Creative Creatures: Writer's Retreat with Susan Piver

A Writer's Retreat

May 11-16, 2008 (5 nights, Sun - Fri)
with Susan Piver

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts

What do writers want more than anything in the world? Time to write! Yet, even when precious time can be found, it's not always easy to settle into the writing groove. Yoga and meditation can help synchronize the mind and body in a way that truly supports the creative process.

The focus of this week is on having plenty of personal time to write. To support our writing, there will be meditation instruction and practice, and you are encouraged to attend one of the Kripalu Yoga classes offered each day. There will also be opportunities to read and discuss your work. Guiding and weaving the week are award-winning writing teacher Sanford Kaye, who teaches at both Harvard and Curry College, and Buddhist meditation teacher and best-selling author Susan Piver.

The retreat-like atmosphere at Kripalu offers a peaceful and supportive setting for a writing retreat. No previous experience in yoga or meditation is necessary. The retreat is open to dedicated writers of fiction and nonfiction, published and unpublished.

Susan Piver is an authorized meditation instructor in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage and the New York Times best-selling author of The Hard Questions series. She has practiced meditation for more than 10 years. Her most recent book is How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life.

Featured Playwright: Dominic Orlando

I met Dominic two years ago at the Atlantic Center for the Arts when we both participated in a three-week bootcamp residency with Master Artist Paula Vogel. Since then I've seen his name all sorts of places, including American Theater. He's an aritist to watch.
-Kato McNickle

BEST QUOTE: Great (and useful) theatre serves one of two
purposes--to celebrate or to mourn.

Dominic Orlando is a former Jerome Fellow to The Playwrights Center and was last year awarded a McKnight Advancement Grant. His plays have been developed and produced at The Guthrie Theater (commission), Here Arts Center (NYC), The Samuel Beckett on Theatre Row (off-Broadway), The Lincoln Center/American Living Room (multi-year), The Ontological at St Mark's Church, The Aurora Theatre, The Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Teatro Del Pueblo (commission, multi-year), The Jungle Theater (multi-year), Stage Left Theater, The New York International Fringe Festival (multi-year), The Edinburgh Fringe, The Prague International Fringe, and The Pasinger/ Fabrik in Munich, among others. In NYC his work was supported by The New York State Council on the Arts, the Alliance of Resident Theatres, The NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs and The Puffin Fondation. He has been a writer-in-residence at The MacDowell Colony (three-time Fellow), The Edward Albee Foundation (multi-year), Ucross, The Djerassi Resident Artists Program, The William Inge Center for the Arts, and The Atlantic Center for the Arts (a residency with Paula Vogel). His writing is published by Playscripts and Dramatics Magazine. Recent productions: "Juan Gelion Dances for the Sun", Crowded Fire Theatre, San Francisco ("electric with dramatic, physical and intellectual energy"-The Chronicle); "A Short Play About Globalization", Workhaus Collective, Minneapolis ("daring and idea-packed, one of the most original nights of theatre in recent memory"-City Pages). He is a Core Member of The Playwrights Center and a founding member of The Workhaus Collective.

What's the most interesting/fun thing you've done as a playwright?
Prague/Munich/Edinburgh/The East Village + meeting
other species of artist at colonies around the country--

Where's the best place for a playwright to live/work nowadays?
NYC/Minneapolis/San Francisco (or maybe HBO)

Who are you reading right now?
The Diaries of Rilke

What's your favorite (or most effective) beverage of choice to consume either before or while writing?
Coffee, coffee, coffee

What's your latest project?
Producing for the Workhaus Collective, writing the book for two friends in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, trying to figure out why I'm reading Rilke

What are you doing for New Year's?
What else? getting drunk with a bunch of playwrights

Find out more about his Plays
Buy his plays from Playcripts.com


Dominic at the ACA in Florida taking some R&R on one of the bikes.