Saturday, July 13--Sunday, July 21, 2002


Have you ever dreamed about writing a play?


"I can't explain how wonderful it is to be sitting in a dark theatre, knowing that your play is next and being absolutely terrified that your play is next."

Playwright Alison Stine on her experiences
in the 1997 Urban Retreat.


In 1981, Stephen Sondheim and other members of the Dramatists Guild brought renowned British director and educator Gerald Chapman from London's Royal Court Theatre to New York to inspire a new generation of playwrights. Out of this collaboration came the groundbreaking Young Playwrights Festival and Writing On Your Feet! Workshops. Through these programs, over 30,000 young people have been exposed to the art of playwriting.  Now we're making our process available to you. You can study playwriting in the world's most exciting theater environment at YPI's Urban Retreat!

  • See Broadway and Off Broadway productions.
  • Take our award-winning writing workshops.
  • Receive intensive one-on-one tutoring from our resident playwrights.
  • Have your scenes performed by professional actors near the heart of Broadway.

Retreat participants will take three intensive workshops daily.  Each morning will begin with a session designed to get you started on a play, help you create complex characters and distinctive dialogue, offer solutions to writer's block, and explore revisions. In the afternoons, you will attend panel discussions and guest lectures by prominent playwrights and work one-on-one with our teaching artists on revising and deepening your writing.  In the evening, you will collaborate with professional dramaturgs, directors, and actors on the production of your new play. Interspersed with this intensive study will be outings to Broadway and Off Broadway productions.

Urban Retreat participants will live in dormitory-style housing, supervised by responsible resident advisors.

Tuition for the Urban Retreat is $1250, including meals and housing.  Open to all writers aged 14-21.