Monologue Lab with Benita de Wit
Monologues are one of the greatest challenges an actor faces. Whether in a play or an audition, many actors feel stuck, like they’re forcing something or trapped in their own heads. In this lab, we will workshop classic and contemporary monologues together in a warm and supportive environment. Find new ways to make text active, connect to the person you’re talking to, and build confidence in your work as an actor. This class is led by theatre director Benita de Wit (they/them), a freelance director who has worked at theatres including Clubbed Thumb, The Playwrights Realm, Oklahoma City Rep and A.R.T. As Associate/Resident Director, they worked on Jamie Lloyd’s Sunset Blvd. on Broadway starring Nicole Scherzinger, SIX on Broadway, and Straight Line Crazy at The Shed starring Ralph Fiennes. Benita currently teaches acting at Circle in the Square Theatre School and holds an MFA in Directing from Columbia University.
Classical Monologue Lab with Karsten Otto
We all know Shakespeare wrote poetry into his plays, but have you ever wondered why he chose to write poetry? Did he want to save on precious paper costs? Join Shakespeare CSE co-founder Karsten Otto for a one-day iteration of Shakespeare Clearly, a text workshop that serves as the foundation for the Shakespeare CSE project. Inspired by John Barton’s verse ideology, Otto’s workshop highlights how the verse structure of Shakespeare supports a near-limitless potential for actor interpretation. Over the course of 3 hours, participants will uncover and unlock the powerful techniques and information written into Shakespeare's verse.
This workshop is offered in collaboration with Shakespeare CSE and is available for a limited number of participants. Book your spot today!
Questions, concerns? Reach out to Alice Renier at alice@apocalypticartists.org.
Karsten Otto (he/him) is a ghost of the downtown theater scene. After a fulfilling decade of originating roles in new plays in NYC, he shifted his focus to writing and directing films in 2020. His love of theater was too strong, however, so this year he co-founded Shakespeare CSE, a new Shakespeare project with the goal of exploring Shakespeare's canon completely uncut. Directing: Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare CSE) DEAD BIRD (Upcoming, Winter 2026), Select Producing: Karaoke Rex, metalero, DEAD BIRD. Select Acting: The Mysteries, June is the First Fall. @kotto_ www.thekarstenotto.com kotto Productions
We all know Shakespeare wrote poetry into his plays, but have you ever wondered why he chose to write poetry? Didn’t he want to save on precious paper costs? Join Shakespeare CSE co-founder Karsten Otto for a one-day iteration of Shakespeare Clearly, a text workshop that serves as the foundation for the Shakespeare CSE project. Inspired by John Barton’s verse ideology, Otto’s workshop highlights how the verse structure of Shakespeare supports a near-limitless potential for actor interpretation. Over the course of 3 hours, participants will uncover and unlock the powerful techniques and information written into Shakespeare's verse.
Mask and Movement with Blake Habermann
Join Blake Habermann fresh off of his work on our Spring 2026 production of Macbeth for a workshop/ tune up in movement and mask. There may be many things that separate us, but it remains true that we all have a body that can be employed to tell a story. This workshop is a great introduction to Lecoq’s neutral mask as well as a place for more experienced artists to tune in and tune up the body in rehearsal and performance.
Question, concerns? Reach out to Alice Renier at alice@apocalypticartists.org.
Blake Habermann: For more than a decade, Blake has been working as a theater creator and educator in New York and around the world. Recent Projects: Simon Mcburney’s Die Zauberflote at the Metropolitan Opera, Palau Des Artes, Valencia, Spain and Dutch National Opera; Peregrinations, Edinburgh Fringe, winner of the Seoul Arts Award for physical theatre; devising ensemble member of Broken Box Mime Theater; developing clown material for Pagliacci and Ariadne Auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera; Solitary at the Edinburgh fringe in 2019; Movement direction for Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera at Juilliard; Cirque du Soleil’s float in the Macy’s Parade.
For more than a decade, Blake has been working as a theater creator and educator in New York and around the world. Recent Projects: Simon Mcburney’s Die Zauberflote at the Metropolitan Opera, Palau Des Artes, Valencia, Spain and Dutch National Opera; Peregrinations, Edinburgh Fringe, winner of the Seoul Arts Award for physical theatre; devising ensemble member of Broken Box Mime Theater; developing clown material for Pagliacci and Ariadne Auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera; Solitary at the Edinburgh fringe in 2019; Movement direction for Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera at Juilliard; Cirque du Soleil’s float in the Macy’s Parade.
Virtual Free Write with Kea Trevett
Have an idea for a new script that you’ve been sitting on? Or looking to generate ideas for making your own work? Join Apocalyptic Artists founder Kea Trevett for a VIRTUAL afternoon of writing with structured prompts, creative vibes, and community support. Registration is FREE.
Questions, concerns? Reach out to Alice Renier at alice@apocalypticartists.org.
