Manhattan Experimental Theater Workshop

a program of the Manhattan Arts Center in Manhattan, Kansas

MXTW 2020 Schedule and Recommended Time Commitment

If you want to participate but think you will have difficulty meeting these recommendations, please reach out to Gwethalyn (gwethalyn@manhattanarts.org). There may still be options for you to participate based on your availability. Please don’t assume you can’t participate.

Attendance recommendations

First two weeks: Exploration work

Our estimate is that in the first two weeks the recommended work will take you around 8–10 hours per week to complete.

Reader Discussion Sessions

We recommend you attend as many Reader Discussion sessions as you can, but you must attend at least 2 online Reader Discussion sessions and complete the optional activities for at least two more reader selections in order to join a small group creation team. 

Meaning you must read and think about at least half of the reader selections before making technique choices to join a small group. Technique choices are due through an online form by 7 pm on May 28th.

Exploration Sessions and Individual Work

Our recommendation for exploration work is that you complete roughly 12 hours of exploration activities over the course of the first two weeks. 

This can be split up between our online Exploration sessions, and activities you can do individually on your own schedule posted as assignments in the Google Classroom. The assignments have attached time estimates you can use to gauge how much individual work you are doing. 

You need to attend at least 4 hours of online Exploration sessions.

Target Story Discussion

Target Story Discussion sessions are optional. Voting will take place through online forms.

Group viewings of completed work

Online Group Viewing of Completed Work meetings are optional. These are a chance for people to gather online at the same time to view work that has been done individually. 

Most work that is done individually will be available for participants to view in Google Classroom as it is turned in. These meetings will allow those who have not had time to explore the entries on their own a time to gather together to see what has been done.

Last three weeks: Creation process

The amount of time needed during the creation process weeks will depend on if you decide to join a small group, participate in only the whole company pieces, or participate in both. Our estimate is that a small group will take around 8-10 hours of work per week and the whole company will also take around 8-10 hours of work per week.


How to read the schedule

The exploration session schedule is designed for flexibility of attendance, no one is expected to attend all of these sessions, rather to attend the ones that fit best in their schedule. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as you like and we encourage you to attend them. They will be fun! You must attend at least 4 hours of online exploration session.

Some sessions have multiples with the same description and number, for example “Exploration 3” or “Whole Company 2.” In these sessions we will be doing the same things, so you do not need to attend both of them. 

In the last 3 weeks, if you choose to join a small group, those sessions will be scheduled within your small group and will be in addition to the sessions listed here. 

The sessions below are all online meetings where we work together as a group. Exploration work on individual assignments and individual work towards creation of pieces will take place outside of these times.


MXTW 2020 Schedule

All times are in Central Time 

Saturday, May 16

10:00 – 11:15 am

Reader Discussion Session 1: Gertrude Stein & Antonin Artaud

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Exploration Session 1

Sunday, May 17

10:00 – 11:15 am

Reader Discussion Session 2: Vaclav Havel & Peter Handke

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Exploration Session 2

Monday, May 18

10:00 – 11:30 am

Exploration Session 3

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Exploration Session 3

Tuesday, May 19

10:00 – 11:30 am

Exploration Session 4

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Exploration Session 4

Wednesday, May 20

7:00 – 8:15 pm

Reader Discussion Session 3: Betsuyaku Minoru & JoAnne Akalaitis

Thursday, May 21

10:00 – 11:30 am

Exploration Session 5

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Exploration Session 5

Friday, May 22

10:00 – 11:30 am

Exploration Session 6

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Exploration Session 6

Saturday, May 23

10:00 – 11:15 am

Reader Discussion Session 4: Adrienne Kennedy & Lee Breuer

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Exploration Session 7

Sunday, May 24

10:00 – 11:15 am

Reader Discussion Session 5: Xingjian Gao & Diane Glancy

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Exploration Session 8

Monday, May 25

10:00 – 11:30 am

Exploration Session 9

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Exploration Session 9

Tuesday, May 26

10:00 – 11:30 am

Exploration Session 10

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Exploration Session 10

8:30 – 9:30 pm

Optional Group Viewing of Completed Work

Wednesday, May 27

10:00 – 11:00 am

Optional Group Viewing of Completed Work

7:00 – 8:15 pm

Reader Discussion Session 6: Goat Island & Young Jean Lee

8:30 – 9:30 pm

Optional Target Story Discussion

Thursday, May 28

10:00 – 11:30 am

Exploration Session 11

Technique choices due by 7:00 pm

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Exploration Session 11

8:30 – 9:30 pm

Optional Target Story Discussion

Friday, May 29

10:00 – 11:30 am

Exploration Session 12

Target Story final votes due by noon

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Exploration Session 12

Saturday, May 30

Announce Target Story & Small Groups

10:00 – 11:15 am

Optional Group Viewing of Completed Work

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Whole company Session 1

Small Group Meetings Begin

Wednesday, June 3

10:00 – Noon

Whole Company Session 2

7:00 – 9:00 pm

Whole Company Session 2

Saturday, June 6

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Whole Company Session 3

Sunday, June 7

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Whole Company Session 4

Wednesday, June 10

10:00 – Noon

Whole Company Session 5

7:00 – 9:00 pm

Whole Company Session 5

Saturday, June 13

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Whole Company Session 6

Sunday, June 14

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Whole Company Session 7

Wednesday, June 17

6:00 – 9:00 pm

Whole Company Session 8

Mandatory if participating in live online performance

Friday, June 19

6:00 – 9:00 pm

Full Tech Run

Mandatory if participating in live online performance

Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21

Performance time TBA