Gary Spatz's 'The Playground'
Gary Spatz is one of the most respected acting teachers for children in the United States. He regularly coaches actors for auditions and callbacks for feature films and episodic television. Gary has been teaching classes for children and teens for more than 20 years. He has worked as the acting coach for Dylan and Cole Sprouse, the stars of the hit Disney Channel series "the Suite Life of Zack and Cody". Other accomplishements include serving as the children's acting coach for many television productions, including the Emmy award winning CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Rosanne", "Sister, Sister", "The Jeff Foxworthy Show", and "The Smart Guy". Gary's full resume is available on IMDB.com and information about the other instructors is on The Playground's web site. user photo
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"The Playground Los Angeles" is a young actors' conservatory providing on-camera experiences for young actors to challenge themselves and truly stimulate their abilities. The children gain poise, confidence and self esteem in all areas of their lives. Gary Spatz and his staff of professional actors and teachers nurture each student's creativity to help them excel at working on-camera. The staff are dedicated to helping young actors develop a personal technique for television and film. They will train the young performer in the craft of acting and educate the parents about the business. Be sure to look our photos on Yelp for a "tour" of the facility and photos of Gary with some of his former clients. And for video reviews you can find us on Vimeo. This children's acting school prepares its students to navigate both the world of professional acting AND the world at large.
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I am reposting this, so true, just been there last week, it's a shame to give false hopes to the kids pretending they are doing an audition for Vans Shoes and then try to sign you up, and yes that's true, new school is opening up in OC right by South Coast Mall where all the rich people go LOL, when we actually went to get more info, reps keep saying oh, do you remember Lacy (one of the kid's), she just signed up, thus putting a lot of pressure on the parent to sign up your kid so she doesn't feel left out. If you are a good school with a good reputation why don't you advertise enrollement with all figures open and let parnts decide to apply, than doing fake auditions in the hotels and playing all these scams.
LETS DO TALK THE PLAYGROUND
I can help with this subject. I actually worked for this company as a salesman for awhile until I found out what was really going on. It made me sick and this place is a RIPOFF!
First, Eric Rottman is the real owner. I have met him several times and he runs the whole operation. He keeps a very low profile because of his past acting scams that were shut down. He put the company in Garys name to avoid his past. Eric and Gary would brag about how they are smarter than the law makers and law enforcement by getting around the new laws. And I guess at least this far they are right.
BEEN SCOUTED?
It all starts with the scouts. They are paid a commission of $50 and more for every parent they can get to show up. Thats why you always see them at the tryout checking you off the list. They want to make sure they get paid. They too will say anything to get you to show up and of course they will never tell you about the costs. The company says they have no control over what the scouts say. How ridicules, Eric pays the scouts and trains them what to say! Some of them make a couple of thousand dollars a week and being honest would not be in their best interest. They are out at the malls and stores every day and are instructed to hand out cards only to people who look like they can afford classes. It has nothing to do with a Childs look or talent. (Sorry parents)
THE TRYOUT
This is a phony audition, just designed to get the kids pumped up. They read a 20 second commercial and then youre off to meet one of the salesmen. At this part, we were told to get the kids excited about doing commercials and to ask the parents a few questions to see if they were a good candidate to scam. If a parent says, they know an agent or have experience in the business they usually wont get a call back. Eric and Gary are looking for the easy suckers. Once the audition is over the leads are divided up and given to the sales team to start calling back. Once again, it has nothing to do with the talent of your child. It has everything to do with the look of the parents checkbook.
LETS TALK MONEY.
When I worked for them, they had weeks were they brought in $250.000 gross sales. Yep, in one week! The salesmen are paid a commission on every sale. You start at 10% and the more sales you make the higher the commission. There are a couple of guys there one named Mike, who makes 4 to 5 thousand dollars a week. He is the guy who the previous poster is referring to as being their salesman. They could care less about you or your child, its all about the money! Eric would call in every day to check on us salesmen to see how many sales we had and what our numbers were. He put a lot of pressure on us to do or say whatever it took to get the parent to sign up.
