. So happy to have found this school through a modeling show at our mall.

SCSOPA is a great school for children and adults!
Mike and his staff are saavy and knowledgeable about the industry and have a proven track record.
If you want to hone your tool and your skills check out SCSOPA!

How do I properly pay homage to such a phenomenal school? I believe it will be best stated by describing my family’s experience over the past 3 months in their programs. My youngest daughter secured her position with an agent/​manager today. A young lady who never dreamed before of accomplishing this goal in such a short time with the help and guidance of consistent, hands-​on training from experienced actors and actresses, voice and voice-​over coaches, professional dance instructors (new to the school and awesome) and a modeling instructor who has made my oldest daughter runway ready for the fashion world. Even my husband who felt extremely uncomfortable site reading for any purpose now has developed the confidence to cold read and act through the classes for adults. I pose one question to those who have written hurtful reviews… why would you question a school making no promises but solely asking that a commitment be made to participate in the available classes required to succeed in the challenging but rewarding world of entertainment? The owner believes in the students and their training to the extent that he is ever present and available as a guide through the process in addition he provides all students with the opportunity, each and every Saturday, to audition to be signed on by reputable industry agencies… unprecedented! I will never regret my family’s decision to attend this school. Mike et al keep up the great work and commitment to us all.

This school is full of amazing talent!!! My son enjoys every class.

No don’t come here !!! They suck you in and take all your money. They tell you everything you want to hear. I took head shots at this school and they came out messed up, their computer screwed them up digitally. Then they wouldn’t let me take new ones without paying. It was part of our «deal» that we get head shots for all that we were paying. We’ve now paid over $ 3,000 and we can’t get our money back. I hate this place, I hate the owner mike who got me into this mess. DO NOT SPEND YOUR MONEY OR WASTE YOUR TIME HERE !!! Warning !!!

My daughter Carly has been a student at scsopa for about 6 months now and she loves the teachers and the staff equally they are all very kind and passionate about each individual’s talents and helps us see which class better fits Carly’s needs depending on what she shows the most interest in she has booked a print job with GBYM on the rock and play line and also Hannah banana line she loves how they treat her on set everyone there is child oriented and knows how to make them feel like there playing the whole time this has made her very outgoing and not afraid to express her feelings,
Thank you,
Scsopa and all the wonderful staff!!!

The staff is so professional and a fantastic resource for anyone breaking into the modeling and acting world! Training models and actors I highly recommend taking lessons to feel confident in your next audition.

Mike (the owner) is authentic, and very approachable.
The place is a a great place for learning and helping kids boost their confidence.

DO NOT COME HERE!!! I went in Monday 5÷18÷15 for a meeting with Mike the owner and he seemed pretty nice, made it seem like it wasn’t all about money which I should of known better but as soon as we said we were going to talk it over and get back to him the next day his attitude completely changed! He said he was a busy man and we were wasting his time and even then we ignored it and still signed our daughter up that same day only because our daughter has been eager to get into dance. We took our daughter in the next day for a dance class and a commercial acting class, long story short she liked the dance but didn’t like the other class so decided since dance is all she’s interested in that we would cancel and find her an all dance school. When we called to cancel, let’s be clear on who we spoke to… Mike the «Owner» had the balls to say «good we don’t want you here anyway» wow wow wow!!! I couldn’t believe what we were hearing coming from the so called owner. RUDE and UNPROFESSIONAL is all I can think of not to mention the classroom sizes are ridiculously small with way too many kids. Invest your money into a school with a Professional owner PLEASE!!!

