Taught by Ross Shenker, CSA
May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
13 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
*Use code CHEKHOV to take 10% off until April 3, 2026*
In this 4-week course, students will learn the fundamentals of the Michael Chekhov Technique and directly apply them towards scenes from Anton Chekhov's Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and/or Cherry Orchard. We will explore bedrock principles such as Psychological Gesture, Focal Points, Qualities of Movement, Tempo/Rhythm, Imaginary Body, and many other tools on Chekhov’s “Chart of Inspired Action.” The final class will culminate in a showcase/presentation that will be filmed.
This short documentary will give you a sense of what to expect: THE SISTERS PROJECT.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL. THERE ARE NO REFUNDS FOR ABSENCE DUE TO ILLNESS, PROFESSIONAL CONFLICTS, OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON.
——————
Ross Shenker is a New York based, 3-time Artios Award Nominated Casting Director. He has worked as Associate Casting Director with Kate Geller Casting, Taylor Williams Casting, and Hopkins Ingram Casting. Select film credits include: Bob Trevino Likes It (Roadside Attractions), Idiotka (Utopia), Oh, Hi! (Sony Pictures Classics), Cora Bora (Brainstorm), The Front Room (A24), Omni Loop (Magnolia), Barron's Cove (Mandalay), Cold Wallet (Well Go USA), Drugstore June (Utopia), The Wild (Vertical), Molli & Max In The Future (Level 33), and The Good Half (Utopia). TV: The Artist (The Network), Too Romantic (Madhouse Productions). Theater: The Art Tour @ Theatre Row and Prince F***** at Playwrights/SoHo Rep. He holds a BA in Theater & Jewish Studies from Wesleyan University and an MFA in Performance Studies from the University of Louisville. He also worked at IAG (fka APA) for 3 years in their Comedy & Talent Departments. He has previously taught acting at the University of Louisville, UW-Madison, Actors Connection, One on One, The Brooklyn Center for Theater Research, SJP Voice Studio, Kimball Studios, Stone Street Studios, Adult Film NYC, and has been a guest on multiple podcasts about acting. He is a Certified Teacher with the National Michael Chekhov Association, playwright, translator/adaptor of Anton Chekhov, classically trained pianist, director, music director, and filmmaker.
Taught by Dasha Sikmashvili (website)
Mar 21, Mar 28, Apr 4, Apr 11, Apr 18 (Saturdays)
3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
13 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
From Annie Dillard’s book, The Writing Life: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.”
Over the course of five weeks, we’ll focus on writing that comes from observing and reflecting on our day-to-day. You’ll be asked to keep a diary where you’ll study and describe your environment, your daily living, as well as reflect on the quieter hours of your life. We will share those pages in class and discuss them alongside other excerpted works.
You’ll strengthen your descriptive writing skills, develop a better understanding of how you spend your time, and learn how daily observation can nurture your creative process.
Reading selections from: Michelle Orange’s The Sicily Papers, Matthew Gasda’s Writer’s Diary, Lauren Elkin’s No. 91/92, Peter Handke’s The Weight of the World, Eva Hesse’s Diaries, Odilon Redon’s To Myself, and some visual selections from Tony O’Malley’s The Visual Diaries.
*Please note that we are at a new location. We are no longer in Greenpoint.
——————
Darina (Dasha) Sikmashvili was born in Lubny, Ukraine, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where she moved at age eight. Her writing has been generously supported by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Elizabeth George Foundation, among others. She's received fellowships from The Center for Fiction and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. Sikmashvili completed her MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan's Helen Zell Writers Program. She's worked in film and TV for over a decade. Her writing is available at http://sikmashvili.com/.
Taught by Matthew Gasda
Mar 12, Mar 19, Mar 26, April 2 (Thursdays)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
13 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
For actors, but also useful to directors, this four week class will work on scenes from Matt's oeuvre, focusing on, but not limited to Dimes Square, Zoomers, Morning Journal, Quartet, Minotaur, and Ardor.
As we explore these plays, we will also discuss the broader themes and ideas that they explore, including identity, relationships, sexuality and power dynamics, and mortality. We will engage in in-depth discussions about the text, exploring how conceptual understandings of the texts can find objective correlates in performance. Actors will also explore acting in a "chamber" environment, honing in on the kinds of acting techniques that really sing in smaller, intimate spaces.
——————
Matthew Gasda a theatre director and the author of numerous plays, novels, poems and essays. He is a co-founder of the BCTR.
Taught by Matthew Gasda
Mar 15, Mar 22, Mar 29, April 5 (Sundays)
4:15 pm to 6:15 pm
13 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
For playwrights at all levels, this two hour class discusses the philosophy and construction of drama. Bring whatever you’re working on – idea or draft – to workshop.
——————
Matthew Gasda a theatre director and the author of numerous plays, novels, poems and essays. He is a co-founder of the BCTR.
