The BGB Studio

The BGB Studio, from Bramon Garcia and Braun, approaches actor training from the casting side of the table: co-founder Risa Bramon Garcia spent more than 35 years as a casting director before building the studio with actor and coach Steve Braun in 2012. The focus is on-camera work and auditions treated as acting, not as a separate performance of confidence.

Ongoing classes meet four times a month at a flat published $295, with a recommended three-month minimum. The flagship is Garcia's Wednesday night class, The Work, which mixes scene work, Meisner-derived exercises, improv, and original creation. Around it sit six-to-eight-week courses, one-day masterclasses, a Writing for Actors class, pop-up masterclasses in New York and Vancouver, online classes over Zoom, and private audition coaching at published rates ($225 for an hour).

There are no audits and no refunds; instead, prospective students attend a free one-hour, in-person info session called The BGB Sit-Down. Entry to classes is by application with a headshot, resume, and reel, personally reviewed by Garcia and Braun, who reply within a few business days with a placement recommendation. There is no formal level ladder; placement is individual and some ongoing rooms are invitation only. The studio also produces The Acting Podcast.

Techniques taught

• Eclectic / multi-technique: Schools that draw on several lineages and fit the tools to the actor, not the reverse.
• Meisner: Listening, repetition, and truthful response under imaginary circumstances, in the lineage of Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse teaching.

Class types

improv

Enrollment and schedule

No audition is required. Application form per class (background, goals, schedule, headshot/resume, reel or self-tape); Risa and Steve review every submission and recommend placement within 2-3 business days. Schedule: Ongoing weekly classes meet 4x/month (e.g., The Work with Risa: Wednesdays 6:30-10pm PT); 6-8 week courses, 1-day masterclasses, and weekend intensives run in cycles; free BGB Sit-Down info talks held at the studio (one listed Sept 19, 2:30pm). Duration: Ongoing classes are open-ended monthly (3-month minimum commitment recommended); finite courses run 4-8 weeks; 1-day and weekend masterclass formats also offered.

Audit, trial, or intro class

No. No audits (explicit no-audit/no-refund/no-transfer policy); free 1-hour 'BGB Sit-Down' in-person intro talk offered instead

Published pricing

Prices are the school's own published rates on the dates shown. We never estimate prices. Always confirm before enrolling.

Instructors

• Risa Bramon Garcia, Co-founder, teacher. Veteran casting director (35+ years), director of 200 Cigarettes; teaches The Work, Writing For Actors, audition masterclasses
• Steve Braun, Co-founder, teacher. Acting coach and communications consultant; co-reviews all class applications
• Sydney Walsh, Master teacher. Teaches The Process, On-Camera Workout, On-Camera Scene Study Lab, Audition Reboot 2.0
• Cate Cohen, Master teacher. Co-hosts the BGB Sit-Down intro talks
• David DeSantos, Master teacher
• Kelly Wolf, Master teacher
• Phillip Rhys Chaudhary, Master teacher
• Alexandra Wright, Master teacher
• Dominic Burgess, Master teacher
• L. Trey Wilson, Master teacher

Location

Questions actors ask

Sources and verification

• The BGB Studio (homepage), accessed 2026-07-16
• How Our Classes Work, accessed 2026-07-16
• The Work with Risa (In Person), accessed 2026-07-16
• Audition Coaching, accessed 2026-07-16
• BGB Teachers, accessed 2026-07-16
• Classes, accessed 2026-07-16
• The BGB Studio - Yelp (corroboration only), accessed 2026-07-16

Researched 2026-07-16, last verified 2026-07-16. Facts above come only from these sources. Anything we could not confirm is simply not shown. Report incorrect information or claim this listing if you represent the school.

Guides for choosing a school

• Acting for beginners: how to start
• How to choose an acting school in LA
• Types of acting classes, explained
• What acting classes cost in LA

Career resources for LA actors

Practical next-step guides from the LA Actor Guide.

• Actor headshots: the complete LA guide
• How auditions and casting work in LA
• How to find and sign with a talent agent

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