Radhika Rao is a brilliant teaching artist and an amazing actress with an impressive range. It is always and honor and pleasure to have her working with us- Ed Decker, Founder and Artistic Director, New Conservatory Theatre Center.
Radhika Rao is a theater and improv artist as well as an education specialist based in San Francisco. Radhika earned an Ed.D. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she focused on theater and the performance of citizenship.
As an Actor She was most recently seen at Cutting Ball Theater’s “The Real Sappho”, Shotgun Theater’s 'The Claim', and Shakespeare's 'Midsummer Night's Dream, and "Folkstales From Around the World" at Silicon Valley Shakes. She is also a cast member in the web series "Hiraeth" and upcoming series "Strings Attached” on Amazon Prime. Her educational works spans from elementary schools to senior citizens. She teaches at San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater, Stagebridge, Urban High School, Ruth Asawa School fo the Arts, University High School Cutting Ball Theater, Larkin St Youth Services, LifeTheater Services, Stanford University, UCSF, USF, and Samuel Merritt University.
Organizational Performance and Coaching Work Since 2018, Radhika has collaborated with Peers and Players, working with clients such as Huber, Cisco, Chartis, Adyen, and Splunk. She has also partnered with Life Theater Services, serving organizations like Cal Water, Vir, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, University of the Pacific, Stanford University, and UCSF. Additionally, through Leela SF Improv, she has coached at leading companies including Salesforce, YouTube, HCL America, Pinterest, Slack, Cloudflare, and Meta.
Work in Educational Institutions Radhika has made a significant impact as a teacher at various Bay Area schools from elementary to high school—including San Francisco Unified School District, Urban High School, University High School, Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, and Lick-Wilmerding High School. She is a regular instructor with Stagebridge Arts- a performing arts institution in Oakland, CA serving individuals mature learners. Her contributions extend to universities like the University of San Francisco, Samuel Merritt University, Stanford School of Medicine, and even organizations like the San Francisco Police Department and Stagebridge Arts (serving folks 50 years and up). Also she has worked with IADC (International Association of Defense Counsel), UC Law School, and Employment Lawyers at the California Western School of Law, doing mock encounters and mock trials. She is passionate about rehearsing conflict resolution and practicing courageous conversation, dialogue, and listening practices. With improv and role-play we can safely practice various scenarios in low-stakes environments so we are prepared for when when we encounter challenging interpersonal situations in real life.
She is currently an executive coach with Enacte Arts as well- and finished a program coaching executives from Morgan Stanley in LA. In addition she coached young AI developers in Silicon Valley on their communication skills with Future Creators Lab.
Values and Special Focus
As a communications coach, Radhika empowers individuals to find their voice and communicate with clarity and confidence. As an immigrant woman and naturalized American, she is particularly skilled in understanding the diversity of experiences that make up the contemporary US workforce.
Whether she’s teaching, acting, directing, or coaching, her passion for performance and human connection is at the heart of everything she does.Radhika is always open to meaningful conversations, collaborations, and business inquiries. Let’s connect and create something extraordinary together!
Board Affiliations She also serves on the Board of Same Boat Theater Collective, which is working to create awareness about environment sustainability through Theater Arts.
****** More Testimonials :) "Radhika brings a deep understanding of education systems, theatrical arts, and youth development to her work. Students in Radhika's classes will absorb values of self-respect, collaboration, and freedom of expression - lessons that are invaluable for our communities" - Kaitlin McGaw, Founder of Alphabet Rockers
Radhika is one of those people that makes collaboration, a process which can be tricky, a true joy! She approaches her work and relationships with tremendous energy, thoughtfulness, generosity, passion and an abundance of knowledge. Her warm and encouraging presence puts people at ease, and her commitment and belief in people's potential and creativity inspire. She is spunky, spirited and kind, and a wonderful artist and educator- Maura Clarke, Arts/Education/Civic Engagement consultant.
