Yale School of Drama 2020 Annual Alumni Magazine by David Geffen School of Drama at Yale

YALE SCHOOL OF DRAMA ANNUAL MAGAZINE

Women at 50Yale150 A Celebration of Women at YSD

James Bundy ’95 Dean/Artistic Director Victoria Nolan Deputy Dean/Managing Director Chantal Rodriguez Associate Dean Kelvin Dinkins, Jr. Assistant Dean/General Manager Deborah S. Berman Editor/Director of Development and Alumni Affairs yale school of drama board of advisors John Beinecke YC ’69 Chair Jeremy Smith ’76 Vice Chair Nina Adams MS ’69, NUR ’77

Sally Horchow YC ’92

Rudy Aragon LAW ’79

Ellen Iseman YC ’76

Amy Aquino ’86

David Johnson YC ’78

John Badham ’63, YC ’61

Rolin Jones ’04

Pun Bandhu ’01

Jane Kaczmarek ’82

Sonja Berggren Special Research Fellow ’13

Asaad Kelada ’64

Frances Black ’09

Cathy MacNeil-Hollinger ’86

Carmine Boccuzzi YC ’90, LAW ’94 Lynne Bolton Clare Brinkley Sterling Brinkley, Jr. YC ’74 Kate Burton ’82 James Chen ’08 Lois Chiles Patricia Clarkson ’85 Edgar (Trip) Cullman III ’02, YC ’97

Sarah Long ’92, YC ’85 Brian Mann ’79 Elizabeth Margid ’91, YC ’82 Drew McCoy David Milch YC ’66 Tom Moore ’68 Arthur Nacht ’06 Jennifer Harrison Newman ’11 Carol Ostrow ’80 Amy Povich ’92 Liev Schreiber ’92

Michael David ’68

Tracy Chutorian Semler YC ’86

Scott Delman YC ’82

Tony Shalhoub ’80

Michael Diamond ’90

Michael Sheehan ’76

Polly Draper ’80, YC ’77

Anna Deavere Smith HON ’14

Charles S. (Roc) Dutton ’83

Andrew Tisdale

Sasha Emerson ’84

Edward Trach ’58

Heidi Ettinger ’76

Esme Usdan YC ’77

Lily Fan YC ’01, LAW ’04

Courtney B. Vance ’86

Terry Fitzpatrick ’83

Donald Ware YC ’71

Marc Flanagan ’70

Shana C. Waterman YC ’94, LAW ’00

Marcus Dean Fuller ’04 Anita Pamintuan Fusco YC ’90 David Marshall Grant ’78 David Alan Grier ’81

Henry Winkler ’70 Amanda Wallace Woods ’03

Contents

Features 26 Firsts and Founders

By Lindsay King

32 Alumnation

By Chiara Klein ’17, SOM ’17

40 L.A. Confidential

By Eve Gordon ’81

48 Women by Design

By Elizabeth Bennett ’97

58 Technically Speaking

By C. Nikki Mills ’14 (Faculty)

Dean’s Letter Dear Alumni, I never thought I would be writing a letter to you in a time of pandemic: every day, I think about your wellbeing and hope fervently that you are healthy and in the best spirits possible. Like many of you, perhaps, I am keenly aware that every chance we have to communicate in this era of worldwide uncertainty is both a mystery and a salve. The novel coronavirus is an unprecedented test of our global and national societies, from the loss of loved ones to COVID-19, to a strained health care system and ravaged economy, to democratic institutions under fire, and fundamental principles of equity in question. Practical and ethical considerations regarding the best way forward swirl in a buffeting storm, and none of us can claim to see clearly the course to a new normal—though virtually all of us are sure that we and the world will never be the same. Entire fields of artistic production in which we have made our livelihoods and found fulfillment are suspended indefinitely, and it’s easy to imagine that the communal joy in live dramatic performance—the special province of the theater—is almost certain to be among the last public rituals resurrected from our tauntingly recent past. No matter when a vaccine becomes widely available, one can predict that institutions will be hard pressed to reorganize themselves and reclaim their voices; and that individual artists will face, for a considerable time, the most challenging environment in which they have ever lived and worked. At the same time, we have all seen how creativity has flourished the world over, and I myself have been buoyed by and grateful for the many messages I’ve received from you, as well as by your expressions of care for each other. Moreover, the spiritual challenges of the current moment show the theme of this year’s alumni magazine in a new light. We decided many months ago to focus this year’s issue on the achievements of women at the School and in the world, as part of the University’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of women in Yale College and the 150th anniversary of women at Yale University (credit goes to the School of Art, Drama’s original home, for this innovation). To watch this magazine take shape under the dedicated leadership of Deborah Berman, Catherine Sheehy, and the many alumnae and current students who are its authors, has been a joy. Even as we struggle with upheaval in our present and anxiety about our future, the stories that follow in these pages—of women who for generations braved a dominant culture of sexism to make their lives in art—can serve as a celebratory reminder not only of their inventive approaches to the work, but also of their individual and collective resilience in bringing progressively more inclusive perspectives and processes to our field. These brilliant lights are our honored forerunners, giving life to the hope that all of us may so shine again when we emerge from the shadows of social distancing into the incandescence of artistry in rehearsal halls and auditoria. I am mindful that only a small fraction of the stories that could be told are captured here, and also that the School of Drama shoulders an urgent ongoing responsibility to make more inclusive environments here and throughout the profession for those who have been marginalized by bias. In this effort, many of you have been and will be influential guides and supporters—and the lessons of our past will be a continual guide to the course ahead. For your once and future efforts on behalf of the School, and for your abiding generosity, I thank you all. Sincerely,

James Bundy ’95 2

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Contents

Features 64 The Marvelous Women of Mrs. Maisel

By Tracy Chutorian Semler

72 Having an MFA Plan B

By Sophie von Haselberg ’14, YC ’08

80 Sound & Vision 64

By Faith Zamblé ’22

88 The XX Factor

By Alex Trow ’12, YC ’09

100 Name Game

By Mark Blankenship ’05

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Editor’s Letter As you can well imagine, our efforts to create this year’s Yale School of Drama Alumni Magazine were, like everything else, interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so drastically challenged our art form and changed our lives in every way. Yet, in the spirit of “the show must go on,” we pressed forward. As I write this, I am at my home in Chevy Chase, MD, a long way from York Street, but with the help of the latest technology, only an online meeting away. While it is comforting to see the faces of colleagues and students, it’s no substitute for the face-to-face collaboration that is so much a part of how we work at YSD. In so many respects, this health crisis has altered our lives, and will perhaps reshape the way we interact with one another in the future. But I remain hopeful that soon enough our world will return to normal, spinning as it always has around the sun, warming our hearts and lighting our path, and that this moment in time will have only been a brief, albeit profound, pause in our endeavors. As was our intention from the start, this issue of the Magazine celebrates the women of YSD: alumnae who have made meaningful contributions to the worlds of theater, movies, television, and more. They include writers, directors, actors, designers, dramaturgs, managers, technicians, and influencers of every kind. They have pushed boundaries in every direction, stood firm against sexism, and made bold inroads toward equality and inclusivity. Their stories, and accomplishments, are an inspiration to all of us. And not only are women profiled in the Magazine’s feature stories—women wrote them as well! In “Firsts and Founders” Lindsay King, Associate Director for Access and Research at Yale’s Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library, tells the fascinating stories of some of the first women at Yale College and at the School of Drama. Chiara Klein ’17, SOM ’17 has written a wonderful piece about YSD alumnae who are leading major theaters around the country and shaping new directions for the arts. Eve Gordon ’81 interviews graduates on the cutting edge of the exciting world of television today in “L.A. Confidential”; current student Faith Zamblé ’22 takes us on a journey of “Sound & Vision” through her conversations with women doing extraordinary work in projection and sound design; and YSD board member Tracy Chutorian Semler shares a behind-the-scenes look at YSD women working on the hit show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Those are just a few of the articles included in this special edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of women in Yale College and the 150th anniversary of women at Yale. I am looking forward to a bright future where I can again meet with you in person, see you at our alumni events, and hear all about the wonderful things you are doing to make the world a richer place. For now, take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Warmly,

Deborah S. Berman Editor Director of Development and Alumni Affairs deborah.berman@yale.edu 4

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YALE SCHOOL OF DRAMA ANNUAL MAGAZINE 2019–20, Vol. LVXIV editorial staff Deborah S. Berman (Staff) editor Catherine Sheehy ’92, DFA ’99 (Faculty) associate editor Casey Grambo (Staff) managing editor Leonard Sorcher contributing editor Susan Clark (Staff) editorial coordinator

contributors Narda E. Alcorn ’95 (Faculty) Elizabeth Bennett ’97 Mark Blankenship ’05 Mark Bly ’80 (Former Faculty) Amy Boratko ’06 (Staff) Leslie Brauman ’92 Mary Jane Coy Eve Gordon ’81 Allison Horsley ’01 Lindsay King (Yale Staff) Chiara Klein ’17, SOM ’17 Irene Lewis ’66 C. Nikki Mills ’14 (Faculty) Gwyneth Muller ’20 Grace O’Brien ’04 (Staff) Kari Olmon ’18, DFA cand. Lisa Porter ’95 (Former Faculty) Henriëtte Rietveld ’21 Tracy Chutorian Semler YC ’86 Sophie Siegel-Warren ’19 Leonard Sorcher Alex Trow ’12, YC ’09 Sophie von Haselberg ’14, YC ’08 Evan Yionoulis ’85, YC ’82 (Former Faculty) Faith Zamblé ’22 design SML Design s-ml.org

To make a gift to YSD, visit www.yale.edu/ givedrama.

photo by t. charles erickson

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Contents

Departments

6 On & Off York Street

102 Events 107 Bookshelf 109 Awards & Honors 6

112 Graduation 116 Art of Giving 120 In Memoriam 136 Alumni Notes 166 Donors

102 Cover: Adrienne Wells ’20 and Jessy Yates ’21 in Alice, concept by Robert Wilson, music and lyrics by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, libretto by Paul Schmidt, directed by Logan Ellis ’20. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

112

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Vicki Nolan Takes a Bow It’s hard to imagine Yale School of Drama or Yale Repertory Theatre without Victoria Nolan (Deputy Dean/Managing Director). Anyone who spends time on the third floor of the University Theatre knows the energy, laughter, and animated discussion that emanate from her office throughout the day. If you visit Vicki, you’ll be greeted by a large stuffed sheep—a memento from Yale Rep’s production of Marie Antoinette in 2012— wearing a personalized hard hat with her name on it. But you’ll also see a steady stream of students popping in and out, listening in on a heated negotiation, or seeking guidance on a managerial question. After 27 years at both the School and the Rep, Vicki is stepping down to pursue new projects and spend more time with her family: her husband, Clark, and their daughters, Covey and Willa. For the students, faculty, and staff of Yale, it feels like the end of an era. As Joan Channick ’89 (Faculty) shares, she is woven into the very fabric of the community: “Victoria Nolan’s mantra is ‘assume good will,’ a phrase now embedded in the consciousness of everyone at Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre and a legacy that will endure long after her departure.” When you ask YSD students about their experiences working with Vicki, you’re offered an endless array of amusing anecdotes. Stories about her love of power posing, or her penchant for kicking off her shoes to “better ground herself ” during lectures are shared with appreciative smiles. But even more plentiful are stories about Vicki’s generosity. Vicki always makes room in her busy day for her students, whether she’s walking them through a challenging production assignment or counseling them on future career goals. Collaboration is the hallmark of Vicki’s mentorship style, treating even the newest students as colleagues, always expressing an eagerness to learn as much from them as she teaches. “Vicki has been a role

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model for generations of theater leaders,” says Susie Medak, Managing Director at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, “She has been their surrogate mother, their boss, their confidant, and their friend. Vicki is a model of compassionate leadership.” Laurie Ortega-Murphy ’20 remembers the first time they approached Vicki with a leadership question: “I walked to her door and asked to come in. Without knowing the context of the situation, she stopped what she was doing and gave me her full attention. I have now knocked on Vicki’s doors numerous times and felt relief slip into my shoulders as she puts her pen down and invites me to sit and talk through, as a colleague, the dilemma of the day.” Paul Wong ’99 similarly recalls the profound respect Vicki extends to every one of her students: “Vicki was the teacher that heard us and invested in us as people. Her humanity taught us leadership.” It is also readily apparent to anyone who works with Vicki that her dedication to YSD and the Rep is informed by a deep love of theater. Reflecting on her time in the Theater Management program, Sarah Williams ’15 is immediately reminded of Vicki sitting at final dress rehearsals, with her “stockinged feet up on the seat in front of her, in a position of seeming repose, but, in actuality, of concentrated engagement. She watches plays with a focus that is truly delightful and fully generous.” Ironically, Vicki’s own path to the performing arts was not straightforward. Growing up in Portland, Maine, in a family that cherished modern art, Vicki thought she would be a visual artist. When she moved to Boston following her high school graduation, she had every intention of “becoming a hippie.” But an impromptu trip to London via a study abroad program at Roger Williams College awakened Vicki’s passion for live performance. She still vividly recalls William Grandgeorge, the head of the theater arts

program, exclaiming: “If I see you in class every day, I know something is wrong!” For that entire year in London, Vicki saw between three and four performances each week. She was hooked. Upon returning home, she immediately set out to make the performing arts her life, pursuing a degree in theater communications at the University of Southern Maine where she counted Marianne Owen ’79, Thomas Derrah ’80, and Tony Shalhoub ’80 as her classmates. Jobs soon followed in arts programs at Boston-area universities, the T.A.G. Foundation in New York, and the small Ram Island Dance Company in Maine. But after a couple of years working from 8am-10pm, with dancers jokingly bringing her meals to the office because she could never manage to go home, she yearned to join an institution that had, as she puts it, “more structure, more staff, and more zeroes.” Through a TCG grant, Vicki began working for Baltimore Center Stage in 1978, where she found her own mentor in Managing Director Peter Culman. She rose quickly through the ranks, eventually becoming Associate Managing Director. But she was eager to follow in Peter’s footsteps and become a leader in her own right. In 1988, she was hired as Managing Director of Indiana YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

01 Victoria Nolan (Deputy Dean/Managing Director) teaching at Yale School of Drama in 2019. Photo by Joan Marcus. 02 Theater Management alum Paul Wong ’99 and Victoria Nolan in Miami. 03 Victoria Nolan at the Great Wall of China.