A few months ago my 13 year old daughter asked to start taking acting classes. I searched a little bit online and found this school. I’ve read all sorts of reviews, both good and bad, and I must say, the bad reviews were a big turnoff! But I decided to call them anyway (because the location was super good for us) and see if what everybody says holds water.
The first call I made I spoke with a woman called Renee. She was very helpful and polite, and answered all my questions about the schedule and what’s appropriate for my daughter’s age and such. I dreaded asking about the price, because many reviews mentioned that they «never provide information on their rates». So after talking lengthly about all other topics I finally approached the pricing topic. And low and behold — I IMMEDIATELY got an honest answer! What a surprise! A clear cut, no bullshit answer with prices and payment options.
So I decided to go check out the place. My daughter and I met Renee and Mike. It is true that Mike (the owner of the school) is very passionate about what he is doing, and the meeting was pretty long. He was very thorough, to say the least ;-) but I could tell that it was all in good will. When we came to discuss registration and payments, after I explained that we couldn’t pay for the year upfront, Mike offered a payment plan and gave us a huge discount — I mean really huge. With that discount I was able to sign my daughter up to double the amount of classes I initially meant to.
My daughter has been taking classes at SCSOPA for a few months now. We haven’t met any agents yet since she feels that she is not ready for that yet. I’m sure that when the time comes for her, she will do great. In the meantime, she is super satisfied with the classes and the teachers. She is happy to go to class and comes home with many great experiences. The staff at the office is always helpful and extremely nice when we call for any reason.
I feel like I owe the school this good review. I don’t know why other people felt differently and honestly it doesn’t matter. They’ve been great for us and I thank them for that.

After having been truly conned and scammed as an artist in my past, this school has proven to be the most authentic source of exposure to to top talent agencies and actor resources in the la area. Mike the owner is passionate about who and what the company stands for. Make the investment in yourself or your child, and build the relationships necessary to launch an acting career.

I’ve always been interested in the performing acts even though I had no experience– so I sat and smiled through the sales pitch and signed up soon after. I only did the 6 month contract though because it is pretty expensive. (6 months is the shortest contract-​you can take 2 classes per week– the owner tried to upsell me, but I declined.)
I was excited in the beginning, but I quickly realized there were a lot of things that this school is lacking in. The first thing I noticed was that there weren’t many classes for adult students, and there were no singing or any type of music classes-​you have to pay extra for those. If I had known the schedule before I signed up, I would’ve reconsidered. So here’s my list of pros and cons for this school after six months:
Pros: There are opportunities to audition in front of agents on Saturday mornings, and you get a free headshot (photo) session when you sign up. There are lots of students at the school who have gotten gigs because of the auditions. The teachers are generally friendly and seem passionate about acting. They do have adult classes, and even voice acting classes with a real professional mic and sound studio. (There’s limited space available for voice acting, so you have to sign up in advance though)
Cons: The building itself is pretty small, and there’s only one bathroom, so there’s usually a line. There’s also no stage, so they don’t really do shows at the building. The rooms are small and there’s limited space, so you’ll usually find students rehearsing their scenes outside of the building. Also, the modelling class I went to was overcrowded and seemed like it could be a fire hazard. People were bumping into each other.
Unlike a regular school, there’s no report cards, grades, no certificate or diploma/​degree that you are trying to earn, so there is no real curriculum, which is a huge minus in my opinion. And because there is no curriculum, the teachers will just give you a random scene in class (they usually don’t come with copies prepared-​they leave to make copies which takes away from class time) and have you rehearse, then perform it in front of your classmates, then they critique you.
Another negative– your classmates won’t always show up, so even if you work on your scene and are off book (have the script memorized), if your scene partner doesn’t show up… you just wasted your time. I think it’s because there isn’t much structure in the classes.
Another thing: sometimes teachers don’t make it to class either, so another teacher or someone will be a substitute, but… they don’t know what the regular teacher was working on, or they’ve never taught that type of class before. Also, there’s lots of «vacations» where the school is closed, so even if you have a 6 month or 1 year membership, you have to subtract a couple of weeks.
And this is random, but I noticed that there are a lot of typos on documents at this school. The receptionists or whoever is typing things up really need to use spell check.
So did I learn a lot from this school? Yes. Will I be renewing my contract? No. (No one even contacted me about it, actually. I guess they don’t check?)

I highly recommend Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts! My family recently moved to the area from Northern California and was referred to the school as my children are interested in performing arts. Mike was a pleasure to speak with and after touring the school, I decided to enroll both of my boys. Within two months both boys had agents and my youngest had two different agents and a manager. My youngest was hired on his first commercial job within two months and received call backs and avail status on two television shows. Thanks Mike and to the wonderful teachers at the school thanks a bunch!

