Hineni.
I am here.
The Hineni Circle Project is a ritual theater collective — a living circle where plays are born, tested, and sent into the world. We gather to write, read, rehearse, and perform. We learn a new way to make theater that is also prayer.
Hineni means: I am here — completely, openly, ready for what comes next.
The Hineni Circle Project LLC is a ritual theater collective founded by playwright and director Laurie S. Sherman. We gather — seniors, high school students, teachers, parents, community members — to do something that has never quite been done before.
We are developing the Hineni Circle — a new theory of ritual theater: how to write it, direct it, voice it, and bring it to audiences who have never seen anything quite like it.
Through our playwright-in-residence, we are learning and growing together — making theater that is also liturgy, drama that is also prayer, performance that is also transformation.
Our circle currently includes about ten senior members, and we are actively inviting high school seniors, young adults, and anyone drawn to this kind of work to join us.
Why would you want to be in a ritual theater circle?
Let us count the ways. There are many. Here are just a few.
You will grow as a human being.
Ritual theater asks you to be present in a way that ordinary life rarely demands. You will discover things about yourself — your voice, your story, your capacity for transformation — that you did not know were there.
You will make something real.
These are not exercises. These are plays that will be performed — short runs, real audiences, real talk-backs. Your work will reach people. That matters.
You will be part of something new.
The Hineni Circle is developing a new theory of ritual theater — a new way to write, direct, and perform. You will be in at the beginning of something that will outlast all of us.
Four to six plays this fall and winter. One more in early 2027. A Women's Day Festival in spring.
Ten Feet
An intergenerational play about who we welcome, who we exclude, and what it costs us. A high school senior and a Green Valley senior share the stage. Short run — two casts, three to four performances.
The Archivist
A new ritual play about memory, preservation, and what we choose to keep. Intergenerational cast. Short run — two casts, three to four performances including a matinee with talk-back.
Additional Productions
Several more plays in active development for short runs in black box venues and community spaces. Announcements coming. Inquire about hosting a production in your community.
Women's Day Festival
A full festival of plays, speakers, and ritual theater — celebrating women's voices, women's stories, and the power of gathering. Multiple plays, multiple voices, one extraordinary day.
Ten books in print. Ten more arriving by autumn 2026.
Plays. Poetry collections. Monologue books. Prayer books. Ritual theater. YA fiction. Social and organizational psychology. A first novel. Three books releasing every month through 2026 and into 2027.
HINENI: Voices — Monologues of Presence
HINENI: In Sarah's Tent
KNOT.: A Ritual Play in Five Movements
Kol Isha: The Women Speak
Production Assistant Wanted
The Hineni Circle Project LLC is looking for a part-time Production Assistant to help bring ritual theater to Southern Arizona and beyond. This is a ground-floor opportunity with a company that is growing fast and doing work that has never quite been done before.
What we need: Someone organized, enthusiastic, and comfortable working remotely. You will help coordinate productions, communicate with venues and cast, manage logistics, and keep things moving. Theater background is a plus but not required. Passion for the work is required.
Mostly remote. Part-time. Flexible hours. Green Valley / Southern Arizona area preferred.
Apply by Email →Send a brief letter of interest and any relevant experience to [email protected]. No phone calls.