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04 04 Victoria Nolan (Deputy Dean/Managing Director), Alyssa C. L. Simmons ’14, YC ’09, and Lauren Wainwright ’14 in 2014. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Repertory Theatre, where she successfully stabilized its very fragile budget, and found great pleasure in working alongside Artistic Directors Tom Haas and Libby Appel. Vicki quips that she was destined to be a manager since she “likes telling people what to do!” But the truth is, she has keen intuitive sense and a talent for finding strategic solutions to complex problems. She also has a high tolerance for conflict. As she readily

admits, “Passion and conflict don’t scare me. I don’t shut down as a result.” In a career that has often put her in rooms full of forceful personalities, her ability to stay calm under pressure, and to find creative resolutions to intense situations, has been a great advantage. Yale came calling in 1993, when Artistic Director and Dean Stan Wojewodski, Jr., who had worked with Vicki at Center Stage, implored her to apply to become YSD and YRT’s next Managing Director. Vicki’s first years at Yale required some adjustment. She wasn’t accustomed to working within a large bureaucracy, nor had she ever taught academic classes. Her current role as Deputy Dean did not yet exist, and no one quite knew what the Managing Director of a drama school was supposed to do. Yet the opportunities Yale offered to take bold artistic risks thrilled her and still do. As Vicki acknowledges, “there’s an appetite to do work here that is not just bigger, but more interesting and more diverse— so of course, I’m spoiled rotten!” Vicki has also had the good fortune of

Snapshot James Bundy ’95 and Victoria Nolan honored staff members for their service anniversaries at the Long-Term Service Awards event on February 11, 2020. Honorees and their years of service are: (left to right) James, Jennifer Kiger (15), Kate Baker (15), Laura Kirk (10), Mike Paddock (5), Linda Kelley-Dodd (15), and Victoria. Not pictured: Caitlin Griffin (5). Photo by Linda-Cristal Young (Staff).

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being paired with inspired artistic partners throughout her career. All of her artistic directors have demonstrated keen intellectual leadership and a fierce artistic appetite, which she finds absolutely invigorating. They’ve also supported Vicki’s personal passion for diversity initiatives, which have long been a founding principle of her leadership. As early as the 1980s, Vicki was working to diversify her staff and expand audience outreach. As she reflects, “Given how many years this has been it’s a little bit frustrating. But at the same time, the speed at which we are now moving, and the number of people who are putting their oars into this, makes it very exciting.” Her creative partnership with James Bundy ’95 (Dean), which began at Yale in 2002, has led to transformative cultural changes. Under their shared leadership, the School has increased student funding, significantly diversified its faculty and student body, and developed policies better to promote respect in the workplace. Vicki’s work developing the Dwight/Edgewood Project, an annual after-school program in which

New Haven middle school students spend the month of June learning about theater and writing original plays under the guidance of graduate student mentors from the School of Drama, won her the Seton Elm-Ivy Award for distinguished service that honors people whose efforts support the collaboration of the university and New Haven. “When I think about Victoria Nolan’s contributions to the School of Drama and Yale Rep,” writes James, “it’s vital to dwell on her accomplishments as a skillful and flexible manager of people and priorities within each entity, and as a leader so visibly engaged in the cogent synthesis of professional training and production. It is a joy to dwell on her highly collaborative nature, resilient optimism, and unabashed enthusiasm for artists and their works, without which I cannot imagine navigating my own tenure at Yale. Above all, however, anyone who knows Vicki well is keenly aware of her work ethic and sense of purpose: it is clear that what has kept her at Yale for nearly three decades is her dedication to her students, by whose successes she rightly measures her own.”

Snapshot Director Lileana Blain-Cruz ’12 (Faculty) (center) with Victoria Nolan, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Raja Feather Kelly, and James Bundy ’95 at the opening night party for Girls at Yale Repertory Theatre. Blain-Cruz was named a recipient of a 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. She also recently won Obie Awards for her work on Marys Seacole at LCT3 in 2019 and The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead at Signature Theater in 2017. Photo by Morgan Levy ART ’20.

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When asked what she’ll miss most about her time at Yale, Vicki immediately says the students. Her greatest source of pride is watching students transition from who they are when they arrive at the School, to who they are when they graduate, and who they become when they’re out in the field. As Vicki explains, her former students now counsel her. “We’ve come full circle where I now go to alumni of the Theater Management program and say, ‘How are you dealing with this? Can you help me with that?” For a dedicated mentor like Vicki, learning from students who’ve become respected colleagues and collaborators is the greatest reward: “That feels great,” she says, with typical understatement. But anyone who knows Vicki knows the deep reservoir of pride lying underneath. — Gwyneth Muller ’20

Snapshot Guest speaker Jeremy O. Harris ’19 with James Bundy ’95 (Dean) at the December 2019 Board of Advisors meeting at the ‘21’ Club in New York City. Photo by Deborah S. Berman (Staff).

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Snapshot Karen Hartman ’97, YC ’92 was named a 2019-2020 Guggenheim Fellow. The Guggenheim Fellowship will support her new play New Golden Age, part three in an American caste cycle (with Project Dawn and Good Faith) about social mobility and the law. Good Faith was commissioned by the Binger Center for New Theatre and premiered at Yale Repertory Theatre in 2019. Photo by Lou Daprile.

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Mary Hunter: Always with Style This is an ode to Mary Hunter, former Chair of Stage Management (1996 – 2019). There is no other person who has had a greater impact on my career than Mary. In celebration of her 23 years at Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre, I decided to dig out my class notes from DRAM 100, Stage Management Seminar from my first year as a student at YSD to see if what she taught me 20 years ago still holds up. I knew I liked Mary right away. Her warmth was evident from the moment we met at my interview in the spring of 2001. We crowded into Ben Mordecai’s (Former Faculty) dark office and then went up to the Drama library to thumb through my prompt books that I had hauled with me. Her calm demeanor was a balm as I fidgeted, reeling in the largeness of this hour and its potential impact on my future. And when my acceptance letter came in the mail a few weeks later, I screamed with joy. Upon arriving, it became clear that Mary was our shepherd, assisted by the production stage manager at the time, Karen Quisenberry (Former Faculty). We had two classes with Mary each semester, and she was also often in our meetings and rehearsals to observe. DRAM 100, Stage Management Seminar—as my notes reminded me—was Mary cramming into us the foundation of stage management: prop lists, shift plots, what to do when someone calls for line, et cetera. But she was also trying to make us strong and resilient humans. I note on a day in September speckled with water droplets, “It’s hard to be perfect for every person all the time.” In January of our second semester, just when we thought we had gotten the hang of graduate school, Mary raised the stakes. She was helping us find our voices. Our style. I noted, “If your style can’t maneuver the basic tools, you won’t ever be really good.” Mary was asking us, requiring us, to step outside of

01 lists and checkboxes and determine who we were as artists, to be able to respect ourselves so that we could respect the process. I carefully note, “Managing and nurturing the imagination is a delicate and complex task.” And, “Invest in the collaborators of the productions to enhance your style and to better your position to serve the play. Treat all people with respect.” It wasn’t always roses. I made mistakes and got called on them. But Mary had a truly unique way of pointing out an error or an opportunity for growth that I have tried to emulate. She showed you where you could have improved without making you feel small. And she would talk through different options so at the end, you felt empowered to move forward. In fall 2002, something remarkable happened—stage management became a department! The students were delighted, because with the support of Bill Reynolds ’77 (Former Faculty), we got a fancy new office area where we could all YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

01 Mary Hunter, Laura BrownMacKinnon ’93 (Lecturer), Diane DiVita (Lecturer), and Anne Keefe at Mary’s retirement celebration. 11

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02 work with more computers. That meant we didn’t have to sneak into the marketing and development office late at night to use their desks. But in hindsight, I know we did not appreciate or understand the advocacy that Mary must have deployed to pioneer the department. For decades, stage management had been shuffled about from one department to another: technical design and production, directing, and then theater management. Mary had the vision and passion for building a unique curriculum that allowed the department to stand alone. And that department has continued to grow into one of the best in the industry. Although I was at Yale before the term “self-care” was popular, Mary also taught us all another life lesson by modeling it. I would predictably ask each guest lecturer how they balanced work and life, because we all knew that would be tough. From my perspective, having a family as a stage manager seemed almost impossible. But Mary was modeling it for us every day. She was and is a great mom to Ruby Hunter, who has probably seen more theater than a New York Times critic. During tech, it was comforting to look over and see Mary taking notes with Ruby sitting next to her doing her homework. This is how we got through it. Together. 12

For 23 years, Mary taught classes to all three years of stage managers in five different courses and oversaw 100 theses. She advised her students on over 500 productions at YSD and Yale Rep. Few know that Mary is an art collector particularly of local Connecticut artists, largely women. She also has an amazing jewelry collection. One piece topping the next. I mention these because they attest to the idea that Mary believes in celebrating all kinds of artists and looking for beauty in the world all around us. She loves animals, especially dogs. For many years, Bella, her bulldog, was the unofficial mascot of the department. And now Gus, an English chocolate Lab, is going to steal hearts. Mary has a dry, quick sense of humor which pairs nicely with a split of champagne. She loves movies, lunch at Union League Café, and clean eyeglasses. I share these pieces of the Mary Hunter that I have come to know and love, because there is no one like her in the world. It is my privilege to have studied with Mary and to call her my friend. — Grace O’Brien ’04 (Staff)

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02 (standing left to right) Molly McCarter ’04, Laura MacNeil ’03, Elena Maltese ’03, and Sterling Michaels ’04. (seated left to right) Courtney (Link) DiBello ’02, Grace O’Brien ’04 (Staff), Stephanie (Pearlman) Sommerville ’04, Valerie Olivero ’04, and Chrissy Collins ’03.

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Each Cut from Their Own Cloth

This past year, we witnessed the retirement of three esteemed, devoted, and beloved members of the Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre community: Jess Goldstein ’78, Tom McAlister, and Jane Greenwood. Jane had worked at the School for 43 years, Tom for 30, and Jess for 29. What can we say about how much we owe these extraordinary colleagues, mentors, and friends? Turn the page...

01 Jane Greenwood, Tom McAlister, and Jess Goldstein ’78. Photo by LindaCristal Young (Staff).

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Jess Goldstein ’78 Jess Goldstein received his MFA from Yale School of Drama in 1978 and became a member of the faculty in 1990. He has designed for more than 40 productions on Broadway, winning a Tony Award in 2005 for The Rivals. His credits also include designs for Jersey Boys, On the Town, Buried Child, How I Learned to Drive, Dinner with Friends, Stuff Happens and eight productions at Yale Repertory Theatre. His opera work has been seen at the Metropolitan Opera, Glimmerglass, Houston Grand Opera, and San Francisco Opera, among others. His film and TV credits include A Walk on the Moon, The Substance of Fire, and Talking With. Jess is the recipient of the Henry Hewes Award, the Lucille Lortel Award, and the Irene Sharaff Award for Lifetime Achievement in Costume Design. From student to teacher to colleague, Jess has exemplified the highest standard of the art form.

Snapshot Members of the Board of Advisors and friends of YSD gathered to celebrate Tootsie on Broadway at The Lambs Club in NYC. (left to right) Donald Holder ’86 (Lighting Design), Reg Rogers ’93 (Cast), Sally Horchow YC ’92 (Producer), James Bundy ’95 (Dean), and Angelina Avallone ’94 (Make-up Design). Photo by Sam Stuart.

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02 Susan Hilferty ’80 and Jess Goldstein ’78. Photo courtesy of Susan Hilferty. 03 Jess Goldstein ’78 teaching at YSD in 2016. Photo by Joan Marcus.

“I have been dressed by Jess since I began my career. He has seen me through all shapes and sizes. He instilled in me the important idea that I must wear the dress and not the reverse. I learned from him that my ideas mattered and that collaboration was the finest road to travel together.” — Jayne Atkinson ’85

“Jess is, first of all, a humanist, fully engaged in the eternal contradictions of our species, and gifted with an almost Talmudic affinity for debate. And then, of course, there is his generosity. Generosity of spirit, certainly. But also, generosity of talent—of which so many of us are beneficiaries.” — Rick Elice ’79

“Jess has had a long and proud relationship with Yale. Something he has devoted himself to for what must be counted in decades and that naturally he’s very proud of. Jess loves Yale. And it certainly seems to me, that likewise, Yale loves Jess.” — Mickey Rolfe, Jess’s Agent

Snapshot Jennifer Harrison Newman ’11 was named the Associate Artistic Director of the Schwarzman Center at Yale. Photo by Dennis J. Photography.

