About
The Rhinebeck Writers Retreat serves a crucial role for writers, in the long developmental process for their musicals. We give a writing team a weeklong residency in a private home just outside of Rhinebeck, where they live together for one week and do nothing but write their new musical. We ask for no money from Rhinebeck writers, take no share of future royalties, give each writer a stipend, and cover all costs of the retreat.
Mission statement
The mission of the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat is to provide a sanctuary for musical theatre writers to develop their musicals in the heart of the Hudson Valley, and to promote awareness for the creation of this uniquely American art form.
Board of Directors
- Peter Risafi, Chair
- Betsy Tomic, Treasurer
- Rick Farrar, Secretary
- Lili Arbogast
- Kathy Evans, Founding Executive Director
- Amy Faxon
Sounding Board
We call our artistic advisors our “Sounding Board.” They are leaders in the field and experts in the development of new musicals. They provide valuable insight to the Board of Directors and help select the participants in the retreat. We thank them for their talent and time.
- Tory Bailey, Executive Director of the Theatre Development Fund
- Neil Bartram, Composer
- Gigi Bolt, Theatre Consultant
- Rick Boynton, Creative Producer of Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Darrah Cloud, Bookwriter and Playwright
- Nick Demos, Producer, Demos/Bizar Entertainment
- Kurt Deutsch, President, Sh-K-Boom Records
- Jason Eagan, Artistic Director, Ars Nova
- Brian Hill, Bookwriter
- Donna Lynn Hilton, Line Producer of Goodspeed Musicals
- Mara Isaacs, Founder and Director of Octopus Theatricals
- Andrew Lippa, Composer/Lyricist/Musician
- Kent Nicholson, Director of Musical Theatre, Playwrights Horizons
- Barbara Pasternack, Artistic Director, Theatreworks USA
- Michael Robertson, Managing Director of The Lark Play Development Center
- Sarah Schlesinger, Chair of NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program
- Steve Stettler, Producing Artistic Director, Weston Playhouse
- Daniella Topol, Director
- David Zippel, Tony-winner for City of Angels
- Robert Zukerman, former Director of Theatre at New York State Council on the Arts