Meet Pragathi Yadhati, Actress

Born in Anantapur, India, Pragathi Yadhati is a film and theater actress who lives in New York. In addition to acting, Pragathi writes plays and poems, and she also does modelling work. Learn more about her by visiting her IMBD profile.

1. How does it feel to be an Indian actress in New York City?

It feels great. In this era of globalization, the world is coming together sharing all the different cultures that exist in it. I'm glad that I have the opportunity to portray my own and contribute to creating this awareness of multicultural impact globalization has. New York audiences loved my performances in off-Broadway shows like Bollywood Wedding, Baggage Claim, and others, and my stand up comedy which introduced our culture to them. We all know that a high percentage of Indians are into IT as engineers, and many of them work here in the United States. But there are hardly any Indian actors who represent this population or capture the essence of their lifestyles. I'm working in cross cultural movies that are mainly targeted to present this to the American audience and at the same time provide a platform for those Indians to connect their lives with the global culture.

2. What was it like for you to attend the well-known Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute?

It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot in the two years that I spent there. Apart from acting on stage and in front of camera, I've learned the importance of punctuality and discipline. I learned how to keep my body, mind, and soul in tune so as to perfect the craft that I perform.

3. Would you tell us about some of the awards you've won so far for your acting work? What are some of your achievements so far?

As I'm working my way to doing big things, one of my short films got nominated for the Best Film at Queens World Film Festival (2011), and the other one just got accepted at the prestigious Heritage Film Festival. One of my Indian short films won the Best Short Film award at the Kalaignar Television channel awards show called "Naalaiya Iyakkunar 3" in 2012. Now I'm working in a feature film which is the first language agnostic film ever made. Apart from these, I’ve received several prizes in dance and acting growing up when arts was just an extracurricular activity. I performed on many a great stages in my hometown in India such as Hari Hara Kala Bhavan, Thyagaraya Gaana Sabha, and others, all places dedicated for performing arts and cinema. I won several prizes for these performances and received them from the hands of notable people in India like the present Home Minister for the State of Telangana, India, Nayani Narasimha Reddy (formerly the Technical Education Minister of the State), elite stars of South Indian cinema like Ramya Krishnan and Chiranjeevi. I feel fortunate to have received several awards from award winning seasoned actors and movie industry prominents like Dadasaheb phalke award winner (India's highest award in cinema) Dr. Akkineni Nageswara Rao , C. Narayana Reddy, Telangana Shakuntala , Madhukar Anand, Shobha Naidu, and others. The tradition in India is that the awardee is honored by donning a silk shawl around their shoulders for their contribution to excellence in their field. I feel extremely proud to have received such an honor by Mr. Nageswara Rao and Mr. Reddy at such a young age that I was.

4. As someone who enjoys writing as well as acting, do you hope to expand your career into writing and possibly directing work in the future?

Acting and performing is my passion. There is nothing like being on stage, in the moment and in front of the live audience. And there is no feeling better than reaching out to and touching lives of millions of audience through cinema. I choose to be an actor.

Putting in words what you want to bring to live performance is a tough process. I love writing and I enjoy this process of writing. I've started writing my own screenplays. But I haven't thought about directing yet though.

5. What else would you like American audiences to know about you--and when can we see you on screen?

As many of you in New York call me, I'm your Indian girl. An authentic Indian girl who has roots in India and education in America. Who else could better portray all those Indian roles that you wanna see on TV and movies? With a few projects currently in works, I'm looking forward to more opportunities that give me a challenge to bring out my full potential and present it to the audience.

Thanks, Pragathi!

Meet Liv Kirby, Actor, Dancer, and Model

Liv Kirby was born in Queensland, Australia and was brought up in Sydney and Melbourne. Liv began acting classes at age 12 at the National Theatre in the heart of Melbourne.

