Name of Event: Theatre Workshop on 21st August 2026
Audience: MBA students
Number of Participants: 40-45 Students
The Theatre Workshop was a stimulating and hands-on learning experience which aimed to help students overcome their hesitation, build up their confidence and acquire the skills needed for effective communication and presentation. It did this by means of theatre-based activities, speaking exercises and role-play so that the students could see how communication involves more than just the speaking of words.
Session 1: Conquering fear and developing confidence in communication.
The opening session started off with an introduction exercise in which some of the students were asked to introduce themselves to the rest of the class. Then the students were given a variety of topics and asked to talk about them in a language they felt at ease using. Having spoken on the topics in the language they were comfortable with, they were next asked to give a speech on the same topics in English.
Students observed that even though it was easy for them to express their ideas in their own familiar language, they had more difficulty in expressing those same ideas in English. It was through this activity that the common problem encountered by many students when speaking in front of others came to light.
The facilitator then asked the students an important question: “Why are you afraid?” A typical answer given was “What will people think?” This resulted in a particular activity in which some of the students were asked to go outside the classroom while the others were asked to watch and evaluate them. As a result of this exercise, the students realized how the fear of being judged can act as a major obstacle to confident communication.
What came out of the session was that communication involves more than just linguistic ability; it is also a matter of having the confidence to put one’s thoughts and ideas across. The students were encouraged to concentrate on expressing themselves rather than continually being concerned about how others might see them.
Session 2: Voice modulation and stage presence.
The second session was concerned with voice modulation and stage presence. The students were given a briefing on various elements including pace, pitch, pauses and voice power. They discovered that effective communication depends not only on the content being communicated but also on the way in which it is delivered.
The facilitator also outlined the four sections of the stage and made it clear why they were important. The students were taught regarding stage positioning, where to enter from, where to stand or pause, and how movement on stage can affect the audience’s attention.
A rather interesting exercise was to take a completely new pencil and hold it between the teeth as one read out the sheet given in Hindi. This exercise showed how important clear pronunciation, articulation and mouth movement are for effective speech.
The session ended with a practical role-play exercise which involved two students. In this exercise, one of the students had to persuade his boss to give him leave without revealing that he was actually going on a trip. The activity required the students to use persuasion, different ways of expressing themselves, changes in their voice, and spontaneous communication in order to convince the other person.
In general, the Theatre Workshop gave students the chance to learn communication skills by means of practical and enjoyable activities instead of using traditional methods taught in the classroom. The sessions enabled students to realize the value of confidence, confronting the fear of judgement, clear expression, voice modulation, stage presence, and spontaneous thinking.
The workshop showed that effective communication is not just a matter of speaking English perfectly; it is about being confident enough to express your thoughts clearly, make contact with the audience, and communicate with a definite purpose.
