Beyond the Mask | livingwithease

Beyond the Mask

A Theatre Workshop on Personality, Expression & Human Connection

Devendranath Sankaranarayanan

InsideOut Performance Collective

Where expression becomes confidence

and connection becomes understanding

15 Hours Theatre Workshop For 10–15 Year-olds

Batch 1 : 18 May to 22 May 2026, 9 am - 12 noon

Batch 2 : 25 May to 29 May 2026, 9 am - 12 noon

Fee: Rs 9000/-

Early Registration Fee:

Rs Rs 7500/- for registrations before 12 May 2026

Limited seats available.

Venue:

Kaleidoscope, Uma Nagar, Begumpet Hyderabad.

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

This workshop is designed as a transformative journey into personality development through theatre, set within a hyper-digital world where young minds are shaped by screens, scrolling, and constant comparison—often feeling more “connected” than ever, yet unseen and unheard. Using creative drama, theatre games, improvisation, and psycho-physical techniques, participants will explore themselves, others, and the world around them in deeper and more meaningful ways. Going beyond performance, the workshop focuses on fine-tuning personality, enabling participants to confidently navigate different people, situations, and social contexts.

Through an engaging and experiential process, participants will develop:

Self-awareness
Confidence
Communication skills
Emotional intelligence

The approach is interactive, reflective, and collaborative, making the learning process:

Meditative
Cathartic
Transformative

Theatre, as an ensemble art, allows participants to work together, understand group dynamics, and build meaningful human connections.

CORE FOCUS

Fine-Tuning Personality Through Theatre

Participants will learn to:

• Respond to different personalities and behaviours

• Adapt to varied social situations

• Express themselves with clarity and confidence

• Develop a deeper understanding of self and others

The workshop also explores how people often operate behind “masks”, and how theatre helps us look beyond these layers to connect authentically.

AIMS

• To use theatre as a tool for personality development and self-discovery

• To build confidence, clarity, and communication skills

• To nurture empathy, awareness, and collaboration

• To help participants understand human behaviour and relationships

OBJECTIVES

Participants will:

• Engage in theatre games and improvisational exercises

• Develop body, voice, and imagination as expressive tools

• Improve focus, observation, and listening skills

• Learn to respond creatively in different situations

• Build the ability to connect and collaborate with others

• Understand themselves beyond surface-level identity

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE (15 HOURS / 5 DAYS)

Day 1: Self & Group Awareness

• Ice-breaking and trust-building exercises

• Introduction to ensemble work

• Body awareness and space exploration

• Actor–Audience–Character relationship

• I (Self-expression)

• You (Collaboration)

• S/He/ Them (Representation)

Day 2: Body, Voice & Presence

• Movement practices inspired by yoga and Kalaripayattu

• Voice and breath work

• Introduction to psycho-physical acting

• Awareness of action, intention, and response

Day 3: Improvisation & Adaptability

• Guided improvisations

• Prompt-based creative responses

• Understanding action and its psychology

• Exercises on adaptation and spontaneity

Day 4: Character & Emotional Understanding

• Building a character from body and imagination

• Exploring emotions and inner motivation

• Physical expression and characterisation

• Understanding perspectives and behaviour

Day 5: Integration & Presentation

• Group performance creation

• Working on expression, emotion, and clarity

• Ensemble presentation

• Reflection and sharing

Facilitator

Devendranath Sankaranarayanan is an internationally recognised performance researcher, cultural practitioner, theatre educator, and pedagogy innovator with over 25 years of experience across theatre, cinema, education, and institutional programme design.

An Erasmus Mundus scholar in International Performance Research (University of Warwick, University of Amsterdam, and University of Helsinki/Tampere), he brings a strong global perspective to performance and cultural development.

He is the Founder and Director of InsideOut Performance Collective. Currently associated as Course Director for Basic Acting for Children under the Skilling India in Film and Television Institute of India, he has also served as a key resource person and programme designer for Government of Kerala initiatives, including teacher training, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and community-based education projects. He is also a visiting faculty at various arts and academic institutions across the country.

His work bridges performance, pedagogy, and cultural policy, with a focus on institutional development and innovation.