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Hi! My name is Akansha Ranbhise and I am currently a rising junior at the University of Texas at Austin getting my B.A in Theater with an emphasis in Performer's Process. I am pursuing an acting career and would hope to work professionally acting on stage and on film in my future. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan and was heavily influenced by the music scene there, especially MoTown. I moved to Wichita Falls, Texas when I was about 10 and graduated from Hirschi High School in 2022. I play a variety of different instruments such as baritone, piano, ukulele, and a few others in addition to singing.

I really love to read, cook, and just being outdoors. Although I love living in Austin, I do miss the open land of Wichita Falls. Growing up in Detroit and in Wichita Falls has made me appreciate the diversity Austin has to offer. There are so many great hiking trails near here as well as some really beautiful scenery near Lake Travis, Zilker, and there's still a city-like atmosphere as well when you go near South Congress or Downtown as well with so much to do!

Another aspect about me is that I am very very close with my grandma. She's genuinely my best friend and helped raise me all my life and I go to her for anything and everything. She lives in India full-time now that I'm in college, but I call her almost everyday. She has some of the greatest life stories and lessons and I learn something new from her every time we speak.

My personal upbringing as an Indian-American definitely shaped my love for acting. My grandmas exposed me to Golden-Age Bollywood movies which cultivated my love for musical theater due to the similarities in the cross over of music and film and how that translates to music and acting on stage in Broadway.

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this is a screen shot of a self tape that I did that I was proud of, however, I did not end up booking the role, I still have it saved because this character has stuck with me

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One of my strongest values that I carry with me in my career is the ability to reflect. Whether I audition or get callbacks and don't book the role, or am booked and busy in my career I try to prioritize the learning experience of growing a relationship with the character I've been studying. If the character I've been studying has a profound effect on me and I still don't book the role, I try not to look at it as a wasted effort. I allow myself to reflect and learn and carry those lessons with me into my next audition. Changing my perspective in this manner also motivates me to continue the audition process.

I believe that sitting and pondering is an often-overlooked element of the creative process. There are so many simple distractions with our phones and social media apps that I try to just sit and let myself to think about why I feel the way I do and how it affects my body. Journaling is vital to me on occasion. It provides me with a personal release without the pressure of achieving perfection or producing high-quality work; instead, it is the raw flow of thoughts in long paragraphs or bullet points that allows me to reflect. I am a huge believer that reflection can spark inspiration in the artistic process.

Reflection shows up in my process because it is essential to make the most of every successful and/or unsuccessful part of my journey. Acting is a trial and error process, and it is in the prescription of an actor to receive many more no's than yes's. However, to learn from each and every experience is what makes the career a fruitful experience.

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this is an example of me reaching out to one of my professor's for getting help with a shakespeare monologue for an audition

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I find an aspect that is important to me is having discipline in my artistic process. This means that not getting off book the night before an audition, and carving out the time to work with my acting professors and going over lines with friends. I also need to be able to do my research and homework (Uta Hagen & Stanislavsky's questions, researching the playwright etc.). Doing this as soon as possible allows for me to have a deeper connection to the character and truly immerse myself into their circumstances. Acting requires constant practice and refinement. Discipline ensures that actors stick to their training regimen, rehearse diligently, and consistently deliver their best performances.

In the ever-changing world of acting, adaptability is key. Discipline helps actors stay open to direction, feedback, and new techniques, enabling them to evolve and grow in their craft. Rejection and criticism are common in the acting industry. Discipline teaches actors to persevere through setbacks, learn from failures, and keep striving for excellence.

Overall, discipline not only enhances an actor's performance but also their professional reputation and long-term success in the industry.

Personally, I am always scheduling and adding things to my calendar as well as communicating with my peers in order to excel in what I do. Making something individual turn into a collaborative effort makes it a more fruitful experience as well as a fruitful outcome knowing that I went to others to aid me in my process.