An Improvisational Woodstock - an account of the AND Summer Retreats origins by palywright Jeffrey Sweet as published in Backstage 1995.

Summer Improv Retreat

Summer Improv Retreat 2012

Magic in the Mountains

Sunday, July 22 - Saturday, July 28

Join us at Scott's Family Resort in Lake Oquaga, New York!
Get back to nature while you expand your artistic horizons.

This retreat is specially designed to accommodate both professional performers, beginners and everyone in-between. You'll be challenged to grow on your own level in a safe, supportive environment.

A balanced immersion into the craft of performing primarily through the skills of improvisation. At the Summer Improv Retreat, you will work daily in small group sessions with improv instructors Gary Austin (founder of L.A.’s The Groundlings) and Michael Gellman (Second City Chicago) and Scotty Watson (Second City Toronto); award-winning playwright/author Jeffrey Sweet; L.A. vocal coach Wenndy MacKenzie; and New York actor, director and performance coach Carol Fox Prescott. Additional sessions will be scheduled with renown instructors such as actor/physical comedian Kenny Raskin (Cirque du Soleil, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) Noel Katz and Larry Rosen (faculty, Second City).

Participants include performers (actors, improvisors, etc) who are looking for a focused week to learn or re-learn creative skills, as well as writers, drama teachers & other educators, lawyers, doctors, business leaders, et al, who are looking to stretch their creative sides as well as become more comfortable speaking/working in front of groups or simply to improve their life skills with the creative power of improv.

There will be time worked into the schedule for you to enjoy the resort, work on your own projects, receive guidance from our instructors, daydream and socialize!

For further information, contact
summer-retreat@artisticnewdirections.org

Learn more about the AND Summer Retreat award-winning faculty

"In an industry where the actor is not always valued, it was wonderful to come away from a community where the objective seemed to be to make the actor the most valued we could be."
- M. Anderson, Seattle, WA

Read more student testimonials

“I learned so much -- part of what I learned is that I already know the material, but needed to find out how to get it out of myself!!!” 
- D. Squire, New York, NY

Read more student testimonials

Summer Retreats Tuition-2011 prices (2012 prices TBD)

"Carol, Gary, Michael, Wenndy and Jeffrey were all amazing. I couldn't figure out which class I looked forward to most! Kenny and Noel & Larry were also amazing!”
 - J. Wilton, New York, NY

Read more student testimonials

Playwright’s Retreat with Jeffrey Sweet
Improv to Script and other ways to get your ideas into shape!!
2012 Dates to be Announced

Mike Leigh does it for film and stage. Larry David does in on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Both of them build finished pieces out of improvisation. There are learnable techniques for doing this and Jeffrey Sweet can teach them to you. Bring something you are currently working on, or just bring a desire to learn. We can’t cope with full drafts of something you’ve already written, but this is a chance to bring a scene or an outline that is giving you trouble and make serious progress. Jeffrey will lead a daily workshop and will be available for private consultation. Presented in conjunction with the Master Improv Retreat, there will be actor/improvisors available at scheduled times to improvise your scenario or read your script.

For further information, contact:
summer-retreat@artisticnewdirections.org

Learn more about the AND Summer Retreat award-winning faculty