Rhinebeck Writers Retreat Will Host Residencies For 24 Writers Of Nine New Musicals

For its 15th summer, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat is hosting 24 award-winning musical theatre writers of nine new musicals for nine consecutive weeklong residencies between June 22 and August 24. Each writing team will live in a private home in the Hudson Valley to focus solely on writing their musical for one week.

Writers include Fred Ebb award winners Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler, Kleban winners Cheryl L. Davis and Rona Siddiqui, two-time Tony Award nominated director and choreographer Denis Jones, and Jonathan Larson winners Douglas J. Cohen, Jaime Lozano and Dylan MarcAurele. They are provided a home, travel, food and a stipend. Plus, they will work with a member of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat's Sounding Board of artistic advisors for dramaturgical support. Rhinebeck Writers Retreat also offers the "Writers' Choice" grant, a flexible $1,000 fund that each team can use to support the development of their musical, made possible by a generous grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.

The nine musicals were selected from 205 applications representing 426 musical theatre writers, which were reviewed by 26 readers in the first round and six readers in the final round: Anika Chapin, Director of Artistic Development, Signature Theatre, DC; Kurt Deutsch, Producer; Khiyon Hursey, Composer, Lyricist, Librettist, Rhinebeck alum; Christine Toy Johnson, Writer/Actor/Advocate for Inclusion; Barbara Pasternack, Artistic Director, Theatreworks USA; Blair Russell, TONY-nominated producer and co-founder of Resounding.

All the writers' costs are covered by donors, including an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund, The Howard Ashman Trust for Theater Arts, and The Noël Coward Foundation. Major individual support comes from Liz Armstrong; Paul Feuerman and Bruce Grivetti, Molly McEneny; Liz and Bill Mills; and Steve and Paula Reynolds. Bios, synopses, and list of finalists can be found at www.rhinebeckwriters.org

The writers and musicals selected for this summer and the supporters underwriting each week are:

Jun 22 - Jun 29: Pete White, Fermin Suero, Jr., BLUDLINE: A HIP-HOP ODYSSEY, with Lead Support from Steve and Paula Reynolds

Jun 29 - Jul 6: Douglas J. Cohen, Cheryl L. Davis, BARNSTORMER, with Lead Support from The Howard Ashman Trust for Theater Arts

Jul 6 - Jul 13: Zina Goldrich, Marcy Heisler, Denis Jones, Brad Hennig, STAGE MOTHER, with Lead Support from Molly McEneny and Underwriting Support from The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund

Jul 13 - Jul 20: Rona Siddiqui, Pia Wilson, Lynn Rosen, RATTLE THE CAGE, with Lead Support from Liz Armstrong

Jul 20 - Jul 27: Dylan MarcAurele, Mike Ross, LEWIS LOVES CLARK, with Lead Support from The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund

Jul 27 - Aug 3: Jared Corak, Christopher Anselmo, Addie Gorlin-Han, PRINCESS KAY OF THE MILKY WAY, with Lead Support from Liz and Bill Mills

Aug 3 - Aug 10: Tommy Newman, Jaime Lozano, ROJA, with Underwriting Support from Paul Feuerman and Bruce Grivetti

Aug 10 - Aug 17: Rudy Percival, Sam Woof, MAISON MAC, with Lead Support from The Noël Coward Foundation, in honor of Geoffrey Johnson

Aug 17 - Aug 24: Samora la Perdida, Mobéy Lola Irizarry, Matthew Zwiebel, Josiah Handelman, SPANGLISH SH!T, with Underwriting Support from Damon Suden