Kea Trevett (she/her) is a theater artist, filmmaker, and educator. As an actor, her NY stage credits include Roundabout, Classic Stage Company, Lincoln Center, Ars Nova, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Sheen Center, New Georges, The Lark, Page 73, and Cherry Lane. Regional credits include Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival and Hamptons Shakespeare Festival. Kea is an Outfest Screenwriting Fellow, a NYSCA Support for Artists grantee, and a NYFA NYC Women’s Fund recipient. Her film collaborations have screened at Outfest, Newfest, Frameline, the Nevada Women’s Film Festival in Las Vegas, and Atlanta Film Festival. Kea teaches playwriting and Shakespeare for Theatre For A New Audience and Lincoln Center, and Theater & Screenwriting for Sarah Lawrence. She is a founding member of Apocalyptic Artists Ensemble, for whom she directed their mini series adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and their 2025 school tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, produced in collaboration with Red Bull theater. MFA: Columbia University. www.keatrevett.com
Have an idea for a new script that you’ve been sitting on? Or looking to generate ideas for making your own work? Join Apocalyptic Artists founder Kea Trevett for a VIRTUAL afternoon of writing with structured prompts, creative vibes, and community support. Registration is FREE.
Shakespeare Lab with Đavid Lee Huỳnh
Shakespeare's work belongs to all of us. Despite structures of racism and White Supremacy that have co-opted his work for their own purposes, Shakespeare's poetry is a canvas upon which any artist can paint their portrait of the human experience, made richer by bringing all parts of themselves to the work. This class is led by first-generation Vietnamese-American actor Đavid Lee Huỳnh with a special invitation to BIPOC actors who have felt excluded from the world of Western Classics.
Audition Workshop with Nana Dakin
Nana Dakin (นานา เดกิ้น) is a queer Thai American director of new work, classics and devised performance based in NYC. Her work pursues social equity by examining the way culture is constructed and unsettling dormant biases. She is the first Thai theatre director to direct at the Royal Court Theatre in London and was the Associate Director for 4-time Tony-nominated play "Mary Jane” on Broadway. In NYC her work has been presented and developed at Ars Nova, Clubbed Thumb, Ensemble Studio Theater, HERE Arts Center, Ma-Yi Theater Company, The Mercury Store, New York Theatre Workshop, Soho Rep and more. Regional productions: “Twelfth Night” (American Shakespeare Center), “The Chinese Lady” (Everyman Theatre), “Again” (Theater Mu), “Eurydice” (American Shakespeare Center). Nana is a core member of B-Floor Theatre, Thailand’s most highly awarded theatre company, and of Future River, an organization utilizing the tools of theater to envision and enact environmental justice. www.nanadakin.com
Questions, concerns? Reach out to Alice Renier at alice@apocalypticartists.org.
Nana Dakin (นานา เดกิ้น) is a queer Thai American director of new work, classics and devised performance based in NYC. Her work pursues social equity by examining the way culture is constructed and unsettling dormant biases. She is the first Thai theatre director to direct at the Royal Court Theatre in London and was the Associate Director for 4-time Tony-nominated play "Mary Jane” on Broadway. In NYC her work has been presented and developed at Ars Nova, Clubbed Thumb, Ensemble Studio Theater, HERE Arts Center, Ma-Yi Theater Company, The Mercury Store, New York Theatre Workshop, Soho Rep and more. Regional productions: “Twelfth Night” (American Shakespeare Center), “The Chinese Lady” (Everyman Theatre), “Again” (Theater Mu), “Eurydice” (American Shakespeare Center). Nana is a core member of B-Floor Theatre, Thailand’s most highly awarded theatre company, and of Future River, an organization utilizing the tools of theater to envision and enact environmental justice. www.nanadakin.com
Seminar: The Dramatic Functions of Music & Sound in Shakespeare‘s TWELFTH NIGHT
Shakespeare used music & sound in his plays to enrich not only the action onstage but the actor/audience relationship. He drew on popular songs and original tunes alike, and helped shape what we now refer to as an actor/musician role. Come join us as we explore music in Twelfth Night.
This seminar will be led by Alexander Sovronsky, a NYC based actor/musician and Drama Desk Award nominated composer/music director who also teaches workshops on this topic at the Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy MFA Classical Acting program in Washington DC. Alexander will also be serving as the Music Director for Apocalyptic Artists’ upcoming 2027 school tour of Twelfth Night.
Questions, concerns? Reach out to Alice Renier at alice@apocalypticartists.org.
In this seminar we we delve into how Shakespeare used music & sound in his plays to enrich not only the action onstage but the actor/audience relationship. He drew on popular songs and original tunes alike, and helped shape what we now refer to as an actor/musician role. Come join us as we explore Twelfth Night. Seminar will be led by Alexander Sovronsky, a NYC based actor/musician and Drama Desk Award nominated composer/music director who also teaches workshops on this topic at the Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy MFA Classical Acting program in Washington DC. Alexander will also be serving as the Music Director for the upcoming 2027 schools tour of TWELFTH NIGHT.
TWELFTH NIGHT On Your Feet
On August 21st, 11:30am-1pm: Join our teaching artist team for ON YOUR FEET: engaging with Twelfth Night through the lens of the theater artist.
This event is for our community, whether you’re a Shakespeare enthusiast seeking a deeper connection with the play, an artist looking to connect with other like-minded people in the industry, or a teacher looking for new ways to engage your students.
This event is free for teachers! Reach out to apocalypticartists@gmail.com for more information.
TWELFTH NIGHT Open Seminar with Dramaturg Ann McDonald
Join resident dramaturg Ann McDonald for an exclusive introduction and discussion of Twelfth Night.