New York Theatre Intensives Announces Second New Play Summer Conservatory 6/28-8/5

New York Theatre Intensives/New Play Summer Conservatory in association with the artists of the Ensemble Studio Theatre is offering its second summer conservatory in New York City. The six-week play development program is an intensive and immersive process for student actors, writers and directors which was offered for the first time last year. This year the Conservatory will include a three-week intensive for student lighting designers.

The New York Theatre Intensives/New Play Summer Conservatory runs June 28 though August 5 at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, 549 West 52nd Street, in New York City.

Last year's guest artists included Donald Margulies (Pulitzer Prize), David Auburn (Pulitzer Prize), Willie Reale (Tony and Oscar nominee, MacArthur Fellow, Dominic Chianese (actor), and Billy Hopkins (casting director). Other names from the ranks of the famed Ensemble Studio Theatre will meet with students weekly as they study the art and process of creating new work.

Students will be living in the heart of Chelsea. Playwrights will see their work come to life with actors ready to support, inspire and help shape their vision; directors will develop newly-written material from playwrights; and actors will contribute to the developmental process as a collaborating artist.

Students will present their work throughout the six weeks and attend theatre performances around the city and have optional visits to such places as the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, the Berkshire Playwrights Lab, and the Southampton Writers' Conference at which Ensemble Studio Theatre is the resident theater company.

Program directors Susan Merson and Rod Menzies will introduce a lighting design initiative lead by Geofffrey Dunbar for Summer 2011. Designers will help conceptualize new plays as they are written and work with master design professionals in re working two studio theatre spaces. Scholarships are available for this new initiative.

The application deadline is May 15, 2011. Application and tuition information is at www.nytheatreintensives.org. Check out a video from last year's program at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJz_4kbI5Zc. Email inquiries to summerconservatory@gmail.com

Ensemble Studio Theatre is the premier developmental theatre in this country. It was founded 39 years ago by a small group of artists dedicated to developing new plays for the American theatre. There are currently more than 500 members. The Ensemble Studio Theatre is home to many of our best playwrights, directors and actors including, John Patrick Shanley, Christopher Durang, Cassandra Medley, Jose Rivera, Danny DeVito, Richard Dreyfuss and Christine Lahti.