BUILDING A CHARACTER
Saturday, November 7, 2025 – 10am – 4pm
(Lunch break 1 PM – 2 PM)
Whether preparing for an audition or performing in a play, the key to acting is creating a character—diving into who this person is, what they want, what they value, and how they live.
As a director and teacher, Sydnie has developed a character worksheet that she uses whenever she works. During rehearsal, she meets with actors individually to discuss and develop the character they’ll portray for the run of the show.
To prepare for this workshop, all participants will receive a Character Worksheet and four scripts. Before the workshop, you will select a character from one of the plays and come prepared to share the character history you are creating.
During the morning, each actor will share their worksheet/character history with the group. An interview format will be used, and all actors can participate by asking each other’s characters questions.
After the lunch break, we will work on scenes from the plays. You will see how to use this character work to color moments based on the past you have created – it will also help heighten the stakes. We will also use improv to build shared work.
Sydnie Grosberg Ronga is the Co-Artistic Director of Round the Bend Theatre in Hudson Valley, which specializes in new plays and readings featuring local actors.
Her local credits include Perfect Arrangement (County Players); Fun Home, Our Suburb, March Mysteries (Radio Plays); Lifespan of a Fact (Rosendale Theatre); Grease, Bye Bye Birdie, Max & Louie (Phoenicia Playhouse).
Other productions include Tiny Beautiful Things; Souvenir; It Had to Be You; Lady with All the Answers; The Violet Hour; and Chancers (U.S. premiere). She directed NYC premieres of World of Sinatra and Exquisite Potential (Project Rushmore Theatre Company).
Formerly, Sydnie was Associate Artistic Director of The Phoenix Theatre Company and has directed at NYC venues such as Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Women’s Project, and Manhattan Class Company. She graduated from Webster University.
Lunch will be provided.
Workshop fee: $25 per attendee (16+ years to attend)
Registration deadline – Sunday, November 1 (to receive scripts and character worksheet)
Attendance is limited to 15.
All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.
