Classes

Preparing the Working Actor/Entrepreneur

The LIU Brooklyn BFA Acting program is uniquely committed to providing students with a series of courses and experiences that prepare them for the day after graduation. Highlighted business-oriented classes include:

The Business of Acting

Starting in the first semester, students learn how to navigate the business side of the performance industry, with practical courses designed to prepare students for the day after graduation. These courses include three semesters of the Business of Acting (Audition Prep, Showcase Prep and the Actor as Self-Producer) and four semesters of Production Lab (a weekly seminar with members of acting-adjacent industries).

Senior Capstone

Each BFA Acting student presents a Senior Capstone, an end-of-study experience in which students are offered the opportunity to put together all of the skills that they have learned during their four years of study at LIU Brooklyn. Students are encouraged to explore all genres of artistic expression (original works, film, music, etc.) and to create a performance experience that best illustrates their artistic viewpoint, and how they plan to show up as actors in their post-LIU lives.

Senior Showcase

All graduating seniors participate in a Senior Showcase, in which students perform material showcasing the skills that they have acquired during their artistic and educational career at LIU Brooklyn. Showcases are presented in a live invited setting in Manhattan for a panel of agents and managers, as well as in recorded form via Breakdown Services and the LIU Brooklyn BFA Acting Showcase website.

Course Schedule

Fall 1st year

Rigorous training in Acting, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
Rigorous training in Voice for the Actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
Rigorous training in Movement for the Actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
Rigorous training in Movement for the Actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
This course offers a comprehensive immersion into the realm of theatre production. Students are offered the opportunity to engage with theatre, film and television industry professionals employed in the areas of the industry not seen onstage or on-camera (design, management, casting, producing, etc.). Students are also offered hands-on experience working backstage on departmental productions, as well as the opportunity to attend off-campus productions in New York City.
Credits: 1
Understanding one’s type, essence and differentiators are key components to a successful acting career. By exploring these concepts and applying them to audition material and audition technique, the actor will be able to make strong choices in audition material and presentation, and increase their odds of success in an increasingly competitive landscape. Course modules include in-person audition technique, self-taping technique and resume preparation.
Credits: 3

Spring 1st year

Rigorous training in Acting, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
Rigorous training in Voice for the Actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
Rigorous training in Movement for the Actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
An orientation to the nature of theatre, students will examine the history of theatre and how to analyze play text including the five elements that make up the theatre: the playwright, the director, the actors, the designers, and the audience.
Credits: 3
An introduction to the principles and practice of portable digital video production. Working in crews on field projects, students explore the techniques and aesthetics of single-camera videography, sound recording, location lighting, and video editing.
Credits: 3

Fall 2nd year

A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on a variety of acting techniques and intermediate scene study, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on a variety of techniques of voice for the actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on a variety of techniques of movement for the actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
This course offers a comprehensive immersion into the realm of theatre production. Students are offered the opportunity to engage with theatre, film and television industry professionals employed in the areas of the industry not seen onstage or on-camera (design, management, casting, producing, etc.). Students are also offered hands-on experience working backstage on departmental productions, as well as the opportunity to attend off-campus productions in New York City.
Credits: 1
An exploration of the art and craft of playwriting. Students will engage in the writing and structuring of monologues, scenes, one-act plays and, possibly, full-length plays. Emphasis is on the possibilities and specific techniques of writing for the stage. Students may be given the opportunity to see their writing produced in workshops.
Credits: 3
An introduction to the practice and principles of on-camera performance for film and television with an emphasis on basic technique and an understanding of the nuts and bolts of filmed entertainment.
Credits: 3

Spring 2nd year

A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on a variety of acting techniques and intermediate scene study, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on a variety of techniques of voice for the actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on a variety of techniques of movement for the actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
The study and practice of directing for the theatre, emphasizing text analysis, dramaturgy, casting, principles of staging, rehearsal procedure, and the relationship of the director to the actor.
Credits: 3
An introduction to the practice and principles of on-camera performance for film and television with an emphasis on basic technique and an understanding of the nuts and bolts of filmed entertainment.
Credits: 3

