Directing

Paul Skye Lehrman is an actor-centered director working across independent film, theater, and live performance. Rooted in his training as a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio and shaped by his mentorship under Jack Garfein, his directing approach prioritizes emotional truth and ensemble collaboration.

Whether behind the camera or shaping a live theatrical experience, his work seeks to create space for risk, vulnerability, and shared discovery.

Independent Film

Cabin Collective Studios

In the summer of 2025 at Crystal Lake in the Adirondacks, Paul co-founded and produced an intensive creative retreat through Cabin Collective Studios, bringing together eight Lifetime Members of The Actors Studio for a six-day artist-led film initiative. Over the course of the retreat, the ensemble collaboratively wrote, directed, performed in, and produced five short narrative films from the ground up.

Inspired by the Group Theatre’s legacy of socially conscious ensemble work, Cabin Collective Studios exists to cultivate transformative storytelling rooted in community, risk, and compassion. The work is created outside commercial pressure, allowing artists to pursue emotional truth and human complexity without compromise. In parallel with his independent film work, Paul directs live theatrical productions that blend structure and spontaneity.

Live Theatrical Direction – The Jewish Dating Game

Paul serves as Producer and Director of The Jewish Dating Game, a live theatrical dating show blending comedy, matchmaking, improvisation, and audience participation.

With 27 performances in just 18 months, the show has established a monthly residency at Caveat in New York City and has played additional venues across NYC and Washington, DC, with upcoming performances in Philadelphia and Miami. Each performance draws an average audience of approximately 100 guests.

As director, Paul helps shape the pacing and emotional architecture of each live show. The production balances structure and spontaneity, allowing contestants and audiences alike to discover authentic moments within a highly theatrical frame.

The show has received press coverage from The Forward and The New York Jewish Week, and continues to expand nationally.

Foundation & Mentorship

Paul’s directing foundation was shaped by his close mentorship under the legendary director Jack Garfein. After training in Garfein’s intensive workshop at HB Studio, Paul became his Artistic Assistant and later assistant directed workshops internationally at studios in New York City, Kingston University in London, and The Film School of Łódź in Poland.

This experience instilled a commitment to actor-centered process, rigorous text analysis, and emotionally grounded storytelling, principles that continue to guide his directing work across mediums.

Directing Philosophy

Paul believes the director’s primary responsibility is to protect the actor’s process while holding the shape of the story. His work begins with creating an environment where artists feel safe enough to take risks and specific enough to make clear choices.

Drawn to stories that live in uncertainty, his films and live productions explore joy, grief, forgiveness, devotion, and the fragile persistence of hope. Whether working in intimate independent film or shaping a live theatrical experience, for Paul, directing is not about control, but about building a container strong enough to hold uncertainty and brave enough to invite truth.