Kira Brombacher (she/her)
BFA Acting for Film, Television + Stage
Class of 2025
Email: kirabrombacher@gmail.com
IG: @kira.h.b
What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?
The connection with the New Group. You get to see a lot of shows for free through them and all of your acting studio teachers are sourced by them. They always bring in working actors as teachers and they frequently get professional actors to do workshops/talkbacks with us.
What would you change about your program? Why?
I would change the lack of communication from staff to student. This is partly because it is a relatively new program and there is no student group to talk to staff in an organized way. I know the students are working on this in the coming years so hopefully there will be change soon.
How would you describe the overall vibe of your program? Competitive? Supportive? A bit of both? Something else?!
It’s all about what you put in to it. If you are competitive, it will be competitive. If you want to grow, you are given the ability to do so. You have a lot of freedom as well as the ability to do outside work (as long as it is approved), which helps build your professional resume before you graduate.
What was the biggest surprise about your program that you didn’t anticipate as an incoming freshman?
How interconnected the years are. I have friends from seniors to my year and love it. You get to learn a lot that way from people who have been through your program. It’s how I learned what to expect and what I can do with what I am given.
What makes your program unique?
Primarily the connection with the New Group. Also the focus in film and television acting as well as stage. You get to take film classes alongside your traditional BFA classes and it helps you understand all aspects that are put into creating films/television.
We also have acting for film classes starting in sophomore year taught to make the actor more comfortable and able to work easily with the camera. In freshman year we take a film class about editing your own films and how to use final cut pro which is also really useful and cool.
Real talk: How do the audition & casting processes function at your program?
Auditions are pretty casual. They will send out a notice of audition and send the materials (if needed). Everyone - regardless of year - can audition for main stage plus student directed projects. Seniors will also have capstone performances, which you can audition for and take part in. (I was part of two capstone and two mainstages)
There are typically two mainstages, one per each semester, but sometimes there are more mainstages (like last year where we had four). We probably will keep doing more mainstages to allow more opportunity to perform.
They are also adding more off-broadway theatres as our performance spaces this coming year, as well as doing a show with a bunch of scenes to showcase every student.
What’s it like outside of performance classes? Is it possible to participate in extracurriculars? Greek life? Double majors? Minors?
Extracurriculars are always happening on campus - though the campus is quite small, so it’s a bit different from what you would expect from a full college campus with acres of land. Greek life is also on campus, but most are newer chapters and there aren’t very many options. There are honor societies and honors college activities as well. Double majors are possible (but tricky) with the program and usually result in paying extra tuition for the extra credits you take each semester. Minors, same story with a bit more leniency, but I haven’t really heard of anyone getting an official minor. Many take classes with Rocnation (the music school sponsored by Jay Z) and voice lessons.
Does your school help you pursue professional working opportunities during the year, over the summer, and/or post-graduation? How so?
Yes, or more so they will allow professional work once they have reviewed the job. They want to make sure you aren’t being used or scammed as a young actor which is assuring. You have to submit a job proposal to the director of the program, and they’ll most likely approve it. They also encourage working summer stock or finding jobs in NYC over breaks/summers. Many kids live in NYC year-round in the program which makes that a bit easier for them.
They also have a showcase senior year where they bring in agents and have a professional director on board.
I would say at least 25% of students graduate with professional, outside of campus experience on their resumes. For mainstages, the program works with professional directors, so many shows count towards professional shows as well..
Are there any opportunities and/or resources that you feel are lacking in your program?
I wouldn’t say lacking necessarily, but more like if you need it you are going to have to take initiative to find what you need and ask people for the resources/opportunities. Many of the teachers have some opportunities for students, but many times you have to find the opportunity and then ask for support - which they will give you.
What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?
Pretty intimate, except when it comes to complaints about the program. Many people have a hard time feeling like they are getting their thoughts across in a manner that shows importance, but as I said before the current students are going to try and fix this issue in the next year or two.
Faculty loves talking about your individual process, and they have meetings to talk about each student individually and discuss your process.
What types of structures are in place for students to receive feedback inside and outside of the classroom? How about for students to give feedback?
It's mostly individual student to faculty member/teacher. It’s pretty disorganized right now (partly because they haven’t had the need for such organization until this coming year) but again, the students are working on it. It gets pretty frustrating at times, but it doesn’t hinder the rest of the program.
What steps has your school taken/is your school currently taking to promote greater representation for minority communities and to ensure greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the educational environment?
With having such a small program, there has been some discussion but not a lot. As I am not a POC student of the program I’m not sure if I’m the best spokesperson on this topic, but the New Group brings in diverse, POC teachers all the time and many speak about their experiences in class. As for how POC students feel, I’m not really at a position to confidently say the program is lacking or providing for them adequately. We have a lot of queer individuals in our program as well, faculty included, and to my belief people have felt comfortable to be themselves in the program. No judgements are made based on your race, gender, or sexual orientation I believe. Again, others who are POC and queer may have a different view of this, but this is what I have observed.
What types of resources does your school encourage/make available for students in regards to mental, physical, and emotional health?
We have free counseling offered at our school and you can pay for insurance through the school that allows you to go to Brooklyn Hospital (which is right behind the campus) for your medical needs. There is also a gym on campus free to use for students, although there are times it is only for athletes, and the pool will be eventually back open to all students as covid slows down (hopefully).
What were you most worried about as an incoming freshman that you TOTALLY didn’t need to be worried about?
Knowing the subway system. After a couple of times using different lines, you will understand it enough to be able to navigate with confidence.
I’d also say don’t be afraid to make friends outside your major. I encourage it as BFA programs can feel like a bubble at times so having friends that aren’t in your program, or even at your school, will help ground you.
How did you know that this was the right place for you?
It was a BFA with Film acting included in the major. I always knew I wanted to do film primarily and so that really caught my attention.
Location. I wanted to go to school in NYC for all the opportunities the city offers to young actors by itself. The school has really easy access to Manhattan which I also really enjoyed.
This wasn’t a major contributor, but it was also the school that offered me the most money in scholarships. School in NYC is expensive, and I didn’t want to graduate with a lot of debt going into being a broke actor.
The New Group. Having a connection to a professional theatre company in college is invaluable to building your connections as an actor. Because they bring in professional actors as your teachers, guess what: they become connections!