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Tom McAlister

04 Tom McAlister in the costume shop working on Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of On the Verge in 1991. Photo courtesy of Jess Goldstein ’78. 05 Mika Eubanks ’19, Meg Powers ’21, Herin Kaputkin ’19, Tom McAlister, Beatrice Vena ’19, Yunzhu Zeng ’20, Alicia J. Austin ’20, Stephanie Bahniuk ’20, April Hickman ’20, and David Mitsch ’21. Photo by Linda-Cristal Young (Staff).

In his 30 years as the costume shop manager at the School of Drama and Yale Rep, Tom has overseen costume production for more than 325 productions, including world premieres of Two Trains Running, Radio Golf, The Clean House, The Realistic Joneses, and Indecent. Prior to arriving at YSD, Tom worked as a designer and in costume shops at The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the Kennedy Center, among others. As a professor in the Technical Design and Production department, Tom taught courses in Advanced Pattern Making, Fabrics and Fabric Manipulation, and Costume Production. For hundreds of YSD students, those classes were just the beginning of lasting relationship with Tom, who continued to mentor and encourage designers long after they left the School. Now, it’s Tom who’s leaving. Lucky for us, he leaves behind him a talented group of individuals well-trained to maintain his extraordinary level of excellence. 04

Snapshot Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre welcomed new faculty and staff members this fall. (left to right, third row) Kat McCarthey (Staff), Toni-Leslie James (Faculty), Eric Lin ’12 (Faculty), Eric Norris (Staff), Amy Boratko ’06 (Staff). (left to right, second row) Eric M. Glover (Faculty), Oana Botez (Faculty), Christine Szczepanski (Faculty), Kimberly Jannarone ’96, DFA ’00 (Faculty), Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams ’02 (Faculty), Erik Butler (Research Fellow). (left to right, first row) Narda E. Alcorn ’95 (Faculty), George Tinari (Staff), Doug Kester (Staff), Cynthia Santos DeCure (Faculty). Photo by Linda-Cristal Young (Staff). 16

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“From Beckett to Albee, from Eno to Ruhl, He’s key to production for Yale Rep and school, He’s o’erseen the costumes for both—all and one And now we must face up to the fact that it’s done! After three decades work (and that’s just in New Haven) We have to accept we are losing our maven So next season, though Tom may not be in the shop He’s in all our hearts, and that never will stop.” — Deborah Bloch ’06 (Staff) “Tom, you have shown us the importance of holding onto what we believe in: You ask us, on a daily basis, to think about our work deeply, to create with intention and authenticity.”— Anita Yavich ’95

“Tom’s command of fabrics, threads, buttons, shoes, and hats is legendary. A portrait of my wife’s Lithuanian great-grandparents hangs over our dining room fireplace. I love it because the rings, earrings, and watch chain are rendered in gleaming gold. Tom looked at it and nodded, ‘1871’. I couldn’t even tell you the century.” — Tony Howard YC ’55, Friend and Colleague

“I knew that the costume shop was truly the beating heart of the School and that Tom was its pacemaker.” — Catherine Sheehy ’92, DFA ’99 (Faculty)

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Jane Greenwood A native of England, Jane trained at Liverpool College of Art and London’s Central School of Arts and Crafts before making her Broadway debut in 1963 with costume designs for Edward Albee’s Ballad of the Sad Cafe. In over six decades, she has designed some 140 Broadway productions, including Hamlet, starring Richard Burton, The Heiress, A View from the Bridge, A Moon for the Misbegotten, and Driving Miss Daisy, as well as a long list of productions at Lincoln Center Theater, Mark Taper Forum, the Guthrie Theater, and Yale Rep. Jane’s work in dance and opera includes productions at American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey Dance Company, The Metropolitan Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. She is the recipient of the Lucille Lortel Award, the Helen Hayes Award, the Henry Hewes Award, and a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2017, with 21 nominations to her name, Jane won the Tony Award for her design of The Little Foxes. Jane first came to the School of Drama in 1976. For 43 years her costume design classes have been a pillar of the YSD curriculum. Jane taught us to “find the right silhouette.” We’ll never find another Jane.

Snapshot In 2019, Evan Yionoulis ’85, YC ’82 (Former Faculty) was elected Executive Board President of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and Courtney B. Vance ’86 was named President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. (left) Photo courtesy of The Julliard School. (right) Photo by Matthew Jordan Smith.

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06 Jane Greenwood receiving the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2014. Photo by Heather Wines. 07 Jane Greenwood teaching at YSD in 2016. Photo by Joan Marcus.

“Jane Greenwood has incredible taste. She has a wicked sense of humor. She has graciousness and class and never loses her cool. Jane ranks among the top theater artists of all time. Having been taught by her, having worked for her, and finally, having taught alongside her; I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world. Her contribution to the field of costume design cannot be overestimated, both in her vast body of work and in the generations of theater artists she has mentored.” — Ilona Somogyi ’94 (Faculty)

“Here are the most important lessons I learned from Jane: Look, listen, and absorb everything. Collaborate, but have a strong point of view. Make your voice heard. Respect the script, respect the process, respect your crew. Design the make-up and hair. When something isn’t working recognize it before anyone else does and come up with something even better. Have fun, but don’t suffer fools.” — Judianna Makovsky ’80

“Working with Jane for all these years has taught me to look at clothes in very different ways. With Jane, when I ask what period a show is, I never get an answer like, “Oh ’30s, ’40s.” No. Jane’s response will be 1784 or 1947. And I can tell you—there is a difference.” — Eric Winterling, Friend and Colleague

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Mother Courage

01 01 Rachel Spencer Hewitt ’10 and her children looking at a set model with Max Gordon Moore ’11. Photo by Daniel J. Vasquez Productions.

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During Rachel Spencer Hewitt’s ’10 first year as a mother, she intuited that the best way to continue her acting career was to pretend that nothing had changed. And so, she arrived one night at an industry party as if she hadn’t left her daughter with a sitter at a coffee shop, nor swapped her sweats for sequins in a public restroom. Over cocktails, she found herself chatting about the challenges of the past few months. A colleague stopped her: it might be best for her, and her future in theater, if she didn’t talk so much about motherhood. On the long bus ride home, with her one-year-old asleep on her chest, Hewitt replayed his comment in her head. Instead of brushing it off in anger, she committed to changing the conversation. But as she would find out the conversation hadn’t even started. Her research on theaters’ policies about childcare and resources for actors navigating pregnancy and childbirth turned up little. Hewitt started a blog, “Auditioning Mom,” of funny and poignant essays about working and raising a toddler. Inspired by parent artists groups in Ireland and the UK, Hewitt founded the Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) in 2017. The theme of PAAL’s first year was “MotherYA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

Snapshot Alicia J. Austin ’20 was the recipient of the 2019 Princess Grace Award. An MFA candidate in Costume Design, her YSD credits include The Tempest, As U Like It, Rock Egg Spoon, Camille, The Guadalupes, Near the Krummholz, To/From Nothing, Conduct of Life, and Bakkhai. Upcoming: Steven Spielberg/Walt Disney Studio’s West Side Story. Photo by Joan Marcus.

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hood: Breaking the Silence.” Though the organization is inclusive of all genders, Hewitt wanted to lift up the stories of those who identify as mothers—women who face the most roadblocks when they become parents. Parents flocked to Hewitt—via email, text, calls, social media, and secret Facebook “Theater Moms” groups—with stories. Many whispered in confidence, out of fear of retribution; these worst-case scenarios outnumbered the celebrations of success. “Support exists in isolation, often for those who already know who and how to ask for help, discrimination flourishes in the gaps,” Hewitt learned. What was needed was ‘third-party accountability and an industry standard’ and a resource hub. This led to PAAL’s 2018 banner of “Initiatives and Solutions” and 2019’s call for “Policies and Protocols.” Three years of work culminated in last December’s PAAL summit in New York. Now, individuals and institutions can become members of PAAL to access an extensive network and library of resources. Hewitt,

now mother to two young children, has emerged as a go-to advocate and ally for parents working in theatre. Roberta Pereira ’08 (Faculty), the Producing Director of The Playwrights’ Realm and a mother herself, was featured on a panel at Theatre Communications Group’s 2018 Fall Forum about parenting alongside Hewitt, a former classmate at YSD. The Realm has equity and inclusion embedded into its practice, but Pereira saw the opportunity to radically incorporate support for parent artists. “I wanted to make a splash, a big one,” Pereira said. Hewitt would be the perfect partner. “Because Rachel and I both studied at YSD at the same time, we had a similar vocabulary for collaboration, one that allowed us both to dream big and take risks together,” Pereira said. With PAAL as an official consultant, Pereira launched the Radical Parent-Inclusion Project (RPI) in 2019 around the world premiere production of Anna Moench’s play Mothers. Realm integrated parent support into every aspect of the production process:

Snapshot YSD was well represented at the 2019 United States Institute for Theatre Technology awards. Becca Terpenning ’18 (left, Pictured with Verda Beth Martell) won the Bernhard R. Works, Frederick A. Bueki Scenic Technology Award and Latiana (LT) Gourzong ’19 (right, Pictured with Paul Tantillo) won the KM Fabrics, Inc. Technical Production Award. Wendall Harrington (Faculty) and Toni-Leslie James (Faculty) received Distinguished Achievement Awards for Digital Media and Education, respectively. Photo courtesy of Verda Beth Martell. Photo courtesy of Latiana (LT) Gourzong.

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02 02 Roberta Pereira ’08 (Faculty) and her daughter at the first rehearsal of Mothers. Photo by Daniel J. Vasquez Productions.

childcare at EPAs and callbacks, caregiver stipends for the creative team and actors, and childcare for both opening night and a special matinee performance. Performers, designers, the playwright, the director, and even the audience were considered through the program. Most notably, and, as Pereira notes, most expensively, Realm added a week of rehearsals to their traditional calendar and shifted to a five-day work week. Both Hewitt and Pereira stress that when theaters eliminate, or reduce, barriers for

Snapshot YSD/YRT faculty and staff gathered to wish Erich Bolton ’11 a fond farewell after eight years of service as a Lecturer in Technical Design and Production and the Projection Supervisor. Photo by Madeline Carey ’21.

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parent artists, everyone benefits. Hewitt posits, “Supporting parent artists should be a part of any inclusion effort. Parenthood is deeply affected by issues of race, gender, healthcare, class, and ability. By keeping artists engaged as they build families, they stay in the profession, making our field more diverse.” — Amy Boratko ’06 (Staff)

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Raising Our Voices: The Solidity and Solidarity of WVIT

01 When Emily Reeder ’17 returned from her fellowship semester in the spring of 2016, YSD felt different. “I came back, and all of a sudden there was this great culture of affinity groups picking up momentum. It was a fascinating, exciting time, where all these groups were forming, with students finding space to come together to support each other and work through challenges.” Reeder said it was as if the campus were in the midst of a reckoning, where students were taking matters into their own hands to effect the change they wanted to see. “We realized that we didn’t have to accept things the way

that they were.” Reeder, Jesse Rassmussen ’17, and Shadi Ghaheri ’18 got to talking.“We wished we had time to process what it means to be a woman at YSD. My wheels started turning. I sent out an email asking if anyone would be interested in being part of a women’s affinity group, and I got a bunch of responses from people saying they’d love that.” And in that moment, Women’s Voices in Theater (WVIT) was born. For Aneesha Kudtarkar ’19, “WVIT seemed like the organization that was most aligned with what I was starting to care about after working at many off-Broadway YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

01 Jiji Kim MUS ’17 and Lauren E. Banks ’17 performing in JOAN, a collaboration among Jesse Rasmussen ’17, Cole McCarty ’18, and Alex O’Neill, at the first WVIT Theater Festival. Photo by Steven Koernig ’17, SOM ’17.

