Own the Room

A Public Speaking & Confidence Pop-Up

For Students in Grades 6–12

Speaking in front of a group can be intimidating, but confidence is a skill that can be practiced.

Own the Room is a hands-on public speaking workshop designed to help students become more confident, clear, and comfortable communicating in front of others. Using engaging, theatre-based exercises, students will practice skills they can use for class presentations, interviews, leadership opportunities, auditions, and everyday life.

Students will work on:

• Speaking clearly and confidently
• Managing nerves
• Voice projection and pacing
• Eye contact and audience connection
• Confident posture and body language
• Thinking and speaking on the spot
• Recovering when they lose their place
• Telling a story and keeping an audience engaged

This is an active workshop, not a lecture. Students will have multiple opportunities to speak, practice new techniques, and build confidence in a supportive environment.

No theatre or public speaking experience is required.

About the Instructor

Keri Castro is the Co-Founder and President of Playact Theatre and a professional director, performer, and arts educator. A member of Actors’ Equity Association, Keri holds a Master’s degree in Theatre Directing from Roosevelt University and degrees in music and theatre from Oklahoma Baptist University and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She has directed more than 50 productions across Northwest Indiana and regularly works with young artists on communication, confidence, storytelling, and connecting with an audience.