Applications Open for Rhinebeck Writers Retreat's 10th Anniversary Summer Residencies

Kathy Evans, Founding Executive Director of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, announced that applications are open for the 10th anniversary of hosting retreats for musical theatre writers. There will be nine consecutive weeklong residencies in the Hudson Valley between June 27 and August 29 for nine musical theatre writing teams. Each team will have a private retreat to focus solely on writing their new musical. There is no fee for applications received by February 18th at 6:00pm EST and a fee of $25 for the final application deadline of February 25th at 6:00pm EST. All details and the online application can be found at https://www.rhinebeckwriters.org/2021-application.

Since its creation 10 years ago, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat has supported over 175 musical theatre writers with fully-funded residencies. The not-for-profit has covered all the writers' costs, including air travel up to $750 and a $600 stipend for each writer with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund, The Noël Coward Foundation, and hundreds of individual donors.

Many musicals developed at Rhinebeck have had full productions, including Broadway Bounty Hunter, by Tony-nominee Joe Iconis, Lance Rubin, and Jason "SweetTooth" Williams, which has a cast recording and ran off-Broadway in 2019. Bhangin' It, by Sam Willmott, Mike Lew, and Rehana Lew Mirza will have a world premiere production this fall at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. Sean's Story, by Khiyon Hursey, has been commissioned by Ars Nova in New York for further development this year and potentially a full production.

Rhinebeck Writers Retreat was created in 2011 and provides a sanctuary for musical theatre writers to focus solely on writing their new musicals in the heart of the Hudson Valley. The Triple R program, introduced in 2015, provides two readings and a residency for intensive development of one musical each year. Rhinebeck musicals have been seen at The Public Theater, Barrington Stage, Second Stage Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, The Old Globe, and Paper Mill Playhouse. All costs are covered by donors, including National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; The ASCAP Foundation and The Noël Coward Foundation. Major individual support comes from Liz Armstrong; Rick Farrar and Jeff Zadroga; Liz and Bill Mills, Steve and Paula Reynolds, and Alex Robertson. www.rhinebeckwriters.org

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