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02 02 Juliana Canfield ’17, YC ’14 and Amauta Marston-Firmino ’19 in the staged reading of A Rat’s Mass by Adrienne Kennedy as part of the first WVIT Theater Festival. Photo by Steven Koernig ’17, SOM ’17.

and regional theaters and seeing how hard it can be for women in the industry.” For others, it took time to realize the space was something they needed. “I was skeptical of WVIT when I arrived at YSD,” recalls Molly FitzMaurice ’19. “It wasn’t until I started spending time at WVIT events that I realized how much I needed them. Because there are so many women in our field, it is easy to forget that theater is still subject to white, cisgender, hetero-patriarchy— something that I experienced in both the classroom and rehearsal room.” Em Weinstein ’19 felt similarly: “Since college, I had always been a bit like ‘eek, I don’t want to be a member of a club.’ And then I was shocked by the level of misogyny that I was seeing YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

from my fellow students, faculty, and programming at YSD. It made me really angry and really sad. I joined WVIT in order to feel like there was a space for conversation about these issues.” In its early days, WVIT started with community building. “There were moments of being frustrated or trying to unpack whatever had come up in a classroom or a rehearsal space. There was also a picking up and celebrating of the role models that we did have—the people who were showing us pathways through the troublesome situations that we might encounter,” Reeder recalls. After a number of meetings, the women of WVIT started thinking about the future. “We asked ourselves: what is the one

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thing you would like to do this year? And we all said: we want to produce women’s work.” The inaugural Women’s Voices in Theater Festival took place in the spring of 2017. FitzMaurice, who, with Kudtarkar, Weinstein,

“I realized that this was an essential role for WVIT to play. If we can provide community and healing over a shared trauma, then we are successful.” — Markie Gray ’20 and Ghaheri, would go on to be a co-facilitator of WVIT from 2017-18, remembers: “We produced staged readings as well as open gallery events. I remember that Yaara Bar ’19 created this gorgeous 21st-century cubist projection installation where parts of her body were projected onto different cubes, representing the fracturing of the female body grounded in objectification and misogyny.” Weinstein recalls the festival as the first time they felt a sense of community in the rehearsal room. “I directed a reading of Miranda Rose Hall’s Menstruation: A Period Piece with a bunch of women, and it was my first experience with an all-female cast. I thought ‘this is really cool.’ I wasn’t terrified of getting made fun of. I suddenly realized that my social fears, which had been so profound in graduate school, disappeared with that group of people in the room.” In the fall of 2017, Kudtarkar, Weinstein, FitzMaurice, and Ghaheri reflected on difficult questions surrounding the group’s mission. Kudtarkar remembers, “We wanted to make a more gender inclusive space.” So

they adopted a more gender inclusive title: Womxn’s Voices in Theater. This was also the time that the #MeToo movement exploded, and the foursome were left wondering how the group could better support fellow students. “It was bizarre and scary. The week after the Harvey Weinstein story broke, and shortly after Lupita Nyong’o ’12 published an op-ed detailing her own experience with the predatory producer, we gathered to hold space. It seemed like the best thing we could do as organizers was to invite people to use that time for what they felt was most appropriate.” In 2018, another polarizing political situation deeply affected WVIT: the confirmation hearings for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Co-facilitator Markie Gray ’20 remembers: “We had an emergency gathering where we just sat in a room and cried together.” For Gray, the moment solidified the importance of WVIT. “I realized that this was an essential role for WVIT to play. If we can provide community and healing over a shared trauma, then we are successful.” Since its inception, WVIT has wrestled with how to balance its advocacy with its duty of care—creating space for work produced, conceived, and executed by women mindful of an environment where extracurricular time is very limited. In response, the leadership team of Gray, April Hickman ’20, and Emily Duncan Wilson ’20 made the difficult decision to stop producing the festival and instead provide funding to support diverse projects led by female-identifying artists at the School. Each year since its founding, WVIT has continued to change and grow, altering its structure to foster inclusivity and advocate on behalf of the women of YSD. Reeder says that’s why she formed the group in the first place: “What mattered to me was building something that was meaningful—not just to us but for others down the line.” — Sophie Siegel-Warren ’19 YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

Firsts and Founders: The First Women at YSD l i n ds ay k i n g

The Yale School of Fine Arts admitted women as graduate students from its founding in 1869, and when the School’s new Department of Drama first opened its doors in 1925, one-third of the incoming students were women. Women shaped the department in its formative years, championed by its first chair, George Pierce Baker (Former Faculty), who had been lured from Harvard for the purpose. The exhibition Firsts and Founders: Early Women in Drama at Yale, on view until May 19, 2020, at the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library, turns the spotlight on those first few decades, drawing upon materials from the Yale University Library’s archives. Some names, including Maurine Dallas Watkins ’27, Hallie Flanagan, and Constance Welch (Former 26

Faculty), are well-known to theater history, while others have faded with time. Housed in cramped quarters at 52 Hillhouse Avenue before the opening of the University Theatre, the Department of Drama produced Hallie Flanagan’s one-act play Incense alongside Helen Gaskill’s Celeste in October 1925, a few months into the first term. Both playwrights wrote their one-acts in the last class of English 47, also known as the “47 Workshop,” Baker’s famous class at Harvard and Radcliffe, which boasted Eugene O’Neill and Philip Barry, among many others, as alumni. Flanagan was later known for directing the Federal Theatre Project and the Vassar Experimental Theatre. During her Guggenheim Fellowship year

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abroad researching European modernist theater, she kept up a steady correspondence with Baker, who called her “in all ways, an exceptional person.” In his first annual report to Yale President James Rowland Angell, Baker acknowledged some logistical challenges in admitting women students, but expressed no regrets. He wrote, “Certainly in all divisions of the work of the Department of Drama they have justified their presence this year. Be it noted especially that the one play accepted for professional production as soon as it was finished was by a woman, Miss Maurine Watkins.” Watkins studied in Baker’s 47 Workshop at Radcliffe, then covered murder trials in the mid-1920s as a Chicago Tribune reporter before coming to Yale. One of the first plays penned in the new Department of Drama, based on the characters in those trials, was Chicago, a dark satire that previewed at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven a few nights before its Broadway premiere in December 1926 and notably shocked some faculty in the audience. Chicago went on to great success: it was filmed as Roxie Hart starring Ginger Rogers in 1942 then

found its zenith when John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse adapted it into a musical, again called Chicago, which premiered in 1975 starring Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera; Walter Bobbie’s 1996 revival is still running on Broadway. A lesser-known early play that went straight from Yale to Broadway was Katherine T. Clugston’s ’28 Finished, a comedy about headstrong girls misbehaving at finishing school. Onstage in February and March 1928, the play went on to a Broadway production that November under the title These Days, featuring a young Katharine Hepburn. The Arts Library holds original scripts showing the intensive edits Clugston made to Finished. In those days, audience members—including President Angell—received free tickets to student productions with the expectation that they would supply prompt written feedback to Baker. The very first women to teach drama at Yale were instructors in costume design, though they didn’t stay long. Evelyn Cohen, who had worked at the Carnegie Institute

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When the School’s new Department of Drama first opened its doors in 1925, onethird of the incoming students were women.

Department of Drama, was one of the first four faculty members of the Department of Drama, but left after the 1925-26 academic year when she married. Rose Bogdanoff succeeded her in 1926-27, but resigned the next year, going on to design costumes for Broadway and television. Agnes B. Young was appointed in 1928-29, but also resigned the following year. By contrast, Constance Welch came to Yale in 1929 to teach one class and stayed for 38 years, retiring in 1967—by which time the Department of Drama had become the professional School of Drama. Baker initially recruited her to teach one course in “voice correction.” Within the year, she was promoted to assistant professor, teaching advanced play production, coaching, and directing along with diction. In 1938 she was appointed Associate Professor of Play Production. Boxes full of enthusiastic correspondence from former students beginning “Dear Miss Welch…” attest to their affec-

tion and respect for her, as well as her continuing influence on their lives. In its 2008 obituary for Paul Newman ’54, the Yale Daily News credits Welch with teaching him how to act. Among her many other famous students was Robert Brustein ’51, HON ’66, later Dean of Yale School of Drama and founding artistic director of Yale Repertory Theatre. After completing her certificate in 1929, Elizabeth Elson (Former Faculty) was appointed Assistant in Production for the 1929-30 academic year. She taught directing, coaching and advanced play production alongside Welch beginning in 193031, the year the department began conferring MFA degrees, and earned her own MFA in 1934. Before coming to Yale, Shirley Graham ’40 studied composition at the Sorbonne and Oberlin College, and in 1932 composed Tom-Tom, an opera about African American history. In the mid-1930s, she supervised the “Negro Unit” of the Chi-

cago Federal Theatre Project. During her years at the Department of Drama, she was an actor, composer, and playwright, including the 1940 one-act tragedy It’s Mornin’, set at the end of the Civil War, in which an enslaved woman kills her daughter rather than see her sold. After leaving Yale, she became National Field Secretary of the NAACP, and later published several biographies of prominent African Americans. She married W.E.B. DuBois in 1951. Many of the women in the Department of Drama were playwrights and costume designers, but Jean Rosenthal ’34 jumped into the then-emerging field of lighting design. She studied with Stanley McCandless (Former Faculty) and was featured in his innovative program “A Demonstration of Stage Lighting” in 1933. After Yale, she worked with Orson Welles at the Federal Theatre Project and the Mercury Theatre and was there in the theater for the infamous first preview of The Cradle Will Rock in 1937. She later

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became known particularly as a designer of lighting for dance. She lit over 4,000 productions during her career, with many of the techniques she invented still in use today. The actor pictured in the dramatic banner graphic (front of the article) for Firsts and Founders is Virginia Lee Comer ’34, shown in a 1931 production of Andromache for which very little other documentation has survived. After Yale, Comer went on to become a national authority on producing theater for children. In curating this exhibition of archival holdings from Arts Library Special Collections and Manuscripts and Archives, I naturally focused on women whose work was well-documented by interesting objects—such as the first edition of Chicago inscribed to Baker by Watkins, Welch’s datebook full of interesting thoughts on theater next to phone numbers and appointments, or the dogeared and scribbled-upon script of Finished.

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Hundreds of other women were onstage and backstage during these early years, and the exhibition puts their names in front of audiences again through a large data visualization. These names emerged out of Ensemble@Yale, Haas Arts Library’s crowdsourced transcription project. Our aim is to record the thousands of names and corresponding roles that are printed inside archived performance programs from Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre, bring them into a searchable database, and enable further analysis by future researchers. This visualization, beautifully designed by Anton Sovetov ART ’16 from the Office of the University Printer, highlights names that recur more often in the data by showing them brighter,

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while evoking the sheer number of women who were here, and how many of them may have been forgotten. It represents just the first use of this rich set of historical data. As we wind down the 50/150 celebration of women at Yale and look ahead to the 100th anniversary of the School of Drama, these glimpses of founding women remind us that our collective history holds countless other stories, waiting in the archives to be told anew.

Lindsay King is the librarian for drama, theater and performance studies, and Associate Director for Access and Research Services at the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library.

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Alumn YSD Women Lead the Way from Coast to Coast

c h i a r a k l ei n ’17, som ’17

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nation “Y ou know, of course, you’re taking a man’s slot,” Irene Lewis ’66 was informed during her first week in the directing department at Yale School of Drama. Her response? Stay focused, do the work. “I kept my head down and tried to inch forward. And inch by inch it turned out to be.” In my conversations with some of the renowned theater leaders who came up in the ’70s and ’80s including Irene Lewis, former Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage (1980–2010), Lynne Meadow ’71, Artistic Director of Manhattan Theatre Club, Carol Ostrow ’80, Producing Director at The Flea Theater, and Anne Cattaneo ’74, Dramaturg and Director of LCT Directors Lab, it became clear that finding opportunities as a woman in the theater was an uphill battle. With few role models and dominant narratives such as, “we haven’t had much luck with the other women we’ve hired,” these women fought hard and worked strategically to navigate, carve a place, and ultimately thrive in the American theater. For the leaders coming up today, these challenges have not disappeared, but they have evolved. As Emika Abe ’16, SOM ’16, newly appointed Managing Director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC, reflects, “For me, and with my generation, I feel like there’s more of an explicit opportunity not to be one of the guys, a specific opportunity to lead with my full identity and I don’t think that opportunity would have been afforded to me if the prior generation of leaders hadn’t paved the way.”

Chiara Klein ’17, SOM ’17 is the Director of Artistic Producing at Baltimore Center Stage. Originally from New York, she has previously held positions at The Public Theater, Yale Rep, Berkeley Rep, and MaineStage Shakespeare.

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03 According to a survey conducted by the Theatre Communications Group in 2015, by 2025 an estimated 250+ organizations—at least 50% of their members—expected a leadership transition at either the artistic or executive leadership level. Dozens of those positions have turned over already, and the incoming class of leaders represents a cohort inclusive of more women and people of color than ever before. This change represents a seismic moment in the theater field, the effects of which are yet to be fully understood. But one thing is for sure—these leaders have a huge job ahead of them. Theaters all around the country are experiencing the effects of years of declining ticket sales compounded by the increased cost of doing business. Our institutional theaters have gone from scrappy, artist-driven storefront operations to multi-million-dollar complexes. “It’s always been heavy lifting to run any sort of theater, and to run a nonprofit theater is particularly difficult now; there’s no question,” reflected Meadow. “It would be a shame if what comes about is that women, having gotten the opportunity, can’t make instant change and will be perceived in some way as not having the ability to do it.” “There’s a feeling that we are being asked to figure out

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Headwinds by i r e n e l e w is ’66

01 Carol Ostrow ’80. Photo by Zack DeZon.

02 Christie Evangelisto ’03, Associate Artistic Director at Second stage Theater, and Meghan Pressman ’10, SOM ’10 at Sardi’s. Photo courtesy of Center Theatre Group.

Although asked to write about my time running Center Stage, a regional theater in Baltimore, Maryland, I think my previous experiences, beginning with my time at Yale, might be of more interest. When I began at YSD in 1963 the landscape was vastly different: women had not yet been admitted to Yale College; there was no access to birth control in the state of Connecticut; at the Yale Law School dining room where I worked as a waitress, I never saw more than two or three women, and one or two African American men; the Vice Squad roamed the campus looking for ‘lascivious conduct’ among the graduate school students. (I doubt they went near the privileged undergraduates.) If they found you in a ‘compromising position,’ you were dragged before a judge, and a faculty member had to come and bail you out. Entering the School as an acting student, I became aware that something troubling was happening. The head of the design program had decided to move practically all of the women from the set design program into costume design, saying something about not wasting set design training on women, who were, in all probability, going to get married and stop working. So when I decided near the end of my first year to switch from the acting program to the male-dominated directing program, I knew I’d encounter some

03 Anna D. Shapiro ’93 in the rehearsal room for Steppenwolf’s production of Mary Page Marlowe by Tracy Letts. Photo by Joel Moorman. 04 Drawing of Irene Lewis ’66 by Mike Lynch.

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05 Chiara Klein ’17, SOM ’17 and Stephanie Ybarra ’08. Photo by Jess McGowan. 06 Lynne Meadow ’71. Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club. 07 Rachel Fink ’00. Photo courtesy of Lookingglass Theatre.

08 Carrie Van Hallgren ’06 at the closing night of the American Players Theatre season in October 2019. Photo by Hannah Anderson.

