Part 1: Writing Lab

Writers generate new material drawn from personal experience, environment, and one-on-one interviews with actors. Through structured exercises, the group builds a shared theatrical language rooted in how time, space, dialogue, and environment function onstage.

Actors read new work aloud throughout the process, allowing writers to hear rhythm, test structure, and adjust in real time. Directors observe closely, tracking each writer's logic, voice, and approach to making work.

The lab treats writing as an exploratory practice, prioritizing risk, formal play, and discovery. Together, participants investigate how dialogue builds worlds, how theatrical time diverges from real time, and how the stage itself generates meaning.

By week three, each writer completes a first draft of a 20-minute piece. Week four is dedicated to revision, resulting in a second draft ready for rehearsal.

4 sessions · 4 hours each

Part 2: Acting Lab

The Acting Lab centers the actor as both interpreter and generator of new work. Grounded in Method-based training, the focus is on truthful behavior under given circumstances, building character through impulse, and bringing the actor's own lived experience into the piece.

Actors work directly on newly written material through sensory work, emotional access, improvisation, and character development. Exercises uncover subtext, clarify intention, and locate where language lives in the body.

Improvisation is used to pressure-test the text, revealing what's active, what resists, and where specificity is needed.

Writers remain in the room throughout, revising in response to what emerges in performance. Directors observe, learning how to communicate with actors, shape behavior, and integrate actor-driven discoveries into the work.

4 sessions · 4 hours each

Part 3: Directing Lab

Directors take the lead, bringing the developed pieces into the room and shaping them for performance.

Work is presented with actors, with a focus on staging, spatial relationships, rhythm, and action. Directors receive direct feedback on communication, clarity of vision, and how effectively they shape time and meaning onstage.

4 sessions · 4 hours each

Shared Process

This is a fully integrated lab, writers, actors, and directors attend all sessions, working together across all three phases.

Showcase

The lab culminates in a public presentation of works-in-progress, performed with minimal technical elements.

September-November

In this three month workshop, each month focuses on one discipline — writing, acting, or directing — through guided weekly sessions and independent creative development.

Exact dates TBD, weekends only.

Weekly Sessions:
Participants meet every weekend for three months, for four-hour mentor-led workshops. Each discipline runs for four consecutive weeks, with six days between sessions to write, rehearse, and develop work independently. The weekly rhythm supports both depth and sustained momentum.

Independent Work:
Between sessions, participants are expected to complete assigned independent work, especially during the writing phase, including drafting new material, rehearsing discoveries, and integrating mentor and peer feedback. The emphasis is on exploration, responsiveness, and cross-disciplinary growth.

Rehearsal Period:
In the final month, each of the five creative teams is allotted dedicated rehearsal time to independently refine their 20-minute piece.

Performance Phase:
The lab culminates in a performance showcase , experienced by both invited industry guests and the public.

Writing Workshop Mentor: Menahem Haike
Menahem Haike is a writer and dramaturg who has taught creative writing workshops across mixed genres at New York University and in Montreal. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from NYU and a B.A. in Written Arts from Bard College. His prose has been published in Two Thirds North and Verklempt Magazine. His dramaturgy work includes a stage adaptation of Beckett’s Malone Dies in Manhattan, a contemporary production of Jean Genet’s The Maids in Brooklyn, and ongoing involvement in devised theatre practices in New York and abroad.

Acting & Directing Workshop Mentors to be announced.

Participants will:

• Develop an original short work from concept to production.

• Experience cross-disciplinary collaboration with mentorship in all three crafts.

• Present work before a live audience and invited industry guests.

• Join an ongoing creative community of multidisciplinary theatre artists.
  

Fee: $1,750 per participant (early registration, reduced from $2,000)
Early registration deadline: June 15, 2026.

The fee includes full access to all sessions, mentorship, facilitated access to rehearsal space, and participation in final performances.

Payment plans are available. The first month’s payment is due upon acceptance. Remaining payments are due monthly.

All sessions are in person and take place at the Clemente Center in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

A collaboration between RJ Theatre Co. and The Actor Launchpad, dedicated to raw, immediate, and necessary storytelling that centers the actor–audience relationship.
The Lab cultivates the next generation of theatre makers who lead with empathy, rigor, and collaboration — artists fluent in more than one language of creation.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Selected applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview or audition, depending on discipline.

Admission is selective and based on artistic readiness, curiosity, and commitment to a collaborative, cross-disciplinary process. Early application is encouraged due to limited availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need prior experience?
Some background in writing, acting, or directing is required. You do not need to be a fully established artist, but this lab is designed for participants with foundational training or experience.

How do I apply?
Submit the application form with a résumé and a short work sample. Selected applicants will be contacted to schedule a brief interview or audition, depending on discipline.

Can I join if I work full-time?
Yes. Sessions take place on weekends (Saturdays or Sundays). Participants should expect regular independent work between sessions.

Is attendance mandatory?
Yes. The lab is collaborative and process-driven, and full attendance is required. One or two absences may be accommodated if necessary, but commitment to the full process is essential.

How are teams formed?
In Month 3, mentors assemble five creative teams of writers, actors, and directors based on artistic compatibility and working style.

Will all material be performed?
Not all material developed during the lab will be presented publicly. Final pieces are curated during Month 3.

Can I bring an existing project?
The lab prioritizes the creation of new work. Existing material may be considered only if it meaningfully serves the collaborative process.

What is the final performance?
The lab concludes with an intimate public showcase of works-in-progress, focused on performance and text rather than technical production.

Is the showcase open to the public?
Yes. The showcase is open to the public, with select industry-attended performances.

Do participants receive documentation?
Yes. Participants receive production photos from the final showcase.

Who are the mentors?
Writing is led by Menahem Haike. Acting is led by Marcel Simoneau. Directing mentors will be announced.

Is there one-on-one mentorship?
Yes. Individual guidance is available throughout the program, both during and outside of scheduled sessions.

What is the program fee?
Early registration is $1,500 total per participant ($500 per month). Tuition increases for applications submitted after January 15, 2026. Payment plans are available.

What makes this lab unique?
This is a cross-disciplinary creation process, not a class. Writers, actors, and directors shape the work together in real time.

Is there support after the program?
Yes. Alumni become part of the Circle Theatre community and may be invited to future development opportunities.

What’s the deadline?
Early Application Deadline: January 15, 2026 (reduced participation fee)
Final Application Deadline: February 1, 2026