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Response from this business:
Hello - It's sad that you're willing to tell outright lies as part of your effort to make us look bad, including posting as a fictional salesperson, that is right… someone who never worked for The Playground….it is you sir, that are the complete and utter fraud Really, I am not a lawyer, but fraudulently portraying yourself as a former salesperson of The Playground then publishing outright lies about the organization has got to be legally actionable. People….I'd like to state clearly that The Playground was one of the very first companies to become bonded as a provider of talent services and that we have never made any attempt to "get around the new laws". The Playground is compliant with the law. This blogger’s insinuation that is not is just despicable. Its outrageous for you to even suggest that the Playground is a rogue organization. Also, none of the positive reviews available online are fake, or written by us. This is just another outright lie. The rest of this fairy tale is completely off-base too. This post was not written by someone who "actually worked for this company as a salesman for awhile". The Playground is not some organization with an army of employees. The Playground has not lost a single employee that even comes close to fitting the position of “salesperson” that you describe yourself to have formerly been. The Playground easily verified this. This amateurish ploy of yours is totally outrageous. You know that while obvious to The Playground that you are making fraudulent representations to the public pretending to be an employee, its effect on those who do not know us is harmful. I would have to believe that you could be sued for this kind of malicious conduct. The fact that you need to pretend to be an ex-employee to attempt to legitimize your lies is deplorable and just demonstrates that you are conscious that if your true identity was exposed, you would be held liable for your defamatory statements. I am not sure why you want to damage the Playground. Perhaps you are a competitor. Perhaps you believe it is your duty to protect kids who get involved in the entertainment industry, but if this is the case, then its obvious that your zealot-like attitude towards The Playground has caused you to see ghosts everywhere you look. The end result either way is that you are harming an established company that every day is providing a valuable service to its customers, in a nurturing environment, to their satisfaction.im go to gary spatz and luv it it is totally like with it. laura and danniel are like awesome and dont just help with my acting career but with dealing with middle school and how people will always make fun of like u.in the end it is totallly worth every cent (:
January 01, 20111 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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nMy daughter was approached for a "talent screening," and handed a card with just her name as a "talent executive," and printed directions to the location, without even mentioning the name of the place. I went to the Monday night "tryout" and was told there would a "committee" reviewing the tapes, including SAG something or other (ie, very important people). I got a "call back" yesterday, along with pretty much all the other parents from Monday night (see blog on hubpages.com) I have no qualms about the school providing lessons for a fee. BUT FOR GOODNESS SAKES, JUST TELL THE KIDS AND PARENTS UP FRONT WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT! It really is misleading to have "talent executives" out there handing out cards with no name other than hers, and when you call and ask whether any money is involved, and specifically state a concern for "scams" (which I did) the "executive" says "oh no, this isn't a scam for money." You need to do a better job at training these people not to implicitly sell this as a talent audition, rather than an admissions test.
Spatz may claim they aren't employees acting on hisr behalf and are simply independent contractors, so that he can't be liable for what they say. But that isn't the legal standard in California for fraud and deceptive business practice claims. (I'm a litigation lawyer with familiarity with these issues.)
Plus, there is absolutely no disclosure at the Monday night "talent screening" that this is just a school tryout. (And in the end it's not even a tryout. It's a deceptive selling tactic to get the kids excited from the tryout and the "opportunity" to be on "The Suite Life," so that when they finally tell you that you have to spend anywhere from $2300 to $6000 (6 months to 2 years) in acting classes before they will "showcase" you to "important" agents, you can't say no.
The people at the Monday night "screening" were all intentionally vague about what this was about, and said only "if we like you we'll call you back, we "work" with a lot of the biggest talent agencies, and we have "worked" with a lot of kids shows like Suite Life of Zack and Cody, etc. Use of the word "work" here is completely misleading and Spatz should get a lawyer so he can tell be advised the same.
