BRIGITTE THIEME-BURDETTE
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TESTIMONIALS
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"She has an amazing ability to push you just enough outside your comfort zone so you can surprise yourself with what you’re capable of."
"Working with Brigitte has been a truly fulfilling and transformative experience for me. From the very beginning, she created a space where I felt completely supported—not just as an actor, but as a person. She encouraged me to explore the full range of my emotions, to feel everything in my whole body, and to connect deeply with the work I was doing. We tried countless monologues until we landed on the one that felt just right, and that process taught me so much about trust, patience, and intuition.
Yes, we did some weird stuff—rolling on the floor, flailing in strange directions, things that just felt totally out of the box—but it always felt safe and meaningful. I knew there was a purpose behind every exercise, and I trusted Brigitte completely. She has an amazing ability to push you just enough outside your comfort zone so you can surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.
Brigitte is a master at reading people and helping them find material that resonates. She never settled for “good enough”—she kept digging with me until we found something that clicked on a deep level. And when a monologue needed redirection, she guided me toward a new interpretation that often turned out even stronger than the original. Her insights brought an authenticity to my performances that I hadn’t accessed before.
Beyond the acting work, we also talked about my future and what I wanted from college and my career. Those conversations helped me narrow down my college search and visualize what I really wanted. We manifested and worked hard toward those goals, and Brigitte stood by me every step of the way.
More than just a coach, Brigitte became a real friend—someone I could laugh with, be vulnerable with, and trust wholeheartedly. We were besties by the end of it. I always left our sessions feeling more confident, more grounded, and more in love with the craft."
Natalie Benoist
Matriculated, NYU - BFA Acting 2029
Accepted - BFA Acting: CalArts, Slippery Rock
Callback Weekends: USC
*worked only on Zoom!
"No one does it like Brigitte, and everyone who works with her will testify that to the grave. She boosted my confidence not through affirmation, but through challenge and work."
"Brigitte unlocked a sense of play and discovery within my acting, allowing for pure malleability and discovery within any scene. Her personalized approach to teaching ensures that you will get the most deep-sitting, and thought provoking advice that allows for real growth in one’s acting. There was not a time leaving a Brigitte lesson where I personally did not feel confident in progress made. No one does it like Brigitte, and everyone who works with her will testify that to the grave. She boosted my confidence not through affirmation, but through challenge and work. Brigitte also provides real professional opportunities for her students, proving of her care and generosity throughout one of the most stressful processes of a young actor's career. Her willingness to trust the people she is teaching with real work, shows the confidence she not only has within her students, but within her teaching. That is invaluable. The most prevalent saying for any successful actor in Loudoun County (and beyond) is “I couldn’t have done it without Brigitte.” and every one of them is damn right."
Owen Cook
Matriculated, Pace University - BFA Acting 2029
Accepted - BFA Acting: SUNY Purchase,
U of Minnesota/Guthrie Actor Training Program, Pace University FTVC,
James Madison University, VCU
"Her success is your student's success, and she takes that responsibility seriously."
"The college audition process is not for the faint of heart, and can easily become an overwhelming list of tasks to accomplish in a very, very busy time of life, but Brigitte not only helps the process become doable, but an exciting, enjoyable, and even treasured experience. Throughout our time together Brigitte became not only my daughter’s greatest cheerleader, even attending her high school performances, but also my personal peace of mind. She walked every single step of this process with us - from choosing colleges that appealed my daughter, to choosing monologues, dance selections, and songs for prescreens that suited her strengths. From there she spent as much time as we needed preparing and refining acting choices, filming prescreens, last minute zoom audition rehearsals, sent letters of recommendation, and more. Brigitte even called in resources from her personal network to help with a variety of situations as we prepared prescreens that enhanced the overall end result. Her success is your student's success, and she takes that responsibility seriously. Brigitte happily, and calmly, does it all, and encouraging not only the student, but parent along the way, always reassuring both that it will all work out the way it's supposed to work out.
Simply put, Brigitte is the greatest gift a parent could receive as you go through the musical theater or acting college audition process. You will not regret your experience with Brigitte, and even better, both student and parent will leave this experience with a wonderful, new friend."
