The quality of training at Circle in the Square is very poor. The good reputation it has has long expired… All the great teachers have either passed away or retired a long time ago. Most of the remaining teachers have been out of the game for far too long to keep up. The main teachers, students agree, create a toxic environment of bullying and trash talking other students and teachers in class. It’s really not conducive to artistic growth. With a few exceptions, the teachers don’t really teach a whole lot of anything useful or applicable, and after 2 years, most students have either stayed the same (most often) or digressed (we’ve seen it.). Also, it’s obviously a hard business no matter what, but recent Circle graduates from the last decade or longer haven’t really found any level of success in the industry. People get gigs here and there, but all of the alumni they tout are from
15+ years ago.
If you like the Meisner technique, Esper is the way to go.
The Atlantic has a very specific and unique technique, so I’d recommend reading about it and seeing if it’s for you. I’ve heard mixed things.
It’s hard to compare all these schools because they are so different, but I’d definitely advise against Circle.