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“At any moment in time in our field there will always be Then, Now, and Next. And it is up to Next to be productively unsatisfied with Now, and for Now to be reaching further than Then.” — Stephanie Ybarra ’08 a problem that we’ve inherited, and if we fail, it feels like the stakes are really high,” said Sarah Williams ’15, who was appointed Managing Director of California Shakespeare Theater last summer. “But luckily, all the people who are coming up are incredibly smart and capable, and there is that feeling of collective responsibility.” The leaders charged with moving the field forward are raring to go and their collective visions both artistically and operationally are exciting. With evolving challenges and high stakes comes an unprecedented opportunity not only to push the envelope artistically, but to innovate the business model. For many nonprofit theaters, change has come in the form of a producing director. Carol Ostrow has been a trailblazer in this leadership structure—nearly 40 years ahead of the curve. After a brief career as an actress, Carol found her calling as a producer. She learned on the job and applied her natural business instinct to lead organizations, as the Founding Director of Powerhouse Theater at Vassar, then as the Producing Director at Classic Stage Company, and at her current position as the Producing Director of The Flea Theater, where she has been for 19 years. “To me,” said Carol, “it was just logical maneuvers to make art. And I’m happy to say, I still do it today.” Her passion for theater guides her managerial decisions, “I have to say no a lot and send artists back to the drawing board, but I am invested in the realization of producing these shows, and if you don’t pay attention to the money, it’s not going to happen.” When you speak with the new generation of leaders such as Carrie Van Hallgren ’06, Managing Director of American Players Theatre in Wisconsin, Rachel Fink ’00, Executive Director of Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago, Meghan Pressman ’10, SOM ’10, Managing Director/CEO of Center Theatre Group, Producing Director of The Playwrights Realm Roberta Pereira ’08 (Faculty), Anna D. Shapiro ’93, Artistic Director at Steppenwolf

Headwinds (continued) tricky terrain. I was lucky. After directing a scene which constituted my “audition,” a teacher campaigned for me, and I got a spot as the only woman in the second-year directing class. During the first week of my second year, a fellow directing student came up to me and said that thing about taking a place meant for a man. [The same was said to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, not that I’m comparing myself in any way to that legal titan!]. I’d like to say that I had a witty comeback, but I didn’t. If you used a passive approach you were thought of as weak, and consequently ignored; an aggressive one and you were labeled a ‘pushy bitch’ and avoided. I decided that I would prove myself with my work. Jump ahead four years. I’m married, have moved to Hartford from Texas, where I had been working in a non-equity theater while my then-husband pursued his doctorate. Breaking into that Dallas theater involved hounding the man in charge for an interview. At the end of this ‘interview/audition,’ we found ourselves in the dimly lit, rather-remote costume storage room. Every woman working back then in any field had to decide how to handle those confrontations. I had heard of the formidable Hartford Stage Company. How would I get in the door? In the late ’60s there were virtually no female freelance directors. Zero. Two women were running their own theaters: Zelda Fichandler and her husband had opened Arena Stage in Washington, DC, and Nina Vance helmed the Alley Theatre in Houston. Nina at least was gracious enough to invite me to drop in if I ever found myself in Houston. At my first meeting with Artistic Director Paul Weidner ’62, I pitched the idea of starting some after-school theater classes at Hartford Stage for high school kids. Because Paul liked the idea, I was able to back in, rather than use the front door. The following year, a political theater touring company was formed, and Paul made me the director of that as well. During my early years there, I watched as male directors behind me at Yale strolled onto the main stage to direct. Eventually, I directed a huge show for the Hartford Symphony, and I think that the scale of it may have been what convinced Paul to give me a shot at the main stage in 1974. It took five years to get that show. The managing director was not pleased, telling me that they had tried a woman once, and it hadn’t gone well, so “the women had one more chance.” He also had the habit, whenever I raised a problem, of saying, “Don’t you worry your pretty little head.” It took me two or three years to decide to confront him, always trying to straddle the middle between overly passive and overly aggressive. As I said, tricky terrain, though not impossible. But it brings up another problem. If told enough times that women can’t direct, a part of you can come to believe it. At least a part of me did. I wound up struggling with both internal doubts and external potshots aimed at me by the men I encountered. My main stage show was successful and launched a very lucky, work-filled career. It had to be very successful, because just being as good as the men wasn’t good enough. My bosses at Hartford were relentless when it came to reminding me that I was a ‘woman’

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11 Theatre Company, Mary Rose Lloyd ’96, Artistic Director of New 42nd Street Theater, or Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage Stephanie Ybarra ’08, their visions and priorities are infectious. They feel a collective mandate to evolve and grow the field, and not just artistically, but at the foundation of how people work together. “The expectations of how people interact with each other are changing,” said Pressman. “Organizational culture, respect in the workplace, and other movements that are happening right now are so much more about how we treat each other. And maybe women are actually better right now as leaders. Wouldn’t that be interesting?” Of course, at the heart of our industry and vital to the future of the American theater is the art. The extent to which our theaters support and amplify new artists and voices is the extent to which our field will continue to thrive. Leaders coming from a broader spectrum of identities are uniquely positioned to welcome the next generation of visionary voices, just as the leaders of the past did. When Anne Cattaneo produced Uncommon Women and Others by Wendy Wasserstein ’76, it was against the advice of male critics who argued that there was “simply no audience for work like [that].” That production put Wasserstein on the map and little more than a decade later, she would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for The Heidi Chronicles. “If you see anything, a playwright or a kind of play 3 8

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09 Roberta Pereira ’08 (Faculty) at the opening of Mothers at The Playwrights Realm. Photo by Daniel J. Vasquez Productions. 10 Mary Rose Lloyd ’96. Photo by Alexis Buatti-Ramos. 11 Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Board President Linette Hwu, Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes, and Emika Abe ’16, SOM ’16. Photo courtesy of Emika Abe.

12 Anne Cattaneo ’74. Photo by Brigitte Lacombe. 13 Sarah Williams ’15. Photo courtesy of California Shakespeare Theater.

Headwinds (continued)

13 that’s popular, or a type of theater that’s popular, and everyone’s lined up at that bus stop to get behind that particular writer, you start a new line behind somebody who doesn’t have a line,” says Cattaneo. “And if everybody did that, there would be more diversity. There would be more—and I mean that in every sense of the word—opportunities.” It is thrilling to imagine the kind of future that the visionary leaders of the American theater hope finally to co-create. From innovating the business model to deepening theater’s connection to its community to throwing the doors open to a new generation of audiences and artists, theaters all over the country are striving to grow and adapt to an ever-changing world. According to Stephanie Ybarra, “At any moment in time in our field there will always be Then, Now, and Next. And it is up to Next to be productively unsatisfied with Now, and for Now to be reaching further than Then. This is how theater has evolved for over two millennia thanks to the collective imagination of artists. If we want theater to be relevant in our communities, we must continue to look ahead and reach ever further.”

director. One opening night gift from these two honchos was a box of Midol (for ‘that time of month’) with a note, “Under difficult circumstances, you have accomplished something quite extraordinary.” It helped to have a sense of humor. Fortunately, I think enough progress has been made in the field that their ‘gift’ might today result in a lawsuit. A few years ago, I had dinner with Paul Weidner, right before he died, and a young man who was helping him with his serious health issues. Wine glass in hand, Paul turned to me and said, “I’m sorry it took five years to give you a show, but I honestly didn’t think women could direct.” The young guy at the table was horrified and started a vigorous attack on Paul. I tried to tell him that it was a very different time, but like most young people today, he wasn’t buying it. I couldn’t help but think, where else was I going to get to direct a show in the early 1970s? It might have taken Paul five years to give me a show, but no one else was offering me one. Running Center Stage for twenty years? That was still many challenges and a lot more hurdles away. Irene Lewis is currently working on a graphic novel about her journey from the streets of the Bronx to running the State Theater of Maryland.

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L.A. Confidential Eve Gordon ’81 Takes a Few Meetings in Hollywood

photo by daniil vnoutchkov

e v e g o r d o n ’81

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“With #MeToo, Time’s Up, and the discussion around #believewomen, there's been a huge cultural shift in Hollywood and beyond with respect to how we listen to women’s voices (or don’t).” 02

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“Rehearsing plays at Yale, I got a thicker skin. The demands of content dictate when to let go of ideas that don't work.”

“The stepping stones for most of us women have been each other.” Recently, I met up with a number of YSD alumnae who are making their mark in film and television in Los Angeles. What, I wondered, has enabled these women to thrive in such a highly competitive industry? To what do they owe their stunning achievements? Could it be that YSD training, with its emphasis on multidisciplinary knowledge and its unique spirit of collaboration, is the secret to their success? Here are a few excerpts from my conversations that address those very questions:

Sarah Treem ’05, YC ’02, co-creator and showrunner of Showtimes’s The Affair, told me that YSD gave her “the opportunity to work, and develop a voice undeterred for three years—to make mistakes and stretch and be pushed in different directions that weren’t necessarily inside a comfort zone." “I learned,” she said, “to take risks and to make that part of any creative process.” Dorothy Fortenberry ’08, writer and producer on The Handmaid’s Tale, says she is grateful that students were “pushed to go outside your discipline, to learn set design, writing, directing, acting, hanging lights, selling tickets, teaching, mentoring…I did a lot of things that weren’t just writing. As a TV producer, you work with the director, actors, the prop department—I felt I had a grounding in that from Yale. I’m able to think more holistically about a show, not just as a writer, but as a producer, and that began at YSD.” That sentiment was echoed by Rebecca Phillips Epstein ’09, writer’s assistant on the series Emily in Paris. “Learning how to give and receive notes from collaborators continues to serve me well in conversations with studio executives, producers, and agents about my own

01 Rebecca Phillips Epstein ’09. Photo by Aaron Epstein. 02 Dorothy Fortenberry ’08 on the set of The Handmaid’s Tale. 03 Sarah Treem ’05, YC ’02. Photo by Joe Pugliese.

Eve Gordon ’81, is an awardwinning actor living in Los Angeles. Her next film is Jon Stewart’s Irresistible.

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“Now that I have great creative control, it’s always at the forefront of my imagination to create stories about women who are complete human beings.”

04 Charise Castro Smith ’10. Photo by Alex Kang © Disney. 05 Rachel Myers ’07. 4 4

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work as a writer,” she shared. “There is no possibility I would be who I am without my YSD training,” says Charise Castro Smith ’10 who entered the School as an actor, wrote for Devious Maids, and is now writing for Disney Animation. Because of the acting program’s emphasis on collaboration, Charise wrote a play for the Cabaret. It turned out be a watershed moment. Paula Vogel (Faculty) and James Bundy ’95 (Dean) encouraged her to pursue her writing. After graduation, Charise navigated the sexism we all have faced (an early boss was “a monstrous human!”) and says that now “as a writer I strive to create female characters that are full, complete human beings.” Laughing, she added, “I feel embarrassed even to say that.” These women all began their careers before the #MeToo movement and had to break through the fortified wall of the Boys’

“There are a few women producers who took me under their wing, and I want to do the same to build the industry to reflect our voices in both hiring and content.”

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Club mentality with the sheer force of their talent. As a production designer, Rachel Myers ’07 had “frequently worked with first-time male directors, but when it came to directing myself, I had to make my own opportunities, putting together projects from the ground up.” After the success of her film Wendy’s Shabbat, she landed a big feature—a story with a female lead. This got her the job and later her first directing episode for Disney. Now she’s preparing to direct a feature she wrote herself. “At YSD, I learned how to have a vision and write that vision but at the same time be a collaborator with actors, directors, and designers,” said Alena Smith ’06. “I draw on that skill set as a showrunner, where I’m the captain of a big ship, all navigating the journey together.” She couldn’t be more excited about what’s happening in the industry today. “There is an explosion of streaming content, new platforms, and an openness to new perspectives that previously would never have had the resources devoted to them,” Smith said. On her own show, Dickinson, she is taking an “icon of creative achievement who was not appreciated in her own time and asking, ‘Can we restage American history from a female 4 6

perspective?’” Rachel Rusch Rich ’05, DFA ’08, YC ’00 used to be mistaken for an assistant when she called a meeting. “All we can do is become the people in charge, and change how it’s done,” she says now. When she is asked, “Are you interested in women’s stories?” she answers, “Yes…in that they are stories.” A champion of writers and creators for years, overseeing productions such as Bosch and The Americans, Rich now develops original programming as senior VP at Bad Robot, including Leesy’s Story for Apple TV. Because the training at Yale was “learning by doing,” she was ready when it was time to make the leap to producing. “I just feel that I am less prescriptive than some executives. I know there isn’t one right answer to every issue.” Both Rich and Treem consider the obstacles women face to be extremely useful for showrunners. “You have to have a certain amount of adaptability in your head, and bring in new information from the audience, from the actors, from the writers,” said Treem. “It’s like a river: you have to move around the rocks, but know which way you’re flowing. I think women are better at it in some ways. The flexibility we have to have in order to just be a woman in the

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“The collaboration at YSD was perfect preparation for being a showrunner, akin to being the captain of a ship, all navigating together.”

06 Alena Smith ’06. Photo by Ricky Middlesworth. 07 Rachel Rusch Rich ’05, DFA ’08, YC ’00 and Adam O’Byrne ’04 on the set of Bosch.

