Photo by Graham Dickie

The New York Times recently published a feature story about HB Studio’s longtime home on Bank Street, its place in New York’s history, and the transition now underway as we prepare for our next chapter. We are grateful to the article’s author, John F. Gill, whose Streetscapes series has long been a favorite of ours, and to photographer Graham Dickie for capturing the character of a place that has meant so much to generations of artists.

For more than 80 years, HB Studio has been a home for actors, directors, writers, and other artists committed to the daily practice of our craft. Founded by Herbert Berghof and shaped by the extraordinary vision of Herbert and Uta Hagen, HB has always been about something larger than a building: a way of working, a community of artists, and the belief that meaningful artistic growth comes through practice. That commitment remains at the heart of everything we do.

As the Times article describes, we are preparing to leave our longtime Bank Street home and establish a new home in Manhattan. While this transition brings understandable emotion, it is a strategic decision that presents an opportunity to secure HB’s future and ensure that our distinctive approach to actor training continues to thrive for generations to come.

For those who have followed our recent updates, much of this will be familiar. We shared our thinking in a June announcement and held our second open Town Hall just last week to discuss the transition with our community. For those who are catching up, the central point is simple: after careful consideration by our senior leadership, Board, and advisors, we concluded that the financial and practical demands of maintaining our Bank Street buildings had become unsustainable, but the opportunity to continue the work could be even greater than ever.

The sale will provide HB Studio with an opportunity to build a sustainable foundation for the future—one that honors Herbert and Uta’s extraordinary legacy while allowing their vision for the daily practice of the artist to flourish for generations to come.

This is a significant decision, made with great care and a deep sense of responsibility to the legacy entrusted to us. Herbert and Uta’s gift has helped sustain HB for decades. Our responsibility now is to steward that gift wisely, preserving what makes HB special while creating the conditions for the Studio to flourish in the years ahead.

The survival of HB at this moment is particularly crucial. As the Times article states, we have always believed “that class fees should be kept low” to provide for actors of all economic means. That egalitarianism extends to a teaching philosophy that prioritizes creative freedom.

The Times article offers a rich account of the history of our Bank Street home, along with the real estate realities that have brought us to this moment. It also captures something essential about HB: the work itself must continue. As our Co-Executive Director Francesca Ferrara told Mr. Gill, moving is “heartbreakingly sad, but we also have to see it as an opportunity to be stabilized.”

And she expressed the conviction that guides us forward:

“The most important thing for Herbert and Uta was the work, and they would want the work to continue. They would want actors and directors to have a place to practice daily, and a place for writers to write. We become the artists we are meant to be by the doing, by the daily practice.”

We encourage everyone in our community to read the full article. It offers a thoughtful look at the history of the Studio and the complex considerations behind this transition. (The headline writer has a flair for the dramatic, but the story itself provides a fuller picture of where HB stands and where we are headed.)

Our plans are moving forward. We are actively looking for our new home in Manhattan, and we look forward to sharing more as that process develops. In the meantime, our educational programs will continue on Bank Street through next summer, and students are already enrolling in our upcoming Part B Fall semester classes.

As Uta Hagen reminded us, “No work of art is ever finished. Nothing is ever static.” That spirit of inquiry, growth, and possibility is as relevant to HB Studio today as it has ever been. Our address may change, but our commitment to the work, to our students, and to the artistic community we serve will not.

Thank you for being part of HB Studio’s story—and, more importantly, its future. We look forward to continuing the work together.

With gratitude and optimism,

Francesca Ferrara and Christopher Hibma
HB Co-Executive Directors

Photo by Graham Dickie