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A sanctuary for musical theatre writers to develop new musicals in the heart of the Hudson Valley .

2026 Summer Residencies 
ONLINE APPLICATION

Before you begin the online application for Rhinebeck Writers Retreat’s 2026 Summer Residencies, make sure you have reviewed the Application Overview page in its entirety. 

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Please note: Once you begin the application, you must complete it in one sitting. There is no option to save your work and come back to it. Therefore, be sure to gather all of the requested information and materials before you begin the application. To help you prepare, you can find a full copy of the application instructions and questions below, or download them HERE.

 

After you have compiled everything, you can access the application itself via the link at the bottom of this page. 

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Marvin@rhinebeckwriters.org.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Project Information

  • Musical Title

  • Have you applied to RWR with this musical before? 

    • If so, which year did you submit your last application?

  • Is this project a commission? (Yes/No) 

    • If so, provide the name of the commissioning organization.

  • Is the musical either wholly original or in the public domain? In other words, is it free from any third party rights considerations? (Yes/No)

    • If not, have you acquired all necessary underlying rights to develop and produce a full production of your musical, and do those rights extend at least through the end of this year?

    • NOTE: You may only apply if you have acquired these rights in writing. After you submit your application, you must send an email to info@rhinebeckwriters.org, subject line “Rights Letter for <Title of Musical>," with a copy of the signed letter proving you have secured these rights. You may redact dollar amounts.

  • Will all the members of your team be 21 years or older by June 14, 2026? (Yes/No)

Artist Information

You must assign one writer as the Primary Contact who will receive all correspondence regarding your application and is responsible for disseminating information to the rest of your team. The first writer you list in the application will be your Primary Contact.

 

Number of Writers: 1, 2, 3, or more than 3

 

For every writer on the team, please provide:

  • Name

  • Artistic role(s) on this project (book/lyrics/music)

  • Email address

  • Phone number

  • Zip code

  • Are you a member of ASCAP, BMI, or The Dramatists Guild?

Required Title Page Credit

We do not ask for future financial participation. The only ongoing requirement is a title page development credit for all future readings, showcases, productions and publications as follows: “<Title of musical> was developed, in part, at Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.”

 

In the application, you will be asked to affirm that all the writers on your team have read the “Application Overview” on the website and agree to provide Rhinebeck Writers Retreat with this title page credit if you are selected for a residency.

Professional Reference

Provide the name, title, organization, and email address for a professional reference. This should be someone who has worked professionally with at least one of the writers on your team, and whom we may contact as a reference for your application.

Availability

Indicate all of the dates that your entire team is available. All members of a writing team must participate for the full week. If you have an extenuating circumstance, please contact us before completing the application at Marvin@rhinebeckwriters.org. For reference, arrivals are Sunday afternoon and departures are the following Sunday, early morning.  There is only one team in residence each week. 

 

2026 Summer Residency weeks:​

June 14 - June 21
June 21 - June 28

June 28 - July 5
July 5 - July 12
July 12 - July 19
July 19 - July 26
July 26 - August 2
August 2 - August 9
August 9 - August 16

Document Upload via File Sharing Link

Please prepare a shareable/downloadable link via Dropbox, Google Drive, or WeTransfer containing nine (9) files: four (4) mp3 tracks + five (5) PDFs (see below for more details). Be sure that the share settings will allow anyone with the link to view and download the files.

 

Please do not include any additional materials other than what is listed below, including external links to additional videos, sound recordings, or other materials, as they will not be reviewed.

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If you have any questions, please email Marvin@rhinebeckwriters.org and we'd be happy to help you!

Your folder must include the following nine files and use the file name format provided for each.

  1. File name: “1. <Track #1 title>”

  2. File name: “2. <Track #2 title>”

  3. File name: “3. <Track #3 title>”

  4. File name: “4. <Track #4 title>”

    • Files #1-4 are four songs/demos from your musical. All tracks must be in mp3 format. Note that the readers will listen to the tracks in the order that you number/name them. It is helpful for at least one song to appear in the 25-page script excerpt (file #8 below), and the song order must match the order of the lyrics document (file #9 below). If four songs aren’t yet completed from your musical, you may include other songs by the composer, but at least two of the four songs must be from the submitted musical.

  5. File name: “5. <Show title> Writer Bios” – include a brief bio (less than 150 words) for each writer, combined into one document.

  6. File name: “6. <Show title> Synopsis” – a brief synopsis (not to exceed 500 words), followed by a character breakdown.

    • In the synopsis, be sure to share the plot of the entire musical, since we only get to read 25 pages.

    • The character breakdown should immediately follow the synopsis, in the same document. 

  7. File name: “7. <Show title> Background and Artistic Goals” – please answer the following four questions in one page or less (12-point type):

    • How long has your writing team been collaborators and how did you meet? 

    • What inspired you to tell this story?

    • What is the development history of your musical so far?

    • What do you hope to achieve during your one week residency in Rhinebeck?

  8. File name: “8. <Show title> Script Excerpt” – a 25-page excerpt from the script. Be sure that the title and writers’ names are on the first page, and that all pages are numbered. This excerpt does not necessarily need to be the first 25 pages of the libretto. The 25-page count begins with the first page of dialogue (not the title page, etc).

    • If the excerpt is not the first 25 pages of your script, please include a paragraph at the beginning to set the stage.

    • If you don’t yet have 25 pages from the musical you are submitting, the document you upload should start with a detailed outline of the musical you are applying with/plan to work on at Rhinebeck (not to exceed 2 pages), directly followed by a 25-page excerpt from another script by the bookwriter. Be sure that the title and writers of that project appear on the first page of the excerpt.

  9. File name: “9. <Show title> Song Lyrics” – the lyrics of the four tracks you submitted, so our readers can follow along while they listen. Before each song within this document:

    • Be sure to number the song titles 1 through 4, to match the numbering of the tracks (files #1-4 above).

    • If the song appears in the 25-page excerpt (file #8), indicate the page number where it appears in the excerpt.

    • If the song does not appear in the 25-page excerpt and/or it is from another source/show, please provide a 2-sentence plot introduction to set it up.

    • It's OK if this lyric document has different/more current lyrics than those heard in the tracks, but if that is the case be sure to make note of it in this document.

Writer Survey

This section is for administrative purposes and grant proposals to foundations. It is not seen by the readers. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation.  

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  1. If a member of your team has access needs that may not be met at our residency home, we will provide alternate, accessible housing for the entire team in one location. Note that the residency home is not wheelchair accessible. Please indicate if accessible housing is needed for your team.

  2. Please indicate if a member of your team would like to bring a child and a caregiver to the residency.

  3. Please indicate the race/ethnic heritage(s) that members of your team identify with.

Application Fee

If you submit your application before February 2 at 6:00pm EST, there is no fee.
 

If you submit your application between February 2 at 6:01pm EST and the late deadline on February 9 at 6:00pm EST, there is a $30 application fee.  You will be automatically prompted to pay after you hit “Submit” on the online application page. If the late deadline fee is a barrier preventing you from accessing this opportunity, please email us at Marvin@rhinebeckwriters.org.

Final Step...

Don’t forget to click the SUBMIT button at the end of the online application. Remember, once you hit “Submit”, you cannot make any changes to your application. You will get a web screen confirmation immediately after.

We will reach out to let you know whether or not your application will proceed to Round 2 in mid-March, and the nine 2026 residency teams will be confirmed in April. 

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