From acting Liv then started exploring the world of dance, and by age 15 she was dancing professionally in renowned hip hop crews situated in Melbourne. In 2012 Liv received her Diploma of Modeling and Business of Modeling from the Model Academy and since has been involved in many photo shoots as well as had the opportunity to walk for L'Oreal.

In July 2012 Liv made the move to the United States to take part in the Hollywood Immersive program at Margie Haber Studios in L.A. She then found her love for New York and relocated there. Since her move, she has been undertaking training in Musical Theatre and will be graduating from New York Film Academy in February which will take her onto her next chapter.

1. How did you first become interested in acting?

I first began acting classes at age 12, and at that time what drew me to acting were films I had seen and actresses who were around my age, such as Dakota Fanning--I really admired her talent and career because she could give such influential performances at such a young age, which gave me insight that this could be something I could do. I wasn't really introduced to the theatre till I was around 14. So I enrolled in acting for film classes first and then later also enrolled in acting for the stage.

I found acting as a way to express myself. When I was younger, I was painfully shy. I wouldn't talk to family or friends, and people at my school would spend hours with me just to see if I could say "Hi." So it was quite surprising that I really enjoyed acting. I guess I felt like when I was portraying characters, I didn't have to be myself--when I was acting, I was somebody else, and that helped me through my shyness.

2. What do you see as the connections between acting and dance?

Both of them to me are ways to express yourself in a creative way. Both of them allow you to put yourself, your emotions, and your experiences into an art form. I was taught by one of my wonderful teachers that "Words don't matter; they don't mean anything." It's all about your reaction. I find this so true--the powerful moments in plays are the reactions from one another. This goes for dance as well because your reaction to the music is what makes a piece so beautiful--the audience can tell when you are just doing choreography or when you are really embracing the music you're dancing too.

Acting and dance go hand in hand for me. I've seen dancers dance without feeling, and I can be guilty of that, too, when you're so focused on picking up the choreography because you might be in a class that's moving along really fast, or in an audition and trying to remember everything they're throwing at you. But in the end it's up to you to bring the movement to life, and that's when acting comes into play.

3. How do you balance your work as a model, dancer, and actor?

Right now, I'm focusing on acting, dance, and singing. I'm training full-time and developing my skills to their fullest potential and then will start auditioning and working again early next year upon my graduation. I've found with balancing everything it's important to do the things that excite you. There's nothing worse then working on a project that you don't enjoy: it's like working a job you hate. I'm horrible at saying no to things, so I found at times I really had to step back and work out my priorities. I just have to make sure that the projects I put myself forward for are things that I will happily commit myself to 100%.

4. What prompted your move from Australia to the United States, and how has your career developed following the move?

In 2012 I got into an acting program called Hollywood Immersive which was in L.A. It was an intensive for 10 days. I planned to stay for three weeks and see L.A., travel to San Francisico for a few days, and end the trip with New York. What was meant to be three weeks quickly changed to three months, and in that time I had fallen in love with NYC. After that I caught a flight back to Australia, packed up my room, and moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan with two other housemates.

Since 2012 I have learned SO much about the industry and about how important networking and education is. I've taken these few years to work on develop my talents and explore the art of auditioning in New York, which really is a career in itself, haha. I've meet so many wonderful people from directors to agents to Broadway stars to composers who have all given me such great advice that I've taken with me to auditions and classes and have been able to apply to my work. Networking I have learned is definitely a big part of starting off in New York--more than most of the time it's about who you know, so I definitely feel I'm on the right path.

5. As you look ahead to the next year or so, what do you hope to accomplish?

Once I finish the current training program I'm in early next year, I'm looking to going back out and auditioning as much as I can and taking the experiences that come my way. I will still keep taking classes as I don't think you ever stop learning and bettering yourself and your skills, so that will always play a big part to me. I've given myself a goal, and that's that by the time I'm 27 I'll have had my first Broadway show. I'm almost 21, so I'm going to work hard and stay motivated and dedicated to the arts and strive to reach that goal and enjoy my journey there.

Thanks, Liv!