BRIGITTE THIEME-BURDETTE
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private
lessons
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NOT ACCEPTING NEW STUDENTS UNTIL JANUARY 2025. Click here to join the waitlist: https://forms.gle/m6BfzaTNBgrRbqYJ8
At the cornerstone of my philosophy is what I call "safe and sustainable acting". An artist can be mentally and physically healthy and still be incredibly effective. We need not torture ourselves for art!
In our private lessons, I aim to establish technique and process, build the actor's toolbox and harness a mindset of curiosity and empathy. Whether preparing for high school, undergrad or grad school auditions in the future, or learning how to dig into a script, I teach actors to embark on a journey of exploration and to take ownership of their art.
Lessons are highly personalized to the actor's needs based on the their goals and what I observe as we work together. There is no one size fits all training module, as we are all different people with different needs.
Current students are working on:
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Learning various processes for how to approach a new text (monologues, scripts, audition sides)
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Understanding and personalizing Shakespeare monologues
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Line learning techniques
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Freeing the body from habitual movements
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Overall body and voice cohesion and breath coordination
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Pursuing an action and putting it on "the other"
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Warm-ups to cultivate a keen sense of awareness in the body
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Articulation and tongue placement
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IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) for accents and dialects
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Understanding style
and so much more!
Contact me today to see if we're a good fit!
In-Person & Zoom Rates:
$95/hr*
$340/pack of 4 ($85/hr)
*Sliding scale available for underserved communities.
No one should be prevented from pursuing their dreams because their family cannot
afford it. We will always figure something out.
At our first lesson, we'll have a little chat and then we'll play around with a bunch of different exercises as I get to know you and see how you work. This work we do is intended to be long-term. As impatient and results-oriented as we may be, learning happens slowly. You can't rush growth.
In-person lessons take place at my studio in Great Falls, VA and at your home or a private studio in NYC.
The time I invest in each actor is not limited to the official time we have together in lessons. I go to student's performances, text with parents, am available for students to shoot me a message to troubleshoot things happening in rehearsal. Once you start taking lessons with me, I'm 100% on your team. Some more detailed examples of guidance and support outside of lessons include:
- Attending actor's shows before their Cappies or other awards performances happen, in order to encourage students and point out how they are succeeding. Some students ask for notes, which I'll provide, but only if asked for. The level of notes also depends on the actor; some like really nit-picky ones that I take during the performance, others want one or two overall notes.
- Going to actor's performances, no matter how big or small the part is. The more knowledge I have on what's going on when they get up there, the better I can be as a teacher!
- Students can send me a message after they have a school rehearsal saying, "hey this happened at rehearsal and I don't know how to fix it" or "how do I...", etc. and I give them some pointers.
- Connecting young actors with folks in my industry orbit from whom they might learn something in order to start flexing that networking muscle.
- Helping graduated students find summer opportunities, a monologue here and there and generally being available as a friend/mentor in the industry.
- Every once in a while, casting folks in the DC-area will contact me asking if I have any students who would be right for a specific role, so I'll send a parent an email :)
about me
My training spans from Columbia University (MFA Acting, 2022) and Pace University (BFA Acting, 2012), to The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ (Apprenticeship) and The Atlantic Acting School (Evening Conservatory). At these programs and at other private studios, I’ve worked hands on and in-depth with techniques that cultivate emotional, physical and vocal freedom. Techniques include Alexander Technique, Meisner, Stanislavski, Feldenkrais, Michael Chekhov, Viewpoints, Laban, Linklater, Fitzmaurice, Improv and more.
I’ve had the honor of studying with some of the most innovative and respected acting teachers of our time, including Ron Van Lieu, Scott Zigler, Peter Jay Fernandez, Sita Mani, James Calleri, Bruce Cromer, Ellen Lauren, just to name a few.
As an actor, I have worked at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Mosaic Theatre Company, Virginia Stage Company, Toms River Shakespeare Festival, The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Adirondack Shakespeare Company, Punchdrunk (creators of Sleep No More), and many others. On TV, you can catch me on Investigation Discovery’s A Crime To Remember and Nick Jr.’s Team UmiZoomi. Films include countless student and short films over the years in NYC. At Columbia, I’ve been a part of the new play development process for many full length and one act plays.
I offer Coaching Sessions, support and pre-screen recording throughout audition season for high school, undergrad and graduate school auditions. The general goal is to take the pressure off by beginning a young actor's higher education training journey. This results in actors already having the confidence to fail gloriously and be in process, which makes for dynamic and playful exploration in the room. With tons of positive reinforcement from me, actors are already in the good goo and figuring out who they are as artists when it's time to submit pre-screens and do live auditions.
I also offer Private Lessons for persons of any age and skill level who would like to learn technique, develop specifics of their physical instrument and how to think like an actor. Private Lessons are geared towards long term study and growth. They are also a great option for executives and folks who would like to cultivate a dynamic presence and improve public speaking.