Tectonic Training Lab

THE TECTONIC TRAINING LAB

Over the past fifteen years, Moisés Kaufman and Tectonic Theater Project have developed and refined a wholly unique methodology, creating some of the most theatrically thrilling and culturally important American theater of the past decade. Following the world-wide success of THE LARAMIE PROJECT, and with growing interest in Tectonic and its unique approach to making theater, The Tectonic Teaching Arm was officially launched in 2005.

At the core of the Tectonic teaching method is MOMENT WORK, a technique for creating and analyzing theater developed by Moisés Kaufman.

Using a laboratory setting, the technique encourages the participants to create work that is uniquely theatrical. It pushes writers, actors, designers and directors to collaborate in the making of work that focuses on using all theatrical elements. The technique breaks apart the traditional roles of theater artists, enfranchising artists of all disciplines to move out of their defined roles and become theater-makers: true investigators of the possibilities of the medium.

Tectonic is committed to expanding the conversation about how work gets made in this country to resident theaters, Broadway and off-Broadway stages, and educational institutions – focusing on the importance of theatrical exploration in the creation of new work, especially in the early stages of new play development.

Through workshops, residencies, lectures and seminars, Artistic Director Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic travel to schools and communities nationwide teaching the company’s unique method of MOMENT WORK, giving artists at the educational and professional level the practical tools they need to integrate this new theatrical vocabulary into the creation of original work. By the same token, these methods can be applied to preexisting texts (from Shakespeare to Shepard) to achieve works of unique theatrical power.

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