Aslo, here is an under-cover news story from Inside Edition everyone should see about these child acting classes.
http://www.insideedition.com/news/4074/inside-editions-hidden-camera-investigation-into-a-child-acting-school.aspx
March 16, 20113 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Response from this business:
Hi - Thanks for telling us about your problems, we'd love to help. The comment I'd like to discuss is "you need to do a better job at training these people..." It's our goal to let everyone know what we do and what we offer - apparently, we have work to do. I'm surprised by your comments. We work to make the Monday night experience informative and the cards we are giving out say "an opportunity to receive a scholarship" in big letters and "this is not an audition for a job or an agent!". The SAG agent helps judge the competition and choose a winner. Also, the Monday sessions are at our business location in Century City. The sign on the door says "Young Actor's Conservatory" – identifying us as a school. Did you have the name of the "executive"? If anyone tried to sell this as an audition for "Suite Life" that's a problem for me! Since Jan, '10 our cards have had the words “This is not an audition for employment or for obtaining talent agent or talent management” (per state laws that we are licensed and bonded to abide by). If there's more we can do to improve the process I'm interested in hearing about it - contact me directly letstalk "at" theplaygroundlosangeles "dot" com
If you even consider going the cheap route and getting acting classes on CD or some other nonsense, then you might as well get your child a CD on how to drive because they will end up crashing for both scenarios. The point I am trying to make is that they need to learn in an environment where they are in front of real cameras, real audiences, and are being taught by teachers with a real genuine spirit for acting. Take it from me, do not ignore the natural talents that your child is already starting to possess. Instead, consider The Playground It can be a very gratifying experience for both you and your child. It is not only about the study of acting, but they also get a better understanding of what to expect from the entertainment industry which includes preparing them for auditions, how to choose an agent, what to expect behind the scenes, and so on. Since enrolling for classes about five months ago, my childs reading and confidence level has soared. He has learned some techniques to help reduce stress, he is more articulate, and heck, if I can notice the positive change in my child, then I hope the same result will occur with yours as it has with so many others. I probably sound like an infomercial for this acting school, but I really do feel as if The Playground and all its staff have done such a wonderful job. My son loves every aspect of The Playground, from the classes, to the teachers, to all the new friendships hes made. The website is helpful and they do their best to keep the parents informed and involved as much as possible.
February 18, 20090 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Insider
| Rank: 42,343
Definitely a great, well-equipped acting school, with a warm staff, and eager kids who want to act. We have nothing but kind words to share about Gary Spatz, Gayla, and the rest of the crew because we feel that they genuinely enjoy teaching something that theyre all passionate about, and that is to act. To our surprise, Gary Spatz has a very sincere, down-to-earth personality considering that we just saw him on the E! channel the other week being interviewed about some teen stars of today like Zac Efron, and Miley Cyrus, etc. Lets just say that my 7 year old was more than ecstatic to see his teacher on television and it was also nice for us as parents to see the owner of our acting school being recognized for his efforts in the past and present.
January 08, 20092 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Insider Expert
| Rank: 13,329
Dear Reader, I am a 30 year SAG Actor who has produced an indie film ($1.5 M budget) and is well-known in the industry and in certain fan circles. I am also a parent of a young man who has been a part of the Playground for only 3 months. He is consistently pleased with his experience at the school, The process involves writing and performing in both workshop and performing sessions. I endorse this program for one reason: it is bona-fide. The young staff are courteous and seem very dedicated to their craft of inspiring everyone around them to be creative. My child is better at speaking and projecting as a result of attending the Playground, and there is no doubt that his creative juices are flowing. His confidence is growing. It's so easy to allow natural skepticism to overflow into pessimistic, even dangerously angry, feelings. Acting is a great occupation, whether professional or amateur. Show business is another thing altogether. It requires a thick skin and lots of luck. But it also requires a proof of talent. The Playground provides a place where that talent can be nurtured in a safe and friendly and kind environment. There is no quid pro quo. There is good value there however.
