The Lunatico Method - A Pedagogy of Embodiment
An ensemble practice rooted in the inherent artistry within all beings

​The Lunatico Method was developed by Tina Taylor, through decades of training, research, and practice. Tina Taylor established Theatre Lunatico in California in 2004 specifically as a laboratory environment in which she could bring together multiple strands of her theatrical training, research, and history, resulting in; a) a philosophy of theatre rooted in intimate, connected actor/audience relationships, b) a bare-bones, blank-page approach to the creative process allowing for a collaborative, empowering working arena, c) an aesthetic born of integrated, egalitarian creative teams, d) a focus on bringing women from the periphery of the theatrical experience to centre stage, and e) a lens of experimental whimsicality and nostalgia which acknowledges the essential artistry accessible within all beings.

At the heart of it all, Tina developed a deep and radical commitment to artistic consent.

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The Lunatico approach places an emphasis on resilient, resourceful, empowered actors. Movement and vocal improvisation are inherent to script development, with authentic, transparent pathways to character development. 

It is place-based, adaptable to traditional and non-traditional performance arenas, but prefers small, intimate venues rooted deeply in the community experience.

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Tina’s role with Theatre Lunatico became one of artistic guidance from 2022 when she returned to the UK. In 2025 Tina resigned from the company and continues to promote her unique approach to theatre production.

TINA TAYLOR’S TRAINING – LAYING FOUNDATIONS

Tina trained at Bretton Hall College, Leeds University, England through an immersive and cross-disciplinary approach to the performing arts. She then spent years of intense training with Philip Knight’s Third Theatre, England, an ensemble physical theatre company. Over the decades she has had additional training with practitioners across the globe, including workshops with Augusto Boal (Brazil), Christina Castrillo (Argentina), Hugo Medina (Chile), and Nic Fine (South Africa).

Before turning to theatre, Tina trained as a dancer, and continued to merge her dance experience with the theatrical approach. Tina’s productions are tightly choreographed and visually evocative.

Shoebox Shakespeare Series

The Shoebox Shakespeare Series was originally developed by Tina Taylor as part of her Lunatico pedagogy, bringing classical texts into small, intimate spaces where ensemble energy, proximity, and immediacy transforms the audience experience. The first production — a full cast of seventeen actors performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 142 Throckmorton Theatre's storefront space — established the series’ defining principle: big stories in small spaces, where physicality, connection, and shared breath shape the performance.

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Central to Tina’s approach is a deep respect for the integrity of the original script. Shoebox Shakespeare embraces bold physicality and ensemble invention, but always in dialogue with the text — honouring its language, structure, and dramatic intention while revealing its contemporary resonance.

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Tina’s pragmatic “on its feet” approach to Shakespeare merges textual purity with embodied language, inviting actors to discover meaning through movement, voice, and ensemble dynamics. This approach celebrates the creative possibilities of unconventional venues while keeping the script itself at the heart of the work.

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Tina continues to explore and teach this original approach independently in the UK, drawing from the methodology she developed while leading Theatre Lunatico. Her work with Shoebox Shakespeare reflects the original ethos she established: intimate venues, ensemble physicality, textual integrity, and a commitment to making classical texts accessible through proximity, immediacy, and embodied storytelling.

If you would like to know more about how this approach can enhance your production, be it Shakesepeare or any of the classical playwrights, please reach out and start a conversation. 

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To explore how Tina's approach might shape your production or training, you are warmly invited to begin a conversation.