2026 Retreat:
Re-Engage. Re-Imagine. Retreat.
Dates: June 12 – 14, 2026
Location: New Haven, CT, USA
40 Years of LMDA. One Transformative Retreat.
The field is transforming and so are we. To honor four decades of LMDA , this year’s conference will be a retreat with a focus on reflection, connection and creative renewal. Hosted at the David Geffen Yale School of Drama (the site of our 1997 gathering), the 2026 New Haven LMDA Retreat is a recentering and a reimagining all in one. We’ll engage with essential topics ranging from sustainable professional practices (including finance and contracts) to innovative pedagogy and the expansion of dramaturgy across audio, film, and themed entertainment.
As we look toward the next 40 years, we are focused on re-engagement, resource sharing, and skill-building. Whether you are a veteran dramaturg, a teacher of the next generation, or a “dramaturgically inclined” artist who has never claimed the title, you belong here.
In the forthcoming call for proposals, we will be looking for workshops and relationship-building sessions that grapple with some big questions:
- How do we continue expanding our practice into producing, dance, film, and adaptation?
- How do we negotiate our worth as freelancers?
- How do we widen the lens of our “small planet”?
Come share your skills and build the future!
General Information
Retreat events will start on the afternoon of Friday, June 12th, with a full slate of events on Saturday the 13th, with the final retreat events concluding by lunchtime on Sunday the 14th.
Registration
On all days of the conference, the registration desk will be located in the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) Lobby & Studio at 149 York Street.
Meals
The only meal provided with full conference registration is Saturday evening’s dinner.
Check out our live interactive Google Map to explore all the great restaurants, coffee shops and bars that New Haven has to offer.
If you purchased a regional breakfast with your registration, volunteers will direct you where to go on Sunday morning. If you didn’t purchase a regional breakfast in advance, you can do so at any time at the Registration Desk for $15
Schedule-at-a-Glance
Friday, June 12, 2026
- 1:00 PM
- Registration opens
- 4:00 PM
- Welcome Plenary: Pathways to and Through Dramaturgy
- 5:00 PM
- Trivia Welcome Drinks!
- 7:00 PM
- Affinity Space Dinners
Saturday, June 13, 2026
- 9:00 AM
- Registration opens
- 10:00 AM
- Panel: Dramaturgy as Leadership
- Working Group: Multi-Media Practice
- Working Group: The Non-Linear Balance (How to Build a Multi-hypenate Career)
- 11:30 AM
- Panel: Let’s Unpack That: Contracts for Dramaturgs
- Working Group: Teaching & Dramaturging
- Working Group: Dramaturgy Across Space & Sector
- 1:00 PM
- Lunch on your own
- 2:00 PM
- Keynote Speaker: Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of the Public Theatre
- 3:30 PM
- Panel: Escape from Development Hell: A Real World Guide to Film & Television Dramaturgy
- Working Group: Sustainable Labor Practices & Financial Advocacy
- Working Group: LMDA: Agendas for the Future
- Working Group: Surviving Fascist Collapse in Academia
- 5:00 PM
- Hot Topics Happy Hour
- 7:00 PM
- Party!
Sunday, June 14, 2026
- 9:00 AM
- Regional Breakfast
- 10:30 AM
- LMDA Annual General Meeting
- 12:00 PM
- Goodbyes!
Accommodations
Hotels
Attendees are responsible for booking their own stays for the duration of the conference. There are many great hotels within walking distance of Yale’s conference, including:
AirBnB & VRBO
New Haven has a wide variety of AirBnb, VRBO and other house-share accommodations available. Please visit those websites to learn more!
Roomshare network
If you are interested in connecting with other conference attendees to share a hotel room or other accommodation, you are welcome to use the official LMDA Slack channel to make plans.
Accessibility & Travel Insights
Air Travel
- If you are flying to the conference, we recommend flying into any of the New York City Airports (Newark, JFK or Laguardia), and then transferring to the MetroNorth via Grand Central or Amtrak via Penn Station.
- Alternatively, you may choose to fly into Bradley International Airport in Hartford County, CT and take a 45-minute rideshare to New Haven.
Traveling from New York by Train
Recommended Route: Metro-North New Haven Line or Amtrak Northeast Regional
- Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven Line runs directly from Grand Central Terminal to New Haven Union Station. Travel time is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on service (express vs. local).
- Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela trains depart from New York Penn Station and stop at New Haven Union Station. Travel time is approximately 1.5–2 hours. Fares are typically higher than Metro-North but offer reserved seating.
- This option is especially convenient for travelers already at Penn Station coming from New Jersey, Philadelphia, or points south.
