Jennifer McCabe

Jennifer McCabe is an Associate Professor at the City University of New York at Lehman College and an Adjunct Professor at NYU Tisch UGFTV and Drama. With 34 years of experience in acting, teaching, and directing, she has performed over 80 roles including ten lead characters Off-Broadway at prestigious theaters such as Cherry Lane, Atlantic, and Barrow Group. Her television credits include recurring roles on NBC's Manifest, Blindspot, and Law & Order series, CBS's FBI: Most Wanted, and FX's The Americans.

As a second-generation Lee Strasberg acting teacher, McCabe specializes in foundational acting techniques derived from Stanislavski, Strasberg, Adler, Meisner, and Hagen. Her unique teaching methodology includes the "Jump Then Justify®" character development workshop and "Top Ten Screen Acting Tools" for on-camera performance. She has developed transformational approaches to actor training that emphasize emotional authenticity, impulse, and intention in performance.

McCabe maintains a vibrant teaching practice through Jennifer McCabe Studios in the Hudson Valley, offering regular classes, intensives, and retreats. Her "Fireside Fridays" gatherings create community spaces for artists to discuss their craft. She has also served as a Visiting Professor at SUNY Purchase, The New School for Drama, AMDA, and as a Guest Artist at SUNY New Paltz and Vassar.

Notable actors who have studied with McCabe include Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick, Whiplash), Lev Gorn (The Americans), and Julie Reiber (Come From Away). She is currently directing the Off-Broadway premiere of Sea Glass for summer 2025 and will be teaching screen acting at Westchester Collaborative Theater in fall 2025.