November 21, 20088 out of 25 people found this review helpful.
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Our son expressed an interest for acting after we took him to see the popular musical, Wicked. We thought it was just a phase, but now we see him trying to act out different scenes with his friends or even make a comedy show with our DV Camera. It has been non-stop and I have never seen him so passionate about anything else. With that being said, we knew that enrolling him into acting school would be a great investment. If he decided not to be an actor, I could see him sprouting another interest in some other facet in the entertainment industry such as being a writer or being part of the crew behind the scenes. Whatever it may be, my wife and I thought that Gary Spatzs The Playground would be a great foundation for him to be inspired. Sorry if I ran a little off track here, but Im sure that I am not the only parent whose child expresses an interest to pursue a part in the entertainment field. Like many of you, our problem was that we didnt know where to begin. Trying to research everything about acting classes online proved to be too overwhelming for us and it didnt help that every acting school claimed to be the best in the business. Thankfully, another parent whose child attends The Playground help shed some light. Her son is also taking the standard drama class with my son in the junior high and she was just as eager to tell me about Gary Spatz as her son was eager to attend the acting workshops. My wife and I honestly thought it was all bunch of hype but when we arrived, the staff and management couldnt be any more helpful and welcoming. Gary Spatz is down to earth and genuine and we really appreciate that. I agree with a lot of the testimonials on here as far as the whole vibe of the classes and staff. This is one of the best things weve done for my son and when our other little boy gets older and also expresses an interest for the arts, we know right where to send him.
November 03, 20088 out of 32 people found this review helpful.
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Why "The Playground" your asking? Well, The Playground has so many things that actually help you in life and in show biz. Gary Spatz does everything and anything to help out his students. He really cares about the teachers, the students, and our goals. The Playground is like one huge family. The teachers there are amazing and fun and I know that if I have any questions about the entertainment business, I can always get a straight answer. All of the teachers has had their own experiences in television, production, and theatre. They know everything about show biz and also the classes are so very inspiring. Gary Spatz has helped so many people achieve their goals and that means alot to Gary. There is no other acting school Id rather go to and The Playground" IS THE PLACE TO BE!!!! Thank you- Michelle P. Class of 07
October 08, 200813 out of 43 people found this review helpful.
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I am more than satisfied with The Playground and all the friendly staff members. They are all so personable and dedicated into helping each student hone their acting abilities and develop into creative skillful actors. During the workshops, the parents get to sit with each other and hang out. My kid always comes back to me with a huge smile on his face and thats all that matters. To sum it all up, The Playground is a great acting school (theyre not a talent agency as so many people think) and I highly recommend it.
September 22, 200813 out of 56 people found this review helpful.
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As a parent it is such a blessing to see your child blossom and gain confidence in herself. She has gained so much from her experience at the Playground and I believe this experience will have such a positive effect on her in so many aspects in her life. After her performance, I expressed to my husband how well Paris had done and that whatever the cost, whatever the effort, The Playground has been all worth it. Our little tiny nine year old could fill a room with so much personality and expression. My experience watching her last week was priceless.
September 14, 200814 out of 50 people found this review helpful.
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Insider Guru
| Rank: 180
Gary is amazing! My daughter has taken classes from him over the years and he is fabulous. Gary has been in the industry for years. He was one of the group who selected the Mickey Mouse Club years ago that found Justin Timberlake, Brittney Spears, Christina Aguilara, and more. He has an eye for talent and the skills to take your child to the next level in acting. The only problem we have had is the long drive to get to him is not always easy.
Highly recommended!
13 out of 47 people found this review helpful.
