Program Overview

This B.F.A. program is designed for students interested in rigorous conservatory studio training in acting on stage in theatre, and on-camera in film and television. The comprehensive sequence of study has a practical, professional application, preparing students for the modern acting industry. Classes in stage acting, voice & speech and movement are offered in partnership with The New Group, a renowned theatre company in New York City. At The New Group, students will study with accomplished professionals and seasoned actors.

An Immersive New Program Designed for the Next Generation of Great Actors

Studio Partnership

The program offers acting, voice & speech and movement classes in partnership with The New Group, a renowned theater company in New York City. Students take acting, speech and movement classes from company faculty of accomplished professionals and seasoned actors. By studying under the studio model at a professional theater company, our students immerse themselves in the art of acting, network with industry experts, attend performances, and participate in master classes and talkbacks with actors performing in The New Group’s works.

The New Group, led by founding Artistic Director Scott Elliott and Executive Director Adam Bernstein, is an award-winning, artist-driven company committed to

Artists who have performed and/or worked with The New Group in recent years include F. Murray Abraham, Matthew Broderick, Jesse Eisenberg, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Sutton Foster, Ethan Hawke, Holly Hunter, Cynthia Nixon, Amy Madigan, Megan Mullally, Kunal Nayaar, Rhea Perlman, Bill Pullman, Chloë Sevigny, Wallace Shawn and Dianne Wiest, to name a few.

Learn more at TheNewGroup.org.

The Actor as a Creative Entrepreneur

In addition to robust acting training, our students are prepared to be creators and producers of new work. The program covers the important facets of on-stage and behind-the-scenes theatre, as well as on-camera performance and production. In their final year, students work with a mentor to create capstone projects in their chosen fields of theatre, film, television, or any combination thereof. This project is the culmination of the BFA program and prepares students for the field of their choice in the professional realm.

Preparing the Working Actor

Starting in the first semester, students learn how to navigate the business side of the performance industry and market themselves as actors. They will learn how to prepare headshots, resumes, reels, and develop their own personal website & online presence through social media. The four-year course of study ends with a showcase where students perform monologues and scenes in front of a panel of invited industry agents, managers, and casting directors.

In the Heart of Brooklyn

Surrounding the LIU Brooklyn campus is a flourishing and continuously expanding arts and cultural community, including:

The program is designed to connect students with the growing downtown Brooklyn arts, film, and theatre scene, and with Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, regional theatre companies as well as the Manhattan film, video, and webcast industries.

Photo Credits: Monique Carboni, Jody Christopherson, Dan Henry, Jordan Matter