Model and Strategy
Tectonic Theater Project is an award-winning company that develops new works exploring theatrical form and language to engage audiences in dialogue about the social, political, and human issues that shape our world. Its productions bring personal and political stories to life, often illuminating the experiences of marginalized communities and addressing themes of race, class, sexuality, ability, and identity.
Tectonic’s mission and artistic approach are grounded in Moment Work, an egalitarian method that places all elements of theater—light, sound, movement, text—on equal footing. This collaborative process invites designers, actors, writers, and directors to experiment with the unique narrative and sensory potential of the stage.
“Theater’s unique position as a communal art form provides a powerful antidote to today's age of information noise and isolation. Our work intentionally seeks to speak to audiences on both intellectual and emotional levels … leveraging the power of storytelling to bridge the gaps between people’s lived experiences, and even their different versions of the truth, inviting them to connect with other humans across differences.” — Matt Joslyn, Executive Director
Through its New Play Development Laboratory, Tectonic shepherds groundbreaking works from concept to world premiere and national tour. Upcoming and recent productions include:
- Here There Are Blueberries: A 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist, this play examines a World War II photo album that reveals unsettling truths about complicity and humanity. Following a sold-out national tour, it will open in London in 2026 with potential West End and Broadway transfers. (Watch an excerpt)
- Las Aventuras de Juan Planchard: Presented in Spanish with English supertitles, this adaptation dramatizes the dismantling of Venezuela’s democracy under Hugo Chávez. After rave reviews in Miami, an Off-Broadway production is planned for 2026.
- Treatment & Data: Based on interviews with ACT UP activists, this play traces how citizen-scientists transformed AIDS research and public health policy—offering both a history and a playbook for future movements.
- LUST: An immersive new work asserting the humanity of the sex worker community, created by Bess Wohl with designer David Rockwell and artist Donna Carnow, and in development for a 2027 premiere.
The company’s Moment Work Institute trains the next generation of theater-makers through a Summer Institute, university partnerships, and workshops in public schools, equipping artists to build new forms that reveal deeper truths about our shared humanity.
Impact
Tectonic is one of the most awarded theater companies in the United States, recognized with a Pulitzer Prize, distinction as a Pulitzer Finalist, Tony Awards, Emmy nominations and more. In awarding Artistic Director Moisés Kaufman the 2015 National Medal of Arts, President Obama lauded Tectonic for “bold portrayals of contemporary social issues.”
The company’s landmark 2000 play, The Laramie Project, about the aftermath of Matthew Shepard’s murder, remains one of the most produced plays in America, with over 100 stagings annually. Beyond performance, it has helped shape national conversations on hate crimes and homophobia; Tectonic members were invited to the White House for the signing of the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Recent works have resonated just as deeply with audiences. Here There Are Blueberries—developed with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics—has reached 65,000+ people in six cities, accompanied by study guides, talkbacks, and lobby exhibits. Las Aventuras de Juan Planchard marked Tectonic’s first Spanish-language play, centering Venezuelan immigrant audiences in Miami and offering diasporic communities representation rarely seen on U.S. stages. Velour: A Drag Spectacular, co-created with Sasha Velour, celebrated drag artistry and queer resilience at La Jolla Playhouse. Together, these productions underscore Tectonic’s commitment to diversity in form, language, and community.
Tectonic has an impact beyond the scope of its own activities, The company works intentionally to create plays that are replicable by artists at all levels: after Tectonic premieres and tours its plays, scripts are published for community, professional, and school productions, ensuring stories reach as many people as possible. Its catalogue of original plays, such as I Am My Own Wife, 33 Variations, and Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, continue to be staged across the U.S. and globally.
Leadership
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Moisés Kaufman
Founder & Artistic Director
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Matt Joslyn
Executive Director