“I just feel that I am less prescriptive than some executives. I know there isn’t one right answer to every issue.”

world and survive, actually comes in pretty handy in television writing.” Epstein tapped into this flexibility early in her career, too. “When I had my first child,” she said, “I was suffering from postpartum depression, and I was worried that because I had to slow down to recover, my career would be over before it ever really started. Instead, my female boss pushed me to write a spec pilot about it that was risky, personal, and raw. Ultimately, that was the script that got me my agent, got me my first job in a writers’ room. I feel lucky to be coming up

Screen Shot Susan Soon He Stanton ’10 is a New York City-based playwright and writer and producer on the hit HBO series Succession. For Susan, who grew up in Aiea, Hawaii, theater was a portal to a larger world that eventually brought her to Yale and the East Coast: “Many playwrighting programs are structured so that writers create in isolation, which can be wonderfully productive, but I was seeking an environment where I could find collaborators and work closely with directors, designers, and actors.” Susan finds television to be a natural fit for a playwright. “There is a lot of exciting crossover between theater and television. At

Susan Soon He Stanton ’10 on the set of Succession. Succession, several contributing writers are playwrights, including Mary Laws ’14.” When asked about her experience as a woman in television, Susan acknowledges that she has been fortunate, but there is still a long way to go. “I’ve heard horror stories about what women writers in TV

in a moment where there’s such an appetite for women’s stories, and to have had mostly great, mostly female bosses and mentors who’ve encouraged me to find my voice and use it.” “This conversation about the role of women is really just beginning,” Treem said. “The current generation of young women is much more empowered to vocalize when things are not being handled correctly, in a way that I don’t remember people being able to do when I was young.” Stay tuned, everyone.

have dealt with. I’m very lucky to be in writers’ rooms that have always made it a priority to include women. I feel the importance of it, both in the stories created and within the work environment.” What’s next for Susan? In addition to a commission at Yale Rep, she has a number of television and film projects in the works. “One piece I’m working on draws from letters and email exchanges. It’s been exciting translating textures of communication that seem passive into active life on screen.” She also has begun a new artistic challenge—animation. “I’m so used to the helpful limitations of theater, television, and film. This genre has no boundaries and that feels like a stretch—in a good way.”

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Women by Design e l iz a b e t h b e n n e t t ’97

Nikki Mills ’14 CDR ’11 MFA is the Production Manager for Special Events and Studio Projects for YSD and YRT. She has worked in various production roles across the country over the last 15 years.

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Women who have graduated from the Drama School’s set, costume, and lighting design programs have worked on Broadway, at regional theaters, for film, for television, for architecture firms, and so much more. Their skills speak to flexibility and resiliency. Though their experiences and interests vary greatly, they are tied together through levels of respect and warmth when speaking the magic names of their YSD mentors: Ming Cho Lee (Faculty Emeritus), Jennifer Tipton (Faculty), and Jane Greenwood (Faculty Emerita). Elizabeth Bennett ’97 is the Executive Director at Staten Island Arts, the arts council of NYC’s fifth borough. She is proud to have worked as a dramaturg at La Jolla Playhouse, Arena Stage, and Dallas Theater Center, and she continues to collaborate with Preston Lane ’96 at Triad Stage.

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Dede M. Ayite ’11 cost ume design er

Originally from Ghana, Dede M. Ayite double majored in theater and behavioral neuroscience in college before focusing on set design at YSD. Recent costume design credits include American Son and Children of a Lesser God on Broadway, Fireflies at Atlantic Theater Company, Slave Play at New York Theatre Workshop, and School Girls, or The African Mean Girls Play for MCC Theater. “I don’t often look at the environment in terms of male/female, I look at it in terms of access to opportunity. That being said, there were so few female and/or black designers when I was at YSD, it would be difficult to describe it as an ‘environment.’ I was extraordinarily fortunate to build a relationship with Patricia McGregor ’09 who introduced me to Clint Ramos, who became an incredible mentor and guide. “I knew I was entering a field dominated by white men. I had to find my own way, relying on my sense of direction, trusting my instincts not only as a designer but when it came to finding collaborators, mentors, and teachers. When there is no road built, it’s important you find the guiding lights that are there for you.”

“I don’t often look at the environment in terms of male/female, I look at it in terms of access to opportunity.” — Dede M. Ayite ’11

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01 Costume designer Dede M. Ayite ’11 at Signature Theatre Company. Photo by Gregory Costanzo. 02 Jiyoun Chang ’08. 03 Linda Cho ’98 working on the production of Samson et Dalila at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo courtesy of Linda Cho.

Jiyoun Chang ’08

Linda Cho ’98

Originally from Korea, Jiyoun Chang fell in love with the magic of lighting design while studying at Brooklyn College. An Obie Award-winning artist, she has brought that magic to productions all over the world including You Lost Me at Denver Center Theatre Company, Our Country at The Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Romania, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf at The Public Theater, and Slave Play on Broadway. “I had very little knowledge about who was dominating the field when I started out. Maybe that was a good thing. A lot of the original lighting designers were women. Jennifer Tipton is one of the first female lighting designers who worked in dance companies: she is a dancer herself, and she danced and traveled with the companies, started to take over the stage manager’s job, then take over as lighting supervisor and became a lighting designer. “Jennifer is an inspiration. She has so much respect for other collaborators, yet she’s not afraid of sharing her strong opinions. While studying with her, I wasn’t aware that lighting design is a male-dominated field. I only learned that later on. “Now female directors are trying to hire more female designers. It’s a comforting environment. I don’t mind working with male directors and designers, but once in a while, I appreciate being a part of bringing all-female artists together.”

Some of what Tony Award-winning costume designer Linda Cho learned about theater was from a book on the history of costume design that featured a woman she would go on to study with at Yale: Jane Greenwood. Since graduating from YSD, Linda has worked globally in opera, theater, and ballet. She is the recipient of Theatre Development Fund’s Irene Sharaff Young Master Award. As the mother of two boys, Cho has long juggled the challenges of balancing her family life with a demanding career often choosing work in proximity to her home. “The Lifespan of a Fact had the first all-female production team on a Broadway show. A number of us had children: Mimi Lien YC ’97 had a small child, projection designer Lucy Mackinnon gave birth during the first day of rehearsal, and I had my guys. Everyone was very professional. Director Leigh Silverman gave up her office to serve as a lactation room. The La Leche League consulted with us and asked, ‘What do you need? What language can we use in other Broadway contracts?’ Nobody had ever asked me that before. I was thrilled to be a part of this changing environment. “Three of the projects I’m working on now are specific to Asian cultures and identity. Those projects are things I believe in. I want to know the people associated with each of them. I want to be a part of the conversation.”

ligh ting design er

cost ume design er

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Laura Eckelman ’11 ligh ting design er

Laura Eckelman is an Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance and Program Director of Arts Management & Entrepreneurship at Washington College. She is also a freelance designer. “As a teacher, I am working hard to train a generation of theater makers who will make the field more human, sustainable, and empathetic. I use the lessons I learned at YSD to build a more inclusive and diverse program. I spend more hours teaching communication than drafting. “What gives me hope is the rise of women in positions of management and leadership, as well as design and production management. This has changed the conversation about sustainability and work life balance. If we’re going to make theater—which is so much about being present—we have to allow our whole selves to be present in the room where the work is being made.”

Adrianne Lobel ’79 se t design er

04 Laura Eckelman ’11. Photo by Sarah Tundermann. 05 Adrianne Lobel ’79 at Second Stage’s 35th anniversary gala. Photo courtesy of Adrianne Lobel. 06 Kate Edmunds ’78. 07 Sandra Goldmark ’04. Photo by Hallie Easley Photography.

The list of productions on which Adrianne Lobel originated the production concepts and set designs reads like a list of the most memorable stage images of the last 40 years, including Peter Sellars’ The Marriage of Figaro, Mark Morris’s The Hard Nut, and the Broadway production of On The Town. A native New Yorker, Ms. Lobel worked as a draftsman in Hollywood before attending YSD. “My entire career has been based on people I met at Yale School of Drama. I met Peter Sellars through Dean Robert Brustein ’51, HON ’66; worked with Harry Kondoleon ’81; and through Peter, I met Mark Morris. The list goes on and on. I had such a great experience. I don’t know what I would have done without YSD. “I think I was the only female set designer in my class but I never thought of myself as a ‘woman designer.’ When I got out of school this was actually advantageous because people were falling all over themselves to hire women. “I was working like a fiend when my YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

05 daughter Ruby was born. I was producing A Year with Frog and Toad, and my husband at the time was in it. I dragged my newborn baby out to the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, asking myself, ‘How am I going to do this?’ “[Becoming a mother] did change my attitude as not all theaters were equally supportive of mothers, and none of my friends had children. Eventually, working as a freelance designer required far too much travel, so I have gradually segued into a post-design career life, and am now [focused on] being a painter. It’s not easy, but I’m very pleased with the career that I have.”

Kate Edmunds ’78 se t design er Kate Edmunds is a Professor of Theater Arts at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She has designed sets for theater, dance, opera, and film for over 40 years. “The blatant inequality between women and men in most professional fields has to be addressed. I had lots of training. I’m the youngest of five children—I had four older brothers. I grew up observing inequity. “When I was a student, YSD was yet another environment in which

the leaders were primarily male. It wasn’t uncommon that in the cohort before and behind you, there were more men than women. Women were centered within a traditional area of study—costumes—but I was motivated to explore set design. By the time I left Yale, I was learning— and continued to learn—for years. It just never occurred to me that I couldn’t be doing what I was doing. This journey has both shaped me and pushed me forward.”

Sandra Goldmark ’04

se t design er

“Environmental constraints can result in a powerful design. That’s what we do: we work within limits.”

Sandra Goldmark is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Theatre and the Director of Campus Sustainability and Climate Action at Barnard College. She is also the founder of FIXUP, a repair service for household objects. “I was always into environmental practices. When I had kids, I realized I needed to address it in the professional sphere. Kids change how you think about everything. I felt a cognitive dissonance: being at home and rinsing my yogurt cups and writing my senator about environmental issues, and then I [went] to work and created thousands and thousands of pounds of waste at every single show. The disjunction was insane. I wanted to be able to engage with this topic at work. “I first started designing shows with what is politely called ‘found objects,’ but it’s really just garbage. I had to do it secretly at first, because in 2012, using these materials was a liability. I remember a conversation with a producer and choreographer who said that working this way was ‘so tiresome.’ And I remember replying, ‘It’s not going to be tiresome when we’re all canoeing to work.’ “Sustainability has to become institutionalized and part of how we budget and plan. Environmental constraints can result in a powerful design. That’s what we do: we work within limits.”

— Sandra Goldmark ’04

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Susan Hilferty ’80

se t a n d cost ume design er Susan Hilferty is the Chair of the Department of Design for Stage and Film at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She counts the pillars of her work being about constant learning and seeking out the type of colleagues who take action. When I spoke with her in March 2020, Susan was about to collaborate with South African playwright/director Athol Fugard on their 44th production together. “I’ve always been somebody who looks at the world as a glass half full instead of half empty. I credit my parents for this outlook. I never worried about barriers. “My activism was born during the civil rights movements of the 1960s. I couldn’t believe that

08 Susan Hilferty ’80 and Athol Fugard. Photo courtesy of Susan Hilferty. 09 Judianna Makovsky ’80. 10 Carolina Ortiz Herrera ’17 during focus at the Santa Fe Opera. Photo by Andie Szekely. 11 Ola Maslik ’06 in her office while designing Halt and Catch Fire for AMC by Stiv Brown. Photo courtesy of Ola Maslik.

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there were citizens of our country who weren’t allowed a voice. When I got to Yale, I had a real sense of being connected to the pulse of forward thinking that was actually built into the core of YSD by Robert Brustein and Dean Lloyd Richards HON ’79 who brought in daring artists such as Athol Fugard. It was so exciting. “I run the graduate design program at NYU and am surrounded by the next generation of theater artists. They address race, gender, and diversity in amazing and beautiful ways. I celebrate these new voices and champion the new perspective they are bringing to our field. We can make change.”

Judianna Makovsky ’80 cost ume design er

Judianna Makovsky got her start on the stage with The Metropolitan Opera ballet and children’s chorus, but was immediately drawn behind the scenes. She has designed costumes for big-budget blockbuster movies including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Hunger Games, and Avengers: Endgame. “In film, sadly, it has taken many years for costume design to be recognized as something more than traditional women’s work. Costume designers, who are predominately women, are often paid less than production designers who are still predominately men and, women production designers are still paid less than their male counterparts. “Parity has become a very large conversation in film design. Although there are many more opportunities for young designers, the movement toward equity is painfully slow and sexism still exists. It is a fight we are all still fighting.”

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Carolina Ortiz Herrera ’17 ligh ting design er

Born and raised in Mexico City, Carolina’s recent credits include Florencia en el Amazonas at the Shubert Theatre, American Mariachi at Arizona Theatre Company, Navidad–A Mexican American Christmas at the Apollo Theater, and All’s Well That Ends Well at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. “My awareness of gender disparity within the field of lighting design changed even before I graduated from YSD. Having Jennifer Tipton as the head of your department gave room to having the gender gap conversation. My classmates and I discussed what to expect [about]

being a female designer in a maledominated culture. “But it was the essay ‘Who Designs in LORT Theatres by Gender’ by Porsche McGovern that made tangible my ‘prescribed’ chances to design at any of the LORT Theatres. This study helps theatre companies to do better. It was a way of letting them know that someone is watching. “In the last four years, there have been concerted efforts for change. There is awareness and desire to hire more women in all positions; from artistic directors, playwrights, directors, designers, production managers, to stage crew. I have been in productions where the company and director chose an entire team of women. Last year, I was one of the two lighting supervisors at Santa Fe Opera, and it was the first time that they had ever had two females on their lighting supervisor team. “The environment is changing, but there is deeper work to be done. Women of color are not yet fully represented. One day, I want to be hired not only because I am a woman of color or because they need to fill a diversity seat. I want to be hired because they are interested in who I am as a designer and the kind of work I do.”

and very much based in theater and opera was still the best option for me. It opened up so much more than to just be restricted to film. If you only study one discipline, you box yourself in. “Fifteen years ago, being a female production designer was unusual. I think I’m in the last generation who entered a male-dominated discipline. Today it’s more open. I’m not saying it’s 100% there but I think

we are closer. “Among female production designers, it’s more about community than competition. We have a production group; we help each other with research; we help each other find the right crews. We feel now like we can do it. There’s so much work out there. Not everyone wants the same job and the same script. Why not help each other? Why not be there for one another?”

