Workshops - Discover new things
Are you an aspiring actor who would like to learn new drama techniques? Or a dancer keen to get your feet tapping to a new dance form?
You're not alone!
Our goal is to help you discover the artist in you. Sometimes all it takes is a friendly supportive environment to get started.
Upcoming Workshops
Pratidhwani Presents
ACTING AND AUDITION WORKSHOP
with
Agastya Kohli
OCTOBER 14, 15, 16.
6:30PM - 9:30PM
$30/person
This is a 3-day workshop. Attendance is required all three evenings, and the $30 fee covers the full workshop.
4515 16th Ave NE,
Seattle, WA 98105
Pratidhwani is producing House of Joy by Madhuri Shekar as a co-production with Seattle Public Theatre in May 2025. Co-Directed by Moumita Bhattacharya and Agastya Kohli.
Auditions for this production have not yet been announced, but we're using this play as an opportunity to help prospective actors get better at how to audition. The workshop will be led by Agastya himself, giving you the best insight into what his selection process and criteria are, how you can best prepare, and what he likes to see when actors audition for him.
In this mini acting workshop, you will learn:
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How to analyze text in a scene or an audition 'side' (script used for auditions)
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What are objectives, obstacles, and tactics
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What does it mean to make a choice as an actor
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How to make strong or bold choices
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How to play the objective, not the obstacle or an emotion
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And finally, what to expect when you go to an audition
If you think you might be interested in auditioning for House of Joy, we STRONGLY encourage you to sign up for this workshop. However you may register for this workshop even if you are not interested in HoJ.
Feel free to email us at info@pratidhwani.org if you have any questions about this workshop, the upcoming production, or any other aspect of Pratidhwani.
Past Workshops
Pratidhwani and ChaiiComedy Present
Improv like a Wow! Fundamentals of Improv Theatre and Comedy
Sunday, July 14th, 2024
2:00PM - 5:00PM
Cedar Crest Academy
17720 NE 65th St.,
Redmond, WA 98052
No Script, no jokes, just a whole lot of play!
Learn the fundamentals of improvisation led by Seattle’s very own Desi Improvisor Siddhant Sharma. Discover how to actively listen and collaborate to improvise scenes, characters and stories on stage using the environment around (including the audience) and your own authentic selves!
In this workshop you will learn how to:
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Yes And! – Play off each other’s ideas to spark creativity
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Active Listening – Organically expand and extend scenes by just listening to each other.
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Games – Play a few highly entertaining improv games that also sharpen our improv fundamentals.
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Have a blast!
No prior experience in improv is needed for this workshop, just bring yourself! We intend this to be the first in a series of Improv workshops that help us establish a diverse South Asian community of Improvisors in Seattle. As we grow this community and enjoy playing with each other, our goal is to create one (or more) improv troupe’s to perform shows.
Questions? Reach us at info@pratidhwani.org.
Siddhant (Sid) Sharma is an ensemble member at Unexpected Productions – Seattle’s older improv theatre company. He is also a founding member of Seattle’s quintessential desi improv trio – Let’s Chaat! Siddhant has been improvising all around the Puget Sound area since 2016, having done long form improv shows with Jet City Improv (Yes Anderson, Monster Hunters) and Unexpected Productions (Campfire, Mixtape, NewsFeed etc.) and short form show – TheatreSports at Pike Place Market. He has also performed in Indie groups like Fancy Cafeteria (Musical Improv), Let’s Chaat! (Desi Improv) & Yesterday’s Cake (Long-form). Siddhant moved to the US in 2009. After a few amazing years in the Midwest, he moved to Seattle in 2016 and found improv. He believes that the best improv comes when we express our authentic identities on stage – and for him that involves an amalgam of the immigrant identity, comedy and music!
Contemporary Western Acting for Indian Classical Dancers
Part in person, part on-line, this 4 week long workshop guided participants through the fundamentals of western contemporary acting style. Geared primarily towards dancers who already know what it is like to perform, this workshop added a new aesthetic, a new dimension to their story-telling abilities.