Penny Jones
Hadley's Mom
Matriculated, BYU - Pre-MDT 2029
Accepted - BFA Musical Theatre: Ithaca College, Marymount Manhattan, University of Utah
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"I just became best friends with her the second we met. It was because I felt so comfortable around her and she helped me improve my acting in so many different ways"
Lauren Ignazzitto
Matriculated, NYU New Studio on Broadway - BFA Musical Theatre 2028
Accepted - BFA Musical Theatre: Marymount Manhattan, Point Park,
University of Chicago - Roosevelt
"Brigitte has been SO important, if not THE most important, influence in helping Lauren get back to a place of confidence in herself and her abilities and talents. Her support and work with Lauren has been the most valuable, significant, important, influential, inspiring experience than any other professional Lauren has ever had the privilege to have worked with and mentored by. I am forever grateful."
Angie Ignazzitto
Lauren's Mom
"Brigitte understood me and connected with me on a personal level"
"I began working with Brigitte during my junior year of high school. I carried anxieties and insecurities in my daily life and in my acting. Brigitte understood me and connected with me on a personal level, she was willing to meet outside of lessons to continue to develop my techniques despite her busy schedule. She was always there when the audition went well or badly. I am very happy to say I overcame many of my struggles due to Brigitte’s expertise and I will continue to use Brigitte as a friend and mentor while I earn my degree in acting at Pace University. A school that I was accepted into because of Brigitte’s true faith in me."
Bridget McNally
Matriculated, Pace University - BA IPE 2028
Accepted - BFA Acting: Catholic University, The Hartt School, Ball State,
Marymount Manhattan
Accepted - BFA MT: Catholic University, LIU Post, James Madison University,
Stephens College, Bowling Green State, UC Boulder
"I wish we had found Brigitte earlier than my daughter’s Junior HS year. Brigitte not only strengthened by daughter’s acting skills by incorporating her unique traits into her monologues, but she also taught my daughter how to find joy in her acting, once again. Yes, Brigitte was a coach, but she also became a confidant, friend, mentor, and cheerleader who was always there for my daughter."
Barbara McNally
Bridget's Mom
"I left every lesson feeling that I had not only improved as an actor, but also feeling confident and excited"
"Working with Brigitte was rewarding, challenging and fun. I learned so much about myself, acting and the industry through her. Specifically, I learned bad habits that I had as an actor and how to address and break those habits. I was terrified and completely lost when I started my lessons with Brigitte. I dreamed of going to school for acting but I had no idea where to start with the process. Brigitte’s lessons were extremely personal and I left every one feeling that I had not only improved as an actor, but also feeling confident and excited about where I was in my college audition journey.
Brigitte helped me research schools, pick out audition material, workshop monologues, film pre-screens and prepare for auditions. The pre-screen taping experience was my favorite part of our lessons. The process was fun and easy and made me realize the importance of all the preparation work we had done. I’m so grateful to Brigitte because she is so much more than just an acting coach to her students. She was a friend I could turn to anytime I was confused about anything during the college audition process (which was often). One of the most rewarding moments during the audition process was when I was at a callback for a school and they asked me to redo my monologue in a different way. It was a way that I had practiced many times with Brigitte and I felt extremely confident with my adjustments because of that. Brigitte’s lessons took me exactly where I wanted to go and I’m forever grateful to her for that. I’m also thrilled to be going to Syracuse this fall to get a BFA in Acting!"
Grace Paskey
Matriculated, Syracuse University BFA Acting 2027
Accepted - BFA Acting: Penn State, Emerson College,
James Madison University, Virginia Commonwealth University
Callback Weekends: Boston University, Syracuse University
"She catered to my needs as an actor through careful observation of my work"
"The college audition process is one of the scariest things to go through as an aspiring actor. For many, it’s their first foray into professional auditions, and it holds the keys for their future career. I myself had unfortunately procrastinated finding and learning any monologues until the month before most of my prescreens were due. I was not in a great place to be prepared for my college auditions, but luckily through a local theater facebook group my mom had found the contact of an acting coach in our area; Brigitte.
