EPISODE · May 14, 2026 · 1H 8M
From Bollywood to Ojai: Richa Badami and the Next Generation of Actors
from Ojai: Talk of the Town · host Bret Bradigan
In this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, Bret Bradigan sits down with Richa Badami — actor, director, and founder of the Living Theatre Academy of Dramatic Arts in Ojai — whose journey runs from the intensity of the Indian film and television industry to the intimate, exacting work of training young actors in a small but culturally ambitious town.Badami’s career began in India, where she worked in film and television before turning her focus toward directing and teaching. That evolution — shaped by mentors, artistic rigor, and a search for deeper meaning — eventually led her to Ojai, where she has built something rare: not just a youth program, but a working theatre company. At the Living Theatre Academy, young performers are held to professional standards, immersed in ensemble practice, and challenged to engage with material that demands emotional truth and intellectual depth.In this conversation, Badami reflects on the teachers who shaped her, the influence of Jiddu Krishnamurti on her approach to art and education, and the role theatre can play in developing life skills — discipline, empathy, collaboration — that extend far beyond the stage. She also shares candid thoughts on her experiences within the Indian film world, including projects like Rise, Roar & Revolt and Monsoon Wedding, and what it means to navigate identity across the global Indian diaspora.The discussion comes at a moment when her company is mounting an ambitious Spring season featuring The Wolves and The Outsiders — two works that, on the surface, could not be more different, yet converge on a central question: how young people find their place in the world. The Academy’s production of The Wolves, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, demands precision, vulnerability, and true ensemble work, while The Outsiders channels the enduring story of Ponyboy and the Greasers with a cast close in age to the characters themselves, bringing unusual immediacy and authenticity to a generational classic. Performances run May 22–24 (The Wolves) and May 29–31 (The Outsiders) at Matilija Auditorium — an opportunity for Ojai audiences to witness the kind of serious, youth-driven theatre typically associated with far larger cities. If you think of student theatre as light fare, think again. What Badami is building is disciplined, emotionally resonant, and unmistakably alive —and for young people in Ojai, it’s an extraordinary gift.Go see it.We talked about her membership in the Rotary Club of Ojai, navigating a move from the East Coast to Ojai with teen-aged children, her recent visit to London where her daughter performed with the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts. We did not talk about mahseer fishing, Bengal tigers or the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky. For more information, check out https://www.livingtheateracademy.com/
What this episode covers
In this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, Bret Bradigan sits down with Richa Badami — actor, director, and founder of the Living Theatre Academy of Dramatic Arts in Ojai — whose journey runs from the intensity of the Indian film and television industry to the intimate, exacting work of training young actors in a small but culturally ambitious town.Badami’s career began in India, where she worked in film and television before turning her focus toward directing and teaching. That evolution — shaped by mentors, artistic rigor, and a search for deeper meaning — eventually led her to Ojai, where she has built something rare: not just a youth program, but a working theatre company. At the Living Theatre Academy, young performers are held to professional standards, immersed in ensemble practice, and challenged to engage with material that demands emotional truth and intellectual depth.In this conversation, Badami reflects on the teachers who shaped her, the influence of Jiddu Krishnamurti on her approach to art and education, and the role theatre can play in developing life skills — discipline, empathy, collaboration — that extend far beyond the stage. She also shares candid thoughts on her experiences within the Indian film world, including projects like Rise, Roar & Revolt and Monsoon Wedding, and what it means to navigate identity across the global Indian diaspora.The discussion comes at a moment when her company is mounting an ambitious Spring season featuring The Wolves and The Outsiders — two works that, on the surface, could not be more different, yet converge on a central question: how young people find their place in the world. The Academy’s production of The Wolves, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, demands precision, vulnerability, and true ensemble work, while The Outsiders channels the enduring story of Ponyboy and the Greasers with a cast close in age to the characters themselves, bringing unusual immediacy and authenticity to a generational classic. Performances run May 22–24 (The Wolves) and May 29–31 (The Outsiders) at Matilija Auditorium — an opportunity for Ojai audiences to witness the kind of serious, youth-driven theatre typically associated with far larger cities. If you think of student theatre as light fare, think again. What Badami is building is disciplined, emotionally resonant, and unmistakably alive —and for young people in Ojai, it’s an extraordinary gift.Go see it.We talked about her membership in the Rotary Club of Ojai, navigating a move from the East Coast to Ojai with teen-aged children, her recent visit to London where her daughter performed with the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts. We did not talk about mahseer fishing, Bengal tigers or the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky. For more information, check out https://www.livingtheateracademy.com/
NOW PLAYING
From Bollywood to Ojai: Richa Badami and the Next Generation of Actors
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.