My name is JD Gregory and I am a working actor. You can read my testimonies about how my career has changed over the past 7 months. Why? All by SCSOPA.
I am always blown away when I read the negative stuff some uneducated people say about SCSOPA. Bottom line, I am a working actor who recurs on a soap opera and have a movie coming out this summer with Danny Trejo… and on hold for the lead in a pilot AND I got an A list agent. .HOW? Thru Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts…
A scam? Not a real school? Sorry, I am living proof. I was so grateful for Mike Jostens I asked him who can I return the favor and he simply asked me to spread the word. Thats what I do. So to those who say they had a bad experience, I am sorry, but you got offended at Truth. Mike is just passionate about what he does and offers people. If you got offended thats your issue. Mike is an angel and I am forever greatful for his Boldness with me to get my Crap together!
Friends, It does take money to make money. Its showBUSINESS… Go to any acting school and its not cheap. SCSOPA is reasonably priced and has FRUIT (real testimonies) of Real Actors who work. I put my name and reputation on the line with this place and challenge anyone who says otherwise. God Bless and if your serious about a career in acting and modeling, come to an open house on Wed 7pm or Sundays at 2pm and SEE FOR YOURSELF. Make sure you tell them JD Gregory sent you!

This school has delivered big time for my son. After only 3 weeks my son landed a big time Hollywood agent. Watching how the agent interviewed my son with «cold reads» and acting expectations, I realized something. Without training from this wonderful acting school this would simply not be possible. This school provided both the training and the audition. What more can one ask? Life is what you make it and if the drive is there this school WILL provide the opportunity.

Ok, now here’s a real review.
I’ve been here, I’ve got the tour and finalized by the «car salesman-​big pressure-​sign up your kid now» shpeel. Whew! What a turn off!
Not to mention… OVERPRICED BIG TIME! Oh, and don’t try calling for prices. They’ll refuse to give you rates over the phone. Instead, they’ll give you the «come on in» pitch so they can try to close you in on a deal (well, it’s not a deal at all). Watch, give them a call and you’ll see.
I ended up finding a real school with no in-​your-​face sales pitch, VERY reasonable rates and my son ended up with a few commercial under his belt. I’m quite proud where my son went and very pleased I did not sign up my son here.

When I first called SCSOPA, I felt that the guy on the phone was «pushy» insisting on having us come to the presentation… so I was skeptical… we know there are lots of scam in this industry…
Anyways, we decided to come check it out. We liked that they have absolutely everything to offer… acting, dancing, modeling, voice, voice over,… (just like the guy on the phone said!!) so we signed up.
My daughter is LOVING it all! She started on October 7^th, she does acting, modeling, voice and will start voice over in December. Every Saturday she has the chance to audition in front of agents, she is sooo excited and she is convinced that she belongs in the show business industry!
If you are thinking about joining but you’re on the fence, I suggest that you come check it out weekdays when classes are on, talk to parents, talk to the kids… see how they like it… you will be convinced!
I am thankful that Craig (the guy on the phone!!) insisted for us to come! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, Craig, Mike, Lynn, Ashley, Matt, Jacqueline… And others that I don’t know yet…

I had good experiences in classes but I had to put my membership on hold for 3 months since I was leaving the country. I filled out all necessary documents and the secretary at the time told me I will have 3 more months when I come back and reactivate. I came back 3 months later and they told me I’m not a student anymore. They refused to fix the problem or give me any alternative solution. Their business ethic is the worst I’ve ever seen so far.

Hi guys! Looking forward to begin your career in the entertainment industry? Well, now is the time to get off the couch and start heading out. It is never too late to start your career in the business. So what are you waiting for? It is your time to shine. Don’t wait! Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts is a school affiliated with top agencies along with classes such as acting, dancing, singing, modeling, voiceover, and many more. Coaches here are very well-​mannered and will definitely learn many things before you enter the industry. So if you are interested and have been wanting to start your career in the industry, it is never too late to start. Just get up, pick up your phone, and start calling now!
My experience at Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts is phenomenal. I started in September 2011 and have been going here for over a year now. Classes are amazing here. I have taken voiceover, modeling, acting, dancing, and have gained the experience I need for the industry. I have learned many new techniques and have take in many critiques I need to be ready for the industry. Now that I am out and working on big projects, I am glad to have found out about this school. Even though I am still attending college, I am still willing to take on big acting gigs for the next step of my career. The entertainment industry is my world and I have to make it happen!
You will also meet and mingle with many people! It is a great performing arts school!