Fall 3rd year

A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on Shakespeare, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on dialects, Received Pronunciation and heightened language for the actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence, with an emphasis on Period movement and Stage Combat for the actor, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 2
This course offers a comprehensive immersion into the realm of theatre production. Students are offered the opportunity to engage with theatre, film and television industry professionals employed in the areas of the industry not seen onstage or on-camera (design, management, casting, producing, etc.). Students are also offered hands-on experience working backstage on departmental productions, as well as the opportunity to attend off-campus productions in New York City.
Credits: 1
Students begin to create final projects in their chosen fields of theatre, film or television or any combination thereof. Mentors will guide students through the process of creating the outline for their projects so that by the end of the semester they are ready to go into production in Capstone II.
Credits: 3
An advanced workshop designed to enable a small group to work collaboratively on mastery of techniques learned in THE 292 with emphasis on on-camera scene study.
Credits: 3

Spring 3rd year

A continuation of the BFA Acting Studio sequence with an emphasis on Advanced Scene Study, provided in collaboration with Off-Broadway's New Group Acting Studio. Courses are held in Manhattan and continue over the course of six semesters.
Credits: 3
A survey of the history and development of world cinema and television. Through screenings and discussions, students study this twentieth-century art form as developed by various countries, individuals and movements. The development of cinema and television as an industry and a part of the larger economy; as a series of technical innovations, as a history of aesthetic forms, as a social, cultural and political force and as a reflection of the ideas of its society are explored.
Credits: 3
An advanced workshop designed to enable a small group to work collaboratively on mastery of techniques learned in THE 292 with emphasis on on-camera scene study.
Credits: 3
A studio-based course designed for students to build their sense of physical control, safety, partner awareness and storytelling through unarmed techniques and fight choreography. Students will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of spatial awareness, injury prevention, and physical physicalized intention to create believable, narrative-driven physical conflict for stage and screen. This course will enhance the students: Studio education by building on techniques learned in Studio Movement, providing them with safe and replicable techniques for staged violence which can be readily applied within the context of live performance, as well as in the context of film and television.
Credits: 3

Fall 4th year

In this course, students are guided to approach the business as an "actorpreneur" ready to develop self-created works or artistic ventures in collaboration with partners. Students begin to understand the process of generating creative 'start-ups' and getting work out into the world to be recognized. Topics covered include pitching projects, accessing funding bodies, applying for grants, collaborating with the industry, promoting and producing independent theatre, and driving Film and TV projects.
Credits: 3
This course provides students with the digital tools to enter the competitive landscape of the professional actor. Students will learn how to establish and maintain an online presence via casting platforms, websites and social media, as well as creating a filmed monologue and a scene to be used for their demo reels. They will learn how to prepare headshots and resumes, and will learn to develop websites and profiles on casting platforms, as well as becoming effective stewards on their social media presence. Students will become proficient in virtual auditions, and will explore audition techniques that are specific to digital platforms, and explore ways to market themselves and their work in a digital landscape
Credits: 3
This course offers a comprehensive immersion into the realm of theatre production. Students are offered the opportunity to engage with theatre, film and television industry professionals employed in the areas of the industry not seen onstage or on-camera (design, management, casting, producing, etc.). Students are also offered hands-on experience working backstage on departmental productions, as well as the opportunity to attend off-campus productions in New York City.
Credits: 1
This course provides students with an opportunity to gain field experience in theater, film, television and entertainment organizations. Students are guaranteed internships with The New Group, and additional internship opportunities may be made available based on individual student's area of interest.
Credits: 3

Spring 4th year

Students go into production on their final projects guided by their mentors. This project is the culmination of their studies in the BFA program and prepares them for the field of their choice in the professional realm.
Pre-req: TFT 297
Credits: 3
Students will perform scenes and monologues showcasing the skills that they have acquired during their artistic and educational career at LIU Brooklyn. Showcases are presented in a live invited setting in New York City for a panel of agents and managers, as well as in recorded form via Breakdown Services and the LIU Brooklyn Showcase Website.
Credits: 3