The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private drama school with two locations, one in New York City and one in Los Angeles.

The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related arts in the areas of theater, film, and television.

The oldest acting school in the English-speaking world,[4] the academy in New York City was founded in 1884 by Franklin Haven Sargent, a graduate of Harvard University and professor of speech and elocution at his alma mater.

In 1963, the school moved to its current home, a landmark building designed by the American Renaissance architect Stanford White for the Colony Club.

[7] As well as training for the theatre, it now offers courses in film and television, providing a structured, professionally oriented program that stresses self-discovery, self-discipline and individuality.