A new documentary is set to be released, shedding light on Shia LaBeouf’s Slauson Rec theater company. The film, directed by student Leo Lewis O’Neil, documents LaBeouf’s controversial teaching methods and “examines the fine line between mentorship and manipulation in the pursuit of making art within an experimental theater collective.”
“I wasn’t the only one that was desperate for a community. Everybody who stuck through that program, I think, had an intense sense of being desperate for something like a family,” O’Neil told Vanity Fair in a recent interview about his film.
Slauson Recreation Center was a free theater collective in Los Angeles. Founded in 2018 by actor Shia LaBeouf, it quickly attracted a slew of curious students from around the country, which included O’Neil. After LaBeouf noticed O’Neil’s camera in the early days of the program, he encouraged the student to film everything that took place at these sessions.
As Slauson Rec evolved, the program became “intense daily rehearsals led by Shia, pushing participants to their limits.” The documentary features footage of LaBeouf’s extreme practices and methods, including shouting, physical intimidation, and more. Though LaBeouf supports the release of the film, he is not officially involved in any capacity other than as a subject. The collective eventually dissolved in November of 2020. Watch a trailer of the film below.