Brigitte and I began our lessons a few weeks out from November 1st, the priority deadline for applications. From our first meeting she catered to my needs as an actor through careful observation of my work, found monologues that fit me and coached me through my those monologues accordingly. Because of her professionalism and how productive our lessons were, in just a few short weeks we were ready to get my prescreens done. Utilizing Brigitte’s professional camera set-up, all my videos had crystal clear picture and audio, and being able to be coached live during filming made the process a breeze.
I continued meeting with Brigitte throughout winter to prepare me for countless more college auditions, without her I would’ve been a lost puppy and at least 100 times more stressed out than I already was. By the end of the audition process, I had gotten into all but a couple of the schools I had applied for. I even got accepted into my dream school, the University of Southern California! I don’t know where I would’ve been accepted without Brigitte, but I know that it is because of her I was able to crush my auditions and conquer my dreams."
Aaron Eichenlaub
Matriculated, University of Southern California, BFA Acting 2027
Accepted - BFA Acting: Pace University FTVC, Emerson College,
UCLA, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University,
James Madison University
"One of the improvements I saw in my own work ... is truly embracing what I had to say."
"The first time I received support from Brigitte was when I attempted my first round of MFA Auditions. At that time, she had a blog documenting her journey, and it was extremely helpful. So much so that when I began my second attempt at MFA auditions, I sought out her blog again and discovered that she was now doing coaching. I decided to have a consultation call with her and was excited to find that not only was she willing to help me through the audition process but that she held a passion for the craft and the school she attended in such an infectious way. She helped me every step of the way from picking the material to potential interview questions. When it came to constructing my actual audition, she was able to provide an outside eye and let me know when/if the message of my material was getting across. One of the improvements I saw in my own work throughout this time is truly embracing what I had to say. I can be a very reserved person at times, but this does not serve me well in auditions, so she helped me to break out of that box. If you were to work with Brigitte, I would say be prepared to step out of your comfort zone and develop more confidence in your abilities. I am happy to say that after working with Brigitte I was accepted into a top MFA Program that I believe will fit my personality and career goals perfectly."
Scenarious Thurmond
Matriculated, Columbia University MFA Acting 2025
Callback Weekends: Columbia, USC
*worked only on Zoom!
"His confidence grew"
"My son has been working with Brigitte for close to 3 years and having regular lessons with her changed his craft significantly! His confidence grew and Brigitte helped open him up to new genres, characters, methods and helped him see acting as a viable life path. We could not have done the college application and audition process without her and we are so grateful for the time and care Brigitte put into his coaching sessions!"
Wendy Rufo
Brady's Mom
Matriculated, WVU BFA Acting 2027
Accepted: Arizona State, VCU
"She pushes me when I need to be pushed, but in a kind and supportive way."
"Brigitte has been a great working coach, she has helped me grow and think of things in a more in depth way. She helps me make choices I might not have thought of, pushes me when I need to be pushed but in a kind and supportive way. Working on zoom is pretty effortless and we always get a great result. Recently she helped me book a co-star on Blue Bloods, a short film and has helped me get pinned for several projects. Love working with Brigitte!"
Ruth Solorzano
Girls5eva, Blue Bloods, The Blacklist
"I found a level of comfort and confidence I never thought I could feel in front of the camera."
"Working with Brigitte was a game-changer for me. I contacted her to help me prepare for my first film role. I had performed in theater for many years, but was very nervous about making the transition to film...and, I was playing the lead role in the film, so there was absolutely no margin for error! I was so nervous about being on-screen, but within a few weeks of working with Brigitte, I began to feel more confident and more at ease. When I began filming, I performed without any fear and felt totally comfortable in my skin the entire time.... Everything felt genuine and grounded in truth. Nothing felt forced and I never felt insecure. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be, doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing....I found a level of comfort and confidence I never thought I could feel in front of the camera. Performing in my first film was a beautiful experience, and I whole-heartedly believe Brigitte was a major reason for that. She helped me find my best acting, and she made it feel almost effortless. Brigitte is the first person I'll turn to when I need help preparing for a role...it was an incredible experience!"
Fianna Litvok
Actor, Writer, Producer
*worked only on Zoom!