Ola Maslik ’06 p roduc tion design er

Originally from Poland, Ola Maslik came to the United States for a touring exhibition of her puppets. She was encouraged to study at YSD by legendary avant-garde director Richard Foreman ’62, who she had worked with in New York. She now works as a production designer in the film industry. “I always knew that I wanted to work in film but deciding to go to YSD where the training was classical

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Rita Ryack ’80 cost ume design er

Rita Ryack is a Tony nominee and OBIE Awardwinning designer who worked in theater with Peter Sellars. In film, she has collaborated with Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro. Rita is also an award-winning cartoonist. “I moved to Hollywood in 1990 to design films. Gender relationships were unequal then and that continues today as Hollywood has gotten quite a bit of public

12 Rita Ryack ’80 after the 68th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. 13 Mariana Sanchez ’15. 14–15 Ballerina Nathalia Arja and Anya Klepikov ’08. Photo by Kelly Brown. Nathalia wearing Anya’s costume as the Firebird. Photo by George Skouras. 16 Anita Yavich ’95 in fittings for Aida at the Washington National Opera. Photo by Tyrone Turner.

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attention for its historically sexist practices. Gender ratios can’t solve that problem, in my opinion. Today, I’m encountering ageism, although this is less prevalent in the theater than in film. “I believe that costume designers aren’t taken seriously enough for our contributions. It’s our responsibility to educate the field about what exactly it is that we do.” 12

Mariana Sanchez ’15 se t design er

Mariana Sanchez trained and worked as an architect in Mexico before moving to New York. Her choice to attend YSD was in part because of the influence of Monica Raya ’93, her professor at the UNAM in Mexico City. Mariana has designed sets for Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theater’s Mobil Unit, Center Stage, and Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of Manahatta, January 2020. “I was recently working on Anatomy of a Suicide, which is a play about motherhood. The entire team was formed of women, and some of us were mothers. I knew this project would allow me to bring more of myself to the job: as a designer, as a woman, and as a mother. “Often, I think I am hired because I am Mexican or a woman of color. For me, that is an advantage. It became an advantage as other Latinx artists found me. My first experience at Oregon Shakespeare Festival was with a Latinx director and a Latinx playwright. I was suddenly connected with a network of Latinx theater makers. I am grateful to be working alongside so many exciting artists who are giving voice to new and diverse stories.”

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Anya Klepikov ’08 se t a n d cost ume design er

Anya Klepikov is an Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Recent credits include set and costumes for a new production of Stravinsky’s ballet, Firebird, at the Miami City Ballet, costumes for Bakkhai at Baltimore Center Stage, and the set for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? at Triad Stage “I was 11 when my family arrived in the United States as Jewish refugees from Russia. My parents are both musicians: my father is a guitarist and a musical instrument maker and my mother is a musicologist and runs a piano studio. I was trained in classical piano. “It was radical for my immigrant parents to let me pursue a career in the arts. So many of my peers were encouraged to do the safer paths of medicine, law, and finance. I would never have had the courage to pursue theater design if my parents had not been so supportive. They were always proud of me. “My path as an artist in this country was in part influenced by a combination of forces from my cultural background. On one hand, Russian culture is quite macho. On the other hand, Communism did a lot for feminism. Women worked and created inspiring works of art and I have been empowered by that legacy too.”

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Anita Yavich ’95 cost ume design er

Award-winning costume designer Anita Yavich is an Associate Professor of Theatre Design/ Technology at SUNY Purchase. She has designed costumes for theater, opera, and dance across the country and internationally. Broadway credits include Fool for Love, Venus in Fur, Chinglish, and Anna in the Tropics. “Theater is about a journey of ‘becoming.’ It naturally lends itself to understanding the performative

aspects of social roles—a collection of behaviors into which we are socialized, and which includes the social roles of male and female. “My experience of being a designer has more to do with race than gender. I have been lucky to have traversed many different cultures throughout my career. Even though I was born in Hong Kong, I never thought of myself as a special envoy of Chinese culture. I research China and Chinese culture as

rigorously as I would have to do on different cultures. “I think it is important to not take anything for granted in our work. Sometimes we can see more clearly from the outside, and sometimes we need to be able to see from within. At the end of the day the human spirit is larger and more mysterious than anything that we know, and theater is about our attempt to catch these glimpses from different angles.”

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Technically Speaking… c. n i k k i m i l l s ’14 (fac u lt y)

C. Nikki Mills ’14 is the Production Manager for Special Events and Studio Projects for YSD and YRT. She has worked in various production roles across the country over the last 15 years. 5 8

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hile building my career in technical theatre, I had the privilege of being surrounded by women in leadership positions. Though this was a regrettably unique experience in our industry, I was lucky enough to have a wonderful role model right near by as I was growing up. Despite having my sister at sixteen and leaving high school to raise her young family, my mom has dedicated her life and career to education and service over self. Today she holds two degrees and is considering going back for a masters. We did not have much growing up, but my mom made sure we had what we needed and modeled what it meant to make a positive impact in the lives of others. My parents separated when I was only four years old, but my father remarried while I was still in elementary school. This meant, then, I had two strong women to emulate while growing up. Both my mother and stepmom owned their own businesses and set their own paths.

These independent women led different lives but shared similar qualities that they instilled in me: tenacity, a terrific work ethic, and a collaborative spirit. My theatre origin story is a little atypical in that I started in technical theater early on and stuck with it. I stage managed/assistant directed two plays in my sixth-grade drama class. I took pleasure in organizing the paperwork…and my classmates. I recall costume designer Melissa Trn ’08 visiting our seminar class at Webster University and sharing her experience of YSD. Her visit planted the notion of continuing beyond my BFA, but I struggled with imposter syndrome. Because a number of women have expressed this same feeling of inadequacy, I feel a strong calling to break down this belief and model what one version of success in technical theatre could look like for others coming after me. While volunteering at the Cabaret prior to my applying to the School, I met Bona Lee ’11 who, instead of going right into the MFA program from a background in sound, had started as a technical intern on

the advice of then-chair Ben Sammler ’74 (Faculty Emeritus). It was so enlightening for me to see someone else with a non-traditional background taking that route and navigating it so successfully. Bona said she “could not think of a better transition. During the internship [she] worked in the shops, learned from the staff, and took classes.” The decision to follow Bona’s path was one of the best I have made in my career. In my first internship year I met first-year MFA candidate Karen Walcott ’13 who was bold, outspoken, and impressive—a strong voice for women in the program. Since graduating she has started her own company and serves as a devoted ambassador for the program connecting alumni and prospective students, while continually advocating for women and other members of marginalized communities in our industry. Nora Hyland ’13 was on staff when I started at Yale, but she saw an opportunity and took advantage of it moving into the MFA program and redirecting her career sights. While

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“I’m creating a path, so it’s easier for the young women behind me.” — Elisa Cardone ’96

working as assistant technical director at McCarter Theatre, Nora commuted back and forth to teach Structural Design for the Stage during Ben’s sabbatical in 2017. Having served as the teaching assistant for the course during her time as a student, Nora was now the first woman to teach the class at YSD. She approached the task with confidence, modeling strength and facility for all her students. In my first year as an MFA candidate, Karen, Nora, and I made up a rare all-women technical direction team for a Rep show—one of the most empowering experiences in my time as a student. The TD&P program has no shortage of advocates or allies, but does lack in female representation on the faculty. I was extremely lucky to have been a student while Elisa Cardone ’96 was teaching. Though she was not full-time faculty, she commuted in and taught up to four classes. Elisa was one of only two women in her cohort, but she shared with me she “felt encouraged to take on leadership roles which was a good base for going out into the 6 0

field.” Going onto managing Broadway shows and tours, she found herself an even rarer bird than she had at Yale. “I don’t consider [the struggle for more female representation] a battle,” she said, “rather that I’m creating a path, so it’s easier for the young women behind me.” Elisa saw an evolution over her roughly 10 years of teaching at YSD. Pleased to see the number of female-identifying students grow, she is even happier to notice now how gender parity is more common. When speaking with TD&P students at a seminar this spring, Alys Holden ’97 shared, “I got 20 years into my professional career before having a female supervisor. This is notable, but I didn’t notice for a long time.” Like Alys, Kat Wepler ’16 had a similar eye-opener about the gender inequality around her when she left her position in California to come to YSD. “It is funny now to remember my interview [for the School], and to think I didn’t even blink an eye at being interviewed by a room full of male faculty. Though, I definitely

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would take note now.” She said she “could feel the refreshing cultural shift in the TD&P department [in her] third year as the first-year class shifted the gender balance.” Following graduation, though, she “felt the [return of that] imbalance during the process of building a new theatre. Repeatedly I would be the only woman in a room filled with architects, consultants, and contractors (or even the other representatives of the theatre).” YSD is making great strides to increase the number of trained female technical managers, but the percentage of women leaders in the industry is still significantly lower than that of men. When I became a member of the TD&P faculty, I had a literal place at the table, a first for a woman. I still have a touch of imposter syndrome. But surrounded by my former faculty who are now my peers, I have opted to lean into that dynamic by being open and honest about decisions and my approach— mobilizing the privilege of my position to enact change in the program, the School, and the

02 01 Kat Wepler ’16 at the TheatreSquared building opening celebration. Photo by Anna Hope Colley.

02 Nora Hyland ’13 and master carpenter Jill Shorrock installing scenery for McCarter Theatre Center’s recent production of Frankenstein. Photo by Meredith Schuler. 03 Alys Holden ’97 and Tien Tsung Ma ’92 (Former Faculty) at Claire’s during a visit to YSD last winter. Photo by Tien-Tsung Ma. 04 Nora Hyland ’13 and Karen Walcott ’13 at the 2018 Women’s March. Photo by Karen Walcott.

05 05 C. Nikki Mills ’14 (Faculty) and her daughter, Magnolia, production managing YSD commencement in May 2019.

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07 06 Bona Lee ’11 on the stage of the Sydney Opera House while production managing Tale of Samulnori. Photo by Kath Melbourne. 07 Elisa Cardone ’96. 08 Sayantee Sahoo ’18. Photo by Ryan Nava.

09 Andi Lyons ’80 enjoying the snow in upstate New York. Photo by Janka Bialek. 10 Latiana (LT) Gourzong ’19. Photo by Maria Paz GarciaHuidobro.

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The TD&P department, as a whole, is really creating more recognition and respect for women in technical theatre.

industry for women. I hope to make more of an impact on our industry by aligning myself with other strong and successful women. Andi Lyons ’80 is one. Andi experienced significant sexism and harassment based on her sexual orientation both in her formative years and as a student. Overcoming that, for decades Andi has been working on making real change in our industry’s leading conference and professional organization, USITT for women+ and other marginalized persons. She has organized or participated in countless sessions, committees, and caucuses since joining in 1982. In 2019 Andi was inducted into the (ironically named) Fellows of the Institute. Recently she has been working with leadership to update the Institute’s language to be more inclusive. She offers that “the face of the organization is changing and the industry is changing. But it’s not getting there fast enough. The proof that it will continue to get better, though, is that we are talking about it!” One of the first women students assigned to work in my own area (Studio Projects) as an assistant production manager was Sayantee Sahoo ’18. A number of YSD alumni with whom Sayantee worked in India recommended the program to her, and after researching the School and learning of how well the TD&P department merged arts and

sciences, she was eager to take on the challenge. She requested to start right away and so arrived in New Haven early and began work on a Rep show well before orientation or classes. Sayantee has approached all her work since graduating with that same sense of commitment, curiosity, and drive. Shortly following graduation Sayantee moved to Alaska for a summer production management position where she led and taught middleand high-school students. She’s now the production manager for the 52nd Street Project, a new works program featuring plays for and by children from the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Sayantee views her role as a mentor and educator among the most rewarding in her current position and seeks more opportunity to serve as a role model for future leaders. The TD&P department, as a whole, is really creating more recognition and respect for women in technical theatre. In 2018, students, staff, and faculty worked together to create group agreements for combatting sexism in our industry. The topic was revisited earlier in the fall of 2019, to discuss how we are progressing in the work and how to refocus our initiatives. That culture of communication has informed the work of Latiana (LT) Gourzong ’19, who currently

serves as the technical director at American Repertory Theater, “I’ve found that being vocal about how you feel in a work environment is more useful than keeping it to yourself. You never know who else around you may be feeling the same way and is just waiting for someone to speak up first.” To LT, it is essential to find allies in your workplace, “It can be exhausting standing up for yourself, so it’s important to have those people that you are able to lean on.” With her “toolbox of skills” that she honed at YSD, LT is making us proud as an award-winning leader in our field. With Anna Glover and Christine Szczepanski joining the department, MFA and technical intern applicants now may enter a room in which women comprise nearly a third of the faculty. The department is making efforts to graduate an increasing number of capable and powerful women+ to become industry leaders, but the work doesn’t stop there. Karen Walcott observed that while her graduating class was nearly 50% women, she has never had such a balance in a production department and is not sure she ever will again. It’s decidedly part of my job and the work of all these talented, driven graduates and faculty members to ensure she’s wrong about just that one thing.

