A short history

The Manhattan Experimental Theater Workshop (MXTW) was founded in 1989 by Kansas State University Professor of Philosophy, Jim Hamilton. MXTW is a 5-week experimental theater workshop for high school students. Part classroom and part production company, participants study various styles of avant-garde theater, then write and perform original pieces under the influences of the styles they have studied.

This workshop is special because it seamlessly teaches respect for the text, the work, the art, and the company. I learned so much as a student and as a theatre maker by discovering the uniqueness of each piece of text and exploring the boundaries of my own creativity. I learned so much about ensemble building and I still apply a lot of our exercises…to my work as an actor now.

Macy Lanceta, MXTW alumna, Florida State University Acting BFA class of 2018

I’ve been a part of MXTW since 2001. I was a participant for 3 years and assistant directed for 9 years. I’ve also worn various graphic design, photographer, copywriter, and marketing hats since 2009.

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Each year has its own name and mask which are typically created separately (Jim has come up with the name and chooses an artist to design the mask). I’ve had the honor of making 10 of the masks. The process consists of creating sketches based on the producer and director’s wishes/random inspiration they send me and then working until they’re happy with the final result.