Join us for a week of hands-on, community-centered, and creative workshops beginning FEB 18 to kick-start your new year. Register now for this intimate series facilitated by theater industry leaders. All workshops are open to the public, ages 14 and up, for a $50 registration fee. Current and former MCC Youth Company members, enrolled students in NYC, and Hell’s Kitchen neighbors can request a discount code by emailing education@mcctheater.org. Be sure to check back for additional offerings.
HOW TO WARM UP
TUE, FEB 18 at 6 PM
Writer, producer, and actor Jasmine Batchelor leads a workshop on mind-body wellness for the theater. Exercises include vocal techniques and yoga movement. Participants are encouraged to bring a mat and/or towel to lie down on and a bottle of water.
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CREATING CHARACTER
WED, FEB 19 at 6 PM
Join Obie and AUDELCO Award-winning actor Benja Kay Thomas and learn how to develop a new character from the page to performance!
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BEYOND WORDS: EXPLORING LANGUAGE, MEMORY, & EMPATHY THROUGH THEATER
THU, FEB 20 at 6 PM
Actor, writer, and producer Maria Müller guides participants in understanding how language can both empower and challenge. Registrants can look forward to playing theater games that explore how language—or the absence of it—can stimulate attention, memory, and empathy.
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MEET THE FACILITATORS
JASMINE BATCHELOR
Jasmine Batchelor is an actor and producer, most recently seen in “EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK” streaming on MGM+, “LAW & ORDER: SVU,” and “NEW AMSTERDAM,” and is a Gotham Award nominee for her breakthrough performance in the indie film THE SURROGATE. Her theatrical credits include work at LCT3, MTC, The Public Theater, and Playwrights Realm. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School.
MARIA MÜLLER
Maria Müller is a Romanian-born, NY-based actor, writer, and producer for theater and film. She is also Executive and Co-Artistic Director of Et Alia, a theater company for international women. Recent acting credits include the play UNTIL DARK, directed by Federica Brlenghi (for which she received a BroadwayWorld nomination), and the feature film NO TOMORROW (Manhattan Film Festival, Queens World Film Festival). She is the recipient of several grants (BAC’s Community Arts Grant, A.R.T./New York’s Creative Opportunity Fund, etc.) through Et Alia and the winner of numerous awards (Best Actress, Best Drama Short, etc.) for various film projects. She has also worked as a host and panel speaker for events such as East European Comic Con, National Women’s Theatre Festival, etc. Her work is featured in national and international publications (Splash Magazines, The National Herald, Radio Romania Cultural), as well as in a book for which she was interviewed alongside Nadine Labaki.
BENJA KAY THOMAS
Benja Kay Thomas is a two-time Obie Winner and a recipient of an AUDELCO Award. She originated the role of “Rabby” in the five-time Tony®-nominated, Pulitzer Prize-winning play FAT HAM, which started at the Public Theater, moved to Broadway, and finished a run at the Geffen Theater in L.A. 2024. The original cast album of FAT HAM is on Audible. Thomas stood by for Phylicia Rashad in SKELETON CREW on Broadway. Select theatre and film credits include HALFWAY BITCHES GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN, MILLER MISSISSIPPI, BOOTY CANDY, and BARBECUE. Films: A LOVE SONG, DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 2, A GUN FOR JENNIFER, CASTING CALL. Television: “FBI (CBS),” “GOTHAM (Fox).” Thomas is passionate about photography, writing, and keeping the tradition of the card game Bid Whist alive. You can hear more about Benja Kay Thomas on “MY FOURTH ACT,” a podcast by Achim Nowak! And the “BACKSTAGE STORIES” podcast by Marcia Pendelton. “BACKSTAGE STORIES” also streams on WBAI.org. She is a member of AEA/SAG/AFTRA, The LAByrinth Theater Company, and The Actor’s Center.