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Gary Spatz is the best acting coach we've ever had. He is so inspiring and caring about his students it's amazing. We learn so much each week and every week is a different experience. The teaching staff is really great, too. They give you constructive criticism and help us be prepared for all kind of situations in the audition process. The private coachings are really great and every time we called Gary he was always there for us. By the way - do you notice that the only people writing bad reviews only sign up to say something bad about The Playground? It's like the same person over and over again. I just noticed it, it's like someone is obsessed with slandering!
April 28, 200816 out of 56 people found this review helpful.
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As with any profession, it takes training to learn the skills and techniques of the business -- not only acting, but also voice, movement, business, and promotional skills. The acting business is extremely difficult and competitive so one of the best ways for an actor to get cast and become known is to study in a good actor training program. So if youre thinking that your kid will become a mega superstar after attending The Playground, youve got to realize that it is just a stepping stone. Its sad to see what people are saying about Gary Spatz. Hes got so much first-hand experience in this industry I am happy to have him and The Playground lay the foundation for my little guy.
April 25, 200816 out of 59 people found this review helpful.
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Latest reviews from Citysearch.
We?ve had and are still having a lovely experience over at Gary Spatz?s The Playground and I?m serious when I say that my kids rant and rave about it all the time. Both my kids have met classmates that are just as enthusiastic about the acting classes as they are and they look forward to the workshops every weekend. I find it so endearing that Gary Spatz himself works so closely with the children and staff and is very much into the school programs. The learning environment is impressive and provides the closest thing to actually being on stage, or being ?on set?. Their website is also a very helpful tool because you can sign-up for various classes, look at your kid?s performance video, check the calendar, and read about the staff. It?s great. In fact, I?m glad we found The Playground that I felt compelled to write about it.
I had a wonderful experience at The Playground. Deciding to take acting lessons was not something we took lightly. It was completely new to us, since my daughter had never expressed an interest in acting, and it was a big commitment of time and money. I am SO glad we did it! Marissa loved every minute of it and has learned so much about herself in the process.
Many people have dreams of becoming famous actors, and of course it would be awesome if that happened for her. I was happy to give her the opportunity to try something new, but my hope was that if nothing else, she would gain the skills, confidence, and poise that one needs in life to speak in front of others. She got that and more from your program. Thank you very, very much for a truly wonderful experience. I loved that we always saw you there and that you would take the time to chat with the kids and parents.
I just don?t understand why someone would feel they?re being scammed because you dedicate so much to the kids and truly deliver what you promise ? which is a professional environment to learn acting skills. There?s no way I?d go to another acting school and there?s no way I?m going to trust anyone who says you?re a big scam ? it?s just not possible and it?s worth every penny spent.
Pros: Gary Spatz and his whole staff of teachers
Cons: FAKE negative reviews
Expensive? Yes. Scam? No way. The old saying 'you get what you pay for' works with Gary's school. I can honestly say that my daughter got really solid acting training from very good, professional staff members. The one angry person who keeps posting 'scam' everywhere should take a second to look up the definition of that word in a dictionary. When you get scammed you pay somebody for a product or service and get nothing in return. This is not the case at the Playground. We paid top dollar and got excellent acting training in return.