Traveling from Boston/North by Train
Recommended Route: Amtrak Northeast Regional or Acela
- Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela trains depart from Boston South Station and stop at New Haven Union Station — Travel time is approximately 2.5–3 hours.
Local Transportation & Getting to Yale Campus
Upon arriving at New Haven Union Station, the following local transportation options are readily available:
- The Yale Shuttle runs year round, and provides service between Union Station and campus destinations. For more details, please visit Yale’s Using the Shuttle
- Please note that there are now TWO shuttle stop locations in front of Union Station. If the stop directly in front of the station is congested, shuttle drivers pick up in front of the parking garage. Please look for Shuttles in both locations.
- CT Transit buses serve downtown, Yale, and surrounding neighborhoods.
- Taxis and rideshare (Uber/Lyft) are readily available.
- Walking to downtown and Yale takes approximately 15-20 minutes.
Parking Info
LMDA and Yale are unable to provide parking in New Haven. We encourage attendees to use public transportation.
- There is limited visitor parking on campus, and all attendees are asked to plan ahead and choose the best option to support their visit. Visitors can choose public parking or the limited Yale visitor lots at their discretion. Parking fees are required at either option.
- For Yale Visitor Parking, please visit Yale’s list of Parking Locations
- Public Parking options in the vicinity include:
- Air Rights Garage, 60 York Street, New Haven, CT 06511
- Crown Street Garage, 214 Crown Street, New Haven, CT 06510
- State Street Garage, 282 State STreet, New Haven, CT 06510
- Temple Medical Garage, 203 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510
- Union Station Garage, 40 Union Avenue, New Haven, CT 06519 (accessible via public transportation)
Retreat Working Groups
The bulk of our work will happen in Working Groups. These groups will be on a specific topic and will be facilitated by committee members and other experienced dramaturgs. During these ~90-minute sessions, groups will share skills and resources, work together on a particular problem, and build connections across interest groups. We see these as opportunities to bring together dramaturgs who might be working on the same problem but rarely share the same space. For example, what might we get done in focused conversations about financial literacy in contracting or career sustainability for parents? What do those of us who teach theater history or dramaturgy need to discuss to develop our skills and outlook? And so many more options and configurations! Everyone who participates in a working group will be featured in the program as a presenter.
There will also be a number of public-facing Roundtables & Panels curated by the committee around topics including career sustainability, dramaturgy across media, and the legacy of “EF’s Visit to a Small Planet.” Please let us know if you are interested in being considered for sharing your experiences with a wider audience!
Finally, there will be opportunities for connection during affinity meals, social events (welcome drinks, and a party), a keynote, Hot Topics (separate call forthcoming), and plenty of opportunities to observe those working groups that choose to open their doors. If you choose not to apply to actively contribute to a working group and/or roundtable, you are still very welcome to attend the retreat as an active listener and participant and large-group forums–we’d love to have you there!
The 2026 Retreat Planners
Ryan Adelsheim (they/them) is a new play dramaturg, producer, and interdisciplinary scholar of American performance, trans studies, and queer archives. They are currently Assistant Professor of Theatre History and Performance Studies at the University of Iowa. Their recent artistic collaborations include conference dramaturg for the New Harmony Project, co-adaptor for Affinity based on the novel by Sarah Waters with director Alex Keegan, dramaturg and researcher for soldiergirls by Emil Weinstein and Emily Johnson-Erday, and producer on the Emerging Playwrights Commissions with Audible Theater.
Sophie Blumberg (she/her) is a creative producer and dramaturg whose work spans multiple sectors of the entertainment industry, including live performance, themed entertainment, and television. In television, Sophie is the Director of Development for showrunner Patrick Macmanus’ Littleton Road Productions, where she has worked across projects at Netflix, Amazon, and Peacock, including Dr. Death (Peacock), The Girl From Plainville (Hulu) and the upcoming Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy.
Phaedra Michelle Scott is a writer and dramaturg based in New York City. As a dramaturg, she has worked in new play development institutions around the country where she exclusively supports living writers. She is the Resident Dramaturg of New Harmony Project. Other dramaturgy credits include her work as a freelance producer with Audible Theater in the Emerging Playwrights Fund; select credits include dramaturgy with: MCC Theater (NYC), American Ballet Theater (NYC) New Victory Theater (NYC), New Dramatists (NYC), MTC Theater (NYC). The Playwrights Realm (NYC); Regional credits include: Geffen Playhouse, Huntington Theater Company, Cleveland Play House, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Salt Lake Acting Company.