Children's plays
A Monkey Who Went Out to See the Forest, Beauty Kitchen, Hybrid Happiness, Play Store and Arikunjan.
Director & Assistant Professor of Performing Arts
Dr. Syamraji S S
PhD · M.Phil · UGC NET · MA (Theatre & Malayalam)
Theatre director, actor, educator, researcher and performance trainer with decades of experience in Malayalam theatre and performing arts education. He leads the artistic vision and academic direction of The Act Cafe, and teaches the four-day workshop himself.
PhDFreedom of Expression and Authority in Malayalam Theatre — School of
Drama, Calicut University
FellowshipJunior Fellowship, Ministry of Culture, Government of India
(2015–16)
2 FilmsCasting director on Biriyani and Moonwalk
40+Institutions across Kerala where he has taught and trained
The practitioner
Acting as a lifelong process, not a performance skill
Widely respected for his contributions to theatre pedagogy, stage direction and performance research, Dr. Syamraji has dedicated his career to nurturing the next generation of actors while continuing to make work himself. As an Assistant Professor of Performing Arts he has mentored hundreds of students in acting, directing, theatre aesthetics, dramaturgy, movement and performance studies.
His academic work bridges classical theatre traditions with contemporary performance practice, pushing artists to develop technical excellence and creative individuality at the same time. As a practitioner he has directed and collaborated on stage productions, workshops and performance-based research projects across Kerala, with an emphasis on disciplined actor training, character psychology, physical theatre and socially relevant storytelling.
His philosophy is rooted in the belief that acting is not merely a performance skill but a lifelong process of observation, emotional truth, discipline and self-discovery. Under his leadership The Act Cafe is building performers equipped for theatre, cinema, digital media and the evolving landscape of visual storytelling.
Casting for cinema
Two feature films
Alongside his theatre and teaching work, Dr. Syamraji S S has worked as casting director on two Malayalam features — the reason this school treats auditioning and screen work as part of an actor's training.
Biriyani
Directed by Sajin Baabu. Winner of the NETPAC Award at the Asiatica Film Festival, Rome, and recipient of National and Kerala State Awards.
Moonwalk
Directed by Vinod AK and presented by Lijo Jose Pellissery — a story cast largely from newcomers.
Education & research
A practitioner who also studies the practice
- Graduation in Economics — Kerala University
- Postgraduate degree in Malayalam Literature
- MA in Drama — Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady
- M.Phil — MG University
- PhD — Freedom of Expression and Authority in Malayalam Theatre, School of Drama, Calicut University
- Junior Fellowship, Ministry of Culture, Government of India — Social and Mental Empowerment of Children through Theatre: A Participatory Study on Marginalised Community
- Research supervisor for postgraduate and doctoral work in theatre and performance studies
Selected work
On stage, on set, in print
Kala, Kaalam, Kalaapam
A published volume of drama criticism. He also works as a playwright in contemporary Malayalam theatre.
In the academy
Assistant Professor at St. Thomas College of Teacher Education, Pala. Formerly at the School of Drama & Fine Arts, Thrissur, and KUCTE Kulakkada.
Areas of expertise
What he teaches
Training programmes
Where he has taught across Kerala
A selection of the universities, colleges, schools and institutions that have hosted his theatre and acting workshops.
Train with him for four days
He teaches the workshop himself, from the first warm-up to the final performance.
Reserve a place