Intro to Improv
This workshop will explore improv from the ground up. From basic exercises, to touching on more complex concepts. The truth is improv gets easier with time and direction. And the goal is to create an environment that will provide the participants with confidence to improvise moving forward. No previous experience with Improv is required to attend this workshop.
Jan 21, 2023, 2pm to 6pm.
Giggles and Grins,
17720 NE 65th St,
Redmond, WA 98052
Covid protocol: All participants (and instructor(s)) are encouraged to wear face-coverings except for when on 'stage' performing or actively instructing. The space where the workshop is being held is a large and well ventilated, with sufficient room for distancing.
The workshop will be led by Peter Hargarten. Peter is an acting professional born in the Midwest and forged in New York City. He’s an SAFD Advanced Actor Combatant with a BFA in Acting from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. He was a cast member and captain of the hit comedy show “Batsu! New York” for over 7 years, and choreographed fights for numerous Shakespeare productions.
Improv Workshop
by Improv Comedy Mumbai
Improv Comedy Mumbai (ICM) was started by Seattle native Adam Dow in 2009.The group performs scenes and games along the lines of the American TV show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’.
Under the direction of Adam, ICM has been able to grow and fill the need of Improvisational Theatre in India by creating a group of professionally trained improvisers and performers who provide quality entertainment.
We did improv workshops with them in Seattle in 2015 and 2017.
Dance Master Class
by Mallika Sarabhai
Mallika Sarabhai needs no introduction. She has been using theatre, dance and sound together to break barriers of the strictly classical, moving towards more a personalized expression in dance and theater.
In this class she ran exercises to make participants understand the body, Abhinaya, and Laya beyond the usually taught.
Pappu can Bhangra too!
By Gurvinder Pal Singh
Our very own Guru conducted a Bhangra workshop. Targeted for people know a bit of bhangra, or have two left feet, this workshop was designed to have everyone ready to hit the dance floor. It was a safe and fun environment to learn - with all the friends from Pratidhwani!!
Audition Toolkit with Aneesh Sheth
Over the years we have worked with many actors who now have experience in theatre, but don't necessarily have the vocabulary used in the professional theatre world. This keeps them from showing what they know and what they can do.
The inspiration behind this 6 week class was to bridge that gap and enable budding actors to demonstrate their abilities in a more impressive manner.
What's Under the Hood? The Dramatic Tools that Make a Good Play
Elizabeth Heffron
What makes for a well constructed play? This workshop focused on writing stories or plays, understanding the arcs and plot points that push the story forward. It also helped actors benefit from the study of text, understanding the "old world" of your character, the "new world" of your character, and the journey your character will embark on.
Elizabeth Heffron currently teaches at Cornish College of the Arts, ACT Young Playwrights Program, and at Freehold Theatre/Lab, where she spent 5 years working with the women of the Washington Correctional Center for Women on inmate-generated performance pieces. She is an alumna of the Seattle Rep Writers Group, a member of the Sandbox Artists Collective, and the Dramatists Guild.Bio coming soon.
Auditioning for Camera - Headshots, Resumes and Preparing Sides
By David Hogan
David S. Hogan from Mighty Tripod Productions conducted a workshop on auditioning and performing in front of the camera. The session briefly covered headshots and resumes, and focused on the actual craft of auditioning.
David is an actor, teacher, producer, and director. His work has been seen on many Seattle stages, including Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, The Seattle Opera, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and more. He also works steadily in front of the camera. David has been working as an acting coach and professional consultant since 2010. He has studied with John Jacobsen (direct line to Uta Hagen), Tom Todoroff (direct line to Stella Adler), Jessica Marlowe Goldstein (direct line to Leonid Anisimov), Nike Imoru, Steven Anderson, and David Strasberg to name a few.