Taught by Ephraim Birney
Mar 14, Mar 21, Mar 28, April 4 (Saturdays)
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
13 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
Ephraim Birney dropped out of his acting conservatory after he failed movement class while pretending to be a tree. Since then he’s been nominated for an Outer Critic’s Circle Award for Best Leading Actor, worked with directors like Lear deBessonet, Knud Adams, Stephen Brackett and Stephen Spielberg, taken plays to Edinburgh and films to Sundance. Ephraim understands more than most that for many performers, acting school can really only make you a professional acting student. So he’s designed a class for actors like him. A class that helps you identify exactly what you bring to a character by allowing you to explore roles you would typically never play. Whether you’re right out of acting school and feel confused by the industry or if you’ve been in every program in the city and are disillusioned by the craft as a whole, this is the class for you. The old idiom is that “an actor prepares,” and while this is true for some, we’re most excited by the actor with the approach that seems strange, surprising, unconventional and unprepared.
Taught by Meg MacCary (website)
Feb 14, Feb 21, Feb 28, Mar 7 (Saturdays)
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
13 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
It’s all about the words. How do you make the most heightened language feel accessible? What makes naturalistic dialogue pop? In this scene study class we will play with theatrical texts across the spectrum, connecting to them emotionally, while also employing “tricks of the trade.” Our goal: to communicate with authenticity and impact.
——————
Meg MacCary is an OBIE award winning actor, producer, and writer. She’s performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, downtown, and regionally. She co-founded the critically acclaimed theater company Clubbed Thumb, and served as co-artistic director for 13 years. At CTR, she’s acted in Little Murders by Jules Feiffer and Minotaur, Dover, One Winged Dove, and Denmark by Matthew Gasda. She directed There Are No Diving Pools in Hell by Aliza Jane Cosgrove and Girlpox’ Fyre Fest Was So Fun!!! by Catherine Weingarten.
Taught by Marcel Simoneau
Mar 3, Mar 10, Mar 24, Mar 31 (Tuesdays)*
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
13 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
A weekly, in-person acting class combining Method, Meisner, and other techniques with exercises, script analysis, and hands-on scene study and monologue work. Designed for growth and risk-taking, the class offers a safe, consistent environment to put theory into practice each week.
*This class will be running through May 2026. Sign-ups occur monthly. If you are a current student who would like to continue, simply sign up and pay for the following month here on our website.
——————
Marcel Simoneau is a New York City–based actor, teacher, director, and voice actor with credits spanning film, television, and national commercials. His work includes appearances on Law & Order, Gotham, The Blacklist, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and The Daily Show, as well as films such as Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Kinsey. He also has done extensive Voice-Over work in commercials and ADR, more recently on Matchbox, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, Emily in Paris, The Munsters, Stillwater, Halston, Mythic Quest & Little Women among others. An acting teacher for over 20 years at NYU, Strasberg, The Neighborhood Playhouse, T. Schreiber Studios & Studio 22.
Taught by Yosef Brody
May 2, May 9, May 16, May 30 (Saturdays)
3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
13 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
For actors looking to deepen their work with psychological characterization, conscious and unconscious motivation in relationships, and the link between personality and behavior on stage. This 4-week class taught by a psychologist will use scenes from Ingmar Bergman films as a tool to analyze and practice performance. Students can expect to work on scenes from both popular and rare Bergman texts and films.
——————
Yosef Brody PhD is a clinical psychologist with decades of experience teaching and practicing in the US and Europe. He writes about film and is based in Brooklyn.
For students of the "Beginner's Mind" class, hosted by Chelsea Hodson and Morning Writing Club.
Get personal feedback on the play you write in class, and discuss in a private 60 minute Zoom call with Matthew. Does not include written feedback or line edits, but a discussion about the play and suggestions for next steps.
Taught by Nicole Sellew (website)
May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24 (Sundays)
11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research*
A multi-week generative course focused on writing toward and about desire. The class will consist of workshops, written feedback, reading, and discussion. Students will be given tailored readings and excerpts to inspire creativity, and they are expected to bring ten new pages of work per week. Students will receive both feedback on their writing and advice about how to take their work into the wider world. Come to experiment with the body as a source of creativity, leave with polished pages and new ideas about the way desire informs our lives.
——————
Nicole Sellew is a writer and teacher based in New York City. She is the author of the novel Lover Girl. She received her MLitt in fiction from the University of St. Andrews in 2022 and is the recipient of the 2024/25 Galley Beggar short story prize.
Taught by Matthew Gasda
Apr 1, Apr 8, Apr 15, Apr 22, Apr 29 (Wednesdays)
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm EST (New York)
Remote (Online)
Matthew Gasda is hosting a 5 week fiction workshop: the “first 50 pages" of your novel. This workshop will focus on the conception and development of an extended work of fiction with reference both to industry expectations and aesthetic ideals. Students are expected to bring ten fresh pages per week, and we will also read excerpts from classic works of fiction from Don Quixote to Don DeLillo.
——————
Matthew Gasda a theatre director and the author of numerous plays, novels, poems and essays. He is a co-founder of the BCTR.
