WINTER RETREAT SERIES
2026 – 2027
Retreats
Small, social, off-season retreats in the Berkshires at a five-star inn on a pristine lake.
Six themed retreats at a 125-year-old adult-only inn on Laurel Lake — warm, focused, low-pressure, and led by working professionals. Click any retreat below for full details.
JUMP TO:
RETREAT ONE
The Art of Cabaret Singing
An immersive five-night retreat focused on vocal interpretation, stage presence, and connecting with a live audience.
Microphone technique, lyric interpretation, song selection, the art of patter, and the absence of a fourth wall. The week culminates in a live cabaret showcase, with each singer performing a set they have built and refined during the retreat. Two retreats offered: November is open to singers at every level; March is for intermediate to expert singers wanting to deepen their interpretive work.
Hosted by Sherri James Buxton and Bob Shepherd. Sherri is a singer of standards, show tunes, and jazz; she has appeared on and off Broadway, taught voice and cabaret for over 25 years, and recorded her CD Songs from the Great American Songbook live at The Colonial Theatre. Bob is a New England pianist and arranger known for his ability to change keys and styles in the moment; he owns a recording studio in Dalton, MA.
Retreat Dates
All Experience Levels
November 1 – 5, 2026
Intermediate to Expert
March 7 – 11, 2027
RETREAT TWO
Mindfulness WithInn
A meditation retreat that accommodates everyone, whether you are beginning or deepening your practice.
Traditional sitting meditations alongside tools from ancient wisdom and modern science. We explain the biology and neuroscience behind these techniques, and invite reflection in writing and in dialogue. Each session includes meditation, written self-reflection, and an invitation to share. Built for absolute beginners and longtime practitioners alike.
Hosted by Justin Maaia, who has been teaching meditation and self-awareness practices for twenty years. Former faculty at the National Cathedral School; Visiting Scholar at the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education; B.A. Suffolk University, M.A. Boston University.
Retreat Dates
Three-Night Retreat
November 8 – 10, 2026
Five-Night Retreat
April 4 – 8, 2027
RETREAT THREE
Cinema and Conversation
For people who love movies, stories, conversation, wine, and good company.
A relaxed, intelligent week of watching great, classic films and talking about why they work. Not film school — no tests, no jargon, no need to be an expert. Each day focuses on one storytelling idea: theme, structure, character, suspense, emotion. Smart, social, warm, and fun.
Hosted by Kurt Inderbitzin, writer-producer for ABC, CBS, NBC, Lifetime, TNT, and USA; founder of two of India's major film schools; MA Screenwriting (Univ. of New Orleans), MBA (Univ. of Chicago).
Retreat Dates
Five-Night Retreat
November 15 – 19, 2026
Three-Night Retreat
February 7 – 9, 2027
RETREAT FOUR
Screenwriting
For writers, movie lovers, beginners, and anyone with a story they cannot stop thinking about.
Have an idea for a movie? A half-finished script? A character you cannot get out of your head? Screenwriting is a relaxed, practical, story-focused retreat for writers at every level. No homework battles, no manuscript marathons — just clear craft, generous workshopping, and time at the lake to think.
Hosted by Kurt Inderbitzin, produced screenwriter and former visiting screenwriting faculty at the University of La Verne, with guest lectures at TCU and the University of Sydney. MA Screenwriting (Univ. of New Orleans), MBA (Univ. of Chicago).
Retreat Dates
Five-Night Retreat
December 6 – 10, 2026
Three-Night Retreat
February 21 – 23, 2027
RETREAT FIVE
Paint & Wine
A Berkshires art retreat for beginners, experienced painters, and the curious.
A warm, social, guided painting week — not a competitive art class, and not only for serious artists. Each session opens with a short warm-up to sharpen observation and eye-hand coordination, then moves into the work, with Diane guiding each participant one-on-one. Work from a still life, the surrounding winter landscape, or a reference image you bring — beginners and experienced painters are equally welcomed. Easels, canvases, paints, and brushes provided; no pressure, no judgment, no experience required.
Hosted by Diane Firtell, an artist for more than forty years whose nature-themed paintings and hand image transfers have shown in galleries and museums nationally. Longtime faculty artist at the Berkshire Art Center; art facilitator at Canyon Ranch (2023–2025); paints annually in the summer artist series at the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio in Lenox. Studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Art Students League, and the School of Visual Arts, NYC.
Retreat Dates
All Levels
December 13 – 18, 2026
All Levels
March 14 – 19, 2027
RETREAT SIX
Innkeeping
Buying, running, and selling an inn. Candid, practical, numbers-honest.
Buying and running an inn looks romantic from the outside. From the inside, it is a small business with thin margins and a hundred decisions a week. We show you how to make one work — what to look for, what to avoid, how to price, how to market, how to staff, and how to sell when the time comes.
Hosted by Kurt Inderbitzin, who bought, renovated, and tripled the sales of his first Berkshires inn during COVID, then bought a second inn and doubled its sales in year one — it is now the highest-rated inn in the Berkshires. He sold the first at the highest inn price ever recorded in the region. MBA in Finance (Univ. of Chicago Booth). Not theory — what he actually did.
Retreat Dates
Five-Night Retreat
March 21 – 25, 2027
Questions about any of our retreats? Write to retreats@lakehouseinnlee.com. Attendees at retreat who are also registered guests of the inn receive priority placement; local attendance by individuals not staying as guests of the inn is possible on a space-available basis and we reserve the right to cancel local attendee's placement in favor of attendees who will be staying at the inn.