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Donna Zakowska ’83 adding the final touch to one of her costumes on the set. Photo courtesy of Donna Zakowska. 6 4

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The

Marvelous YSDofWomen Mrs. Maisel

t r ac y c h u to r i a n s e m l e r

Tracy Chutorian Semler is a journalist, playwright, and producer of the “Raising Fame” podcast. Tracy graduated from Yale College and serves on the board of advisors of the Yale School of Drama.

or a New York City-bred woman of a certain age, watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel can be an exercise in a delicious sort of yearning. Yearning for a time when dresses in every color of the rainbow swung like Count Basie’s orchestra, and the little black dress was an option, not a uniform. Yearning for the time when one could practically eat off of those impossibly clean city streets. For a time when salespeople still smiled, when air travel was an elegant undertaking, when the butcher knew your name, and children didn’t talk back. When doors in the Catskills were left unlocked, and multi-generational dance parties were thought quaint. But to watch Mrs. Maisel is also, for a woman of a certain age, a reminder of dreading. Dreading the unwelcome bottom pinches, and boob jokes. Dreading the judgment that being funny is a man’s job. Dreading the ubiquitous reminders that one’s place was in the kitchens, department stores and hair salons of the world, or answering the phones of the people who made the decisions. DreadYA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

“Aside from the man who did my wig, as I recall, everyone else I was interacting with was a woman. This was female led.” — Ashley Bryant ’08

01 01 Erin Sullivan ’20.

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ing the time when forgiving a man’s transgressions was not only the better part of valor, but in fact the only dignified option. This extraordinarily vivid world of 1950s New York, brought back to life by the uber-talented Amy and Dan Palladino and their gifted ensemble both in front of and behind the camera, has captured the attention and devotion of a wide audience and has collected a pile of award statuettes that could reach a few stories up the Empire State Building. It should come as no surprise, given the excellence and precision with which this world has been resurrected, that the Mrs. Maisel team includes a good number of Marvelous YSD alums, most of them female. And they say, to a person, that the immense pleasure of watching this addictive show is outmatched by the sheer thrill of making it. Visual effects editor Erin Sullivan ’20 shares: “It’s a very joyful, creative working environment because everybody’s really YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

02 02 Ariana Venturi ’15 as Alya Feinberg on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

proud of the story. It’s a satisfying feeling. It’s a wonderful environment of really bright, strong women, and I think that is an exciting thing for film and TV. It’s terrific when it’s a really strong group of women who are given the support to do their thing.” Ariana Venturi ’15 plays Alya Feinberg on Mrs. Maisel and describes an almost euphoric work environment that harkens to the musical theater-esque energy of the show’s department store phone-operator crew: “It’s a joyful set, because people respect everyone else’s job. It feels like everyone is really interested in what everyone else is doing.” Underlying the joy of making this show is a strong sense that women are valued and respected in all areas of its creation. In the current #MeToo era, and especially when recreating a period when “me-too” was more like business as usual, this respectful tone is especially notable. Venturi says: “I think about that first season when Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) is going to bed, and you see every step of her taking off her makeup after her husband is asleep, and then she wakes before he does to put it back on—exposing the three-dimensional life of a woman in that time…showing complex women and showing all of them, not just the good. [It relates to how] people are super respectful to women on this set.” Erin adds: “Typically, visual effects is a more male-dominated industry, even post-production. On this team, there are a lot of very great women…more women than usual.” The presence of strong women on the Maisel team is not likely accidental. The show’s central character, Midge, played with electrical charisma by Brosnahan, is breaking with accepted female norms of the day. After her husband cheats with his secretary, she leaves him (well, okay, she sleeps with him a couple more times before making up her mind) to strike out in the toxic-male

03 dominated world of stand-up comedy. Ashley Bryant ’08, who played Janet on the show, describes a wonderful, female-dominated team and the sense of comfort that created for her on set: “Aside from the man who did my wig, as I recall, everyone else I was interacting with was a woman. This was female led. The scene was all women too, and because of the scene I was shooting, it was even more evident. I felt completely supported. I felt supported as a person.” The YSD alumni who work on the show all spoke of strong interpersonal support and respect on the set, but they also stressed the importance of how they were valued for the quality of their various crafts. Donna Zakowska ’83 is the Emmy Award-winning costume designer for the show. While the human characters on Mrs. Maisel are richly drawn and wonderfully acted, Zakowska’s magnificent period costumes (which were YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

03 Ashley Bryant ’08 as Janet in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

“I’ve been given a lot of freedom to express myself as an artist…this has allowed me to invest my deeper interests in the use of color, shape and form....It’s had a much more intellectually challenging aspect to it, and we’ve gotten out of the overly obsessive realism that can be part of American cinema.” — Donna Zakowska ’83 recently celebrated in the windows of Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan) stand out almost as characters in their own right. And fans are as obsessed with the show’s outfits as they are with the characters who wear them. Look up the clothing of Mrs. Maisel, and you get a half million hits on Google, plus an advertisement to buy replicas of everything from the delectable pink coat Midge wore in Paris to the dreamy black gown with bows on the shoulders that she wore on the stand-up stage. The dresses, coats, hats, and other pieces Zakowska selects for the show draw upon her strong background in fine arts, her longtime fascination with color, and the time she spent painting in Yale’s art department while a student at YSD. “I’ve been given a lot of freedom to express myself as an artist…this has allowed me to invest my deeper interests in the use of color, shape and form. I think that’s why it’s had a strong impact. It’s not limited to ‘is this what someone would wear in that moment?’ It’s had a much more intellectually challenging aspect to it, and we’ve gotten out of the overly obsessive realism that can be part of American cinema.” Zakowska echoes her YSD colleagues in noting the special strength of women on this set: “The women of this show—we have a strong female protagonist, we have Amy Palladino who has always imbued a consciousness about women and the role of women, our main producer Dana Gilbert is a woman, so 6 8

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04 there is quite an awareness and desire to portray women not in an un-credible way, but in as strong a way as possible. The First AD is a woman. There is a strong respect for women on set. Often on a film it becomes a boys’ club, and our DP is male, but he doesn’t radiate that energy. You don’t feel like you’re fighting what is often the typical battle of the little lady in the boys’ club. I like that. You’re pretty empowered. I have a voice on the set, and that is not typical.” While YSD alums are always sought out for challenging roles on stage and screen, they may have a special edge on Mrs. Maisel. The show’s casting associate, Anne Davison ’01, shared, “I’m always looking on the resume for YSD, to look out for fellow alums, particularly for a show like Maisel where a facility with language is so important. The Palladinos are voracious theater-goers, and the way they shoot and write lends itself to a theatrical background and facility with language.” And if you think the pace of the show itself is fast, it doesn’t compare to the maniacal pace of creating it. Davison noted that the demands of making a show this complex at lightning speed mean that highly trained,

04 Rachel Brosnahan, costumed by Donna Zakowska ’83. Photo courtesy of Donna Zakowska.

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05 05 Joanna Glushak ’99 as Mrs. O’Toole on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 06 Tony Shalhoub ’80 and LeRoy McClain ’04. Photo courtesy of LeRoy McClain.

experienced actors are essential. Her own training at YSD helped prepare her for this job, just as it has served the other alums on the show: “There were a lot of elements of my time at the Drama School and dramaturgy training that are very useful in this job. Since the pace is so quick, we have to read scripts and very quickly be able to both break it down into what roles are necessary and to think fast about how to populate that episode. I have a sense now of what Amy and Dan respond to, but each episode has its own demands.” She, like her colleagues, spoke of the theatrical nature of the show, with many extended scenes done in one long shot. “Of necessity, they have to rehearse a lot more like they would rehearse a play, but incredibly condensed in time. This is different from shooting other TV shows.” YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

Joanna Glushak ’99 who plays Mrs. O’Toole on the show (“Open the doors!”) agrees. “It was such a fantastic experience. Like doing a Broadway show, which is very different from TV and film. YSD gave me incredible confidence as an actor, and that is the most important thing, because when you’re on a set and not the lead actor…they don’t give you much direction…so you have to be confident, make a strong choice and do it.” You can count on a YSD woman for that!

Maisel’s Men Tony Shalhoub ’80 as Abe Weissman

LeRoy McClain ’04 as Shy Baldwin

If you’re a Mrs. Maisel fan, and—full disclosure —I’m one, you likely have a multi-layered relationship with Midge’s father, Abe. If there’s one thing about Abe, it’s that there’s no one thing about Abe. Played with depth and nuance by Tony Shalhoub ’80, Abe is trying so very hard to keep up with the times and his selfpossessed, talented, and ambitious daughter. While thankfully art doesn’t entirely imitate life, Shalhoub can empathize—with a chuckle: “I have two daughters around the age that Midge is, one a little older and one a little younger, 06 and they’re strong too, and I have the same experience as a father that Abe has gone though, too, in that you think you’re putting all of this stuff into your children, and expect a certain response from them, and then they turn out not to be the people you thought you were shaping!” As Abe, he comes to this realization that almost everything he thought he knew is wrong…the ground is shifting underneath his feet, and it’s slipping away. Shalhoub also acknowledges that the show is “a female-driven piece and the men in the room understand that we are there to support and enhance Midge’s story.” For the high-wire act required to complete long, challenging one-shot scenes, Shalhoub draws on his experience on the stage, which began at YSD. “It’s a lot like theater—much more so than other TV shows I’ve been involved in. If one thing goes wrong the whole take is unusable. People are talking faster than you could ever talk in real life, leaning into each other, listening like you normally never have to listen in this kind of work—and that’s theater!”

“No one has to know I want you,” sings superstar Shy Baldwin in season three of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. “No one needs to know you’re my favorite view. Let the world all think what they will. I’ll wait until they’re through.” The moving lyrics are penned by Curtis Moore and Tom Mizer and sung by Darius de Haas. But it is YSD alum LeRoy McClain ’04 who plays the role of Shy, draping him in achingly real layers at once seductive, charming and electrifying—and in haunting pain. McClain wanted the role badly: “(I was interested in) Shy’s complexity. He is a type of person you can initially easily judge, he’s on top of his game, gorgeous women around him all the time, nice house, everything’s great for him. Then you spend time and the cracks start to show. The loneliness. This intrigues me. It was unexpected for me.” While McClain credits the writing, he evoked those cracks with great depth and sensitivity— despite his initial trepidation. “My first day I was shaking like a leaf because I knew the reputation of the show, and my goal was not to screw it up for anyone else. Then Rachel Brosnahan embraced me and was so warm and inviting. Tony Shalhoub and I instantly connected, and my mom is obsessed with him. I forced him to take a picture to send to my mom. We talked in Miami about certain cast members who like to know what’s coming next. Tony doesn’t like to know. There’s something intriguing and freeing about that philosophy.” Some of us, I’m afraid, have a little less equanimity. We’ll be counting the long days until season four.

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Having an MFA Plan B

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YSD Women are Creating New Careers so p h i e vo n h a s e l b e r g ’14, yc ’08

Sophie von Haselberg ’14, YC ’08 is an actress, producer, and podcast host. Her work includes Pose, American Crime Story: Versace, and the little-seenbut-quite-delightful American Princess.

eople still warn actors: “if you can do anything else, you should.” The profession is hard; it requires extraordinary dedication and focus. As a young actor, I thought having other passions somehow might dilute my craft, implying that I didn’t want it badly enough. This was utter hogwash, of course, but I believed it hook, line, and sinker until I got to Creating Actor-Generated Works (CAGW), a class taught by Joan MacIntosh (Faculty) to the actors in our third year. The purpose of Joan’s class is not to find something to fall back on in case you don’t “make it”; it’s to remind you that you have skills and interests outside of acting and that engaging with these helps create a more abundant life. When I first graduated from YSD, I felt bereft in any moments I wasn’t acting. My parents would pester, “Why don’t you make your own work?” I roundly responded, “Because I’m an ACTRESS! Not a BANKER!” But waiting for the phone to ring between jobs made me want to crawl out of my skin, so I took their advice and went back to my CAGW training. Ariana Venturi ’15 and I wanted to create something out of our shared passion for cooking and hosting (and eating and drinking). After a few false starts—does anyone read blogs anymore?—we created a podcast called “Having A Night,” dedicated to reviving the lost art of the dinner party. It’s been more gratifying

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than either one of us could have predicted, providing a fruitful, joyful outlet for what would have been pent-up creative energy. And it turns out that if you pour your energy into something you love, other people might love it, too! Who knew?! “Having A Night” felt like the first step in the direction of making my own work. Now with a few projects in development and many more in gestation, the world feels much more shiny and bright—perhaps because the tunnel vision has lifted. It’s tremendously freeing not to feel hemmed into one side of this complex, ever-changing business. Getting to speak with other women from YSD who strengthened their voices by pursuing passions outside their originally chosen discipline was illuminating. They were all (each and every one!) not only kind and eloquent but also did me the great service of reminding me that there’s no one way to do this thing called life; there’s no correct path. I spoke with women whose careers have taken them in seemingly contrasting directions away from theater and back again. Sasha Emerson ’84 worked in Hollywood as a studio executive, left to start a flourishing interior design business, and now, as a scout for AMC, has one foot firmly planted in show business and one firmly in design. Shaunda Miles McDill ’04 has had a multitude of different chapters to her career—public relