Story and Mission
The Acting Muscle was founded in Berlin in 2017 to introduce young actors to an accessible yet powerful approach to interpreting dramatic texts and making dynamic, grounded acting choices. We believe that learning how to identify conflicts, determine objectives, and play bold actions equips our students with tools for rewarding careers as actors. It also empowers them to confront the many challenges of work and life outside the theater. Our approach to building technical proficiency in voice, speech, and movement, as well as expanding their emotional and imaginative range, is based on years of study and professional experience. Our studio has emerged as a training ground for emerging and experienced actors of all nationalities. In 2020, students who had completed our foundational courses joined the first Acting Muscle Ensemble, which produces public performances of English-language theater in Berlin.
Founding Director
Adam Ludwig has worked as an actor and educator for over 20 years. He has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at leading theaters throughout the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, The Old Globe, Berkeley Rep, American Conservatory Theater, Portland Center Stage, and the Pittsburgh Public. As a longtime member of the groundbreaking company PTP/NYC, he performed in politically adventurous plays by Pavel Kahout, Howard Barker, Sarah Kane, Neal Bell, and C.P. Taylor. On television, he has appeared in Quantico, Sex and the City, Fringe, Gossip Girl, and others. In Berlin, he directed and co-wrote Océan LeRoy’s performance piece Life Squared, which premiered at ACUD as part of the Festival du Théâtre Francophone.
Adam is a Visiting Professor in the B.A. Acting program at Cours Florent’s Berlin campus. He previously taught acting and script analysis at Marymount Manhattan College. He leads yearly on-camera acting workshops for Helsinki’s Kallio High School of Performing Arts, and as a performance coach has worked with individuals and teams from Bayer, Kling Klang Klong, the European Film Market, UdK’s Career & Transfer Service Center, and the European Council on Foreign Relations. As a founding partner at the interactive design agency Radish Lab, with offices in Brooklyn and Berlin, he leads workshops in communications, content strategy, and client management.
Adam earned his MFA in Acting from the award-winning American Conservatory Theater. He holds a B.A. in theater from Middlebury College, a Maîtrise en études de théâtre from the University of Lyon, and he completed a one-year course of study at the École Philippe Gaulier in London. He lives in Berlin with his wife Alana, their children Leif and Uma, and their cat Olive. For more about Adam's teaching approach and acting experience, visit adamludwig.studio.