"Acting classes"? "For kids?" That's what I thought when my wife first told me that she wanted to sign up our daughter at The Playground. In all honesty I'd rather have my child do some kind of athletic activity. But I have to admit that I've been very impressed with the impact the Playground classes have made on her. According to her teachers she's more confident in class, she's more expressive, and she's even been trying out for school plays which she'd never had thought of before going to the playground. I realize that the film and tv industry is really tough and that my daughter probably won't have a career but I can honestly say that she's been able to develop a more intuitive, creative side because of her classes at The Playground. Parents know that it's a bit of an investment to send your child there but I think giving your son/daughter that kind of creative training helps them immensely in their current development and future endeavors. Thanks Gary and the staff at the Playground for being so committed to helping my daughter make the most out of her experience! -John
Pros: Friendly/Nurturing Staff, Amazing Facility
Cons: None
Hi, Im Susan. I go to Gary Spatz the Playground. Hold up, If yall think Im 40 or somethin, Im one of the actors there. 11 years old, yep! By the way my mom let me write this. All you people who say bad things about Gary, have you guys done his classes? I didint think so. From an eleven year old girl point of view of this acting place, I consider it, the best! Ever since I was about two, people, castings, started to ask me and my sister who is also part of the playground, we were getting called to be actress. All of them were bad. One that I remember, Labeled us. Who labels kids? When I was nine, I was called for the billionth time for another acting thing. I thought it was another scam like the other ones, but I tried anyways. It turned out to be( Drum roll please)... The best place in the universe. Just because of Rockin Gary, I have an agent and proudly an official actress. My mom always tells me, " A journey with one thousand miles begins with one step!" Just because of Gary and his friends, Im on the 500,000 step. Speakin about teachers, the teachers are great. Gayla Goehl what a women. She is fantastic. I have many friends at the Playground like angelina and stephanie. Angelinagot an agent and Stephanie is getting there. So stop saying bad things of my home, its one heck of a PLAYGROUND.We from Playground are very ofended by this rude messages!Please dont do this anymore!
Love you Gary Spatz and teachers!
- Susan ( 11 years old )
Pros: Everything is Rockin!
Cons: None
Yes, it totally does look like someone is purposely trying to slander The Playground! Is he obsessed? Get a life! It looks like HE'S the scammer! We were actually referred to The Playground by a trusted family friend. I cannot even tell you the magnificent changes my child has gone through since he started a couple months ago. His communication skills have improved so much and this has been such a positive experience for all of us - not just my son. We're definitely looking forward to another great year with you and your staff! Gary I support you 100%!
Pros: This positive experience for my son will last a lifetime
Cons: People who are obsessed with slandering The Playground
Our experience at Gary Spatz's Playground has been very rewarding in more ways than one. My daughters started training there almost two years ago. In the beginning, I did have my doubts because after visiting so many schools for child actors, I never thought we would find such an amazing environment and staff. As soon as you walk into the doors, you can feel the welcoming energy and can see the expressions of happiness on the children?s faces. I remember my youngest daughter was a shy and reserved girl. Immediately after one month of classes she began to show a side of her we have never seen before. Her personality began to shine...My older daughter has become very attached to the teachers. They have been incredibly well chosen by Gary. What can I say about Gary? There is something amazing about him when you watch him interact with the children. You can see and feel the children?s love and respect for him. I am there every week and have had the chance to observe my girls before and after they begin their class. I am a lucky mother who has had the opportunity to have my kids surrounded by such an extraordinary staff.
Pros: everything is nice
My daughter has gained a lot from attending classes at the playground. The staff has always been easy to talk with and get feedback. Our child loves to do this and we did some research and decided to have her go to the Playground because we wanted to help her with what she's passionate about. I have recommended the playground and will continue to do so. It is a fun and safe environment and the instructors care about teaching the kids. I hope that if anyone is interested in signing their child up for classes come and see for themselves.
My child went to a couple of the workshops that The Playground offers and now he has more confidence, his memory skills are improving, he's learned how to make friends, and he can express himself in ways I could not have taught him. Either way -- your child can have a real passion for acting and actually want to pursue the entertainment industry, or your child can at least have a hands-on experience of this fascinating industry and leave with memories that will last a lifetime and a nice DVD.
As far as the "scam" -- there is none! There were no animals when I arrived. Gary Spatz and his staff are honest, all they want to do is nurture the creativity and confidence in every child. Thanks to Gary and staff! I always recommend The Playground to my friends and family.
Pros: Very professional environment. They use the real-deal hollywood equipment.
Cons: They'll get over their stage fright soon enough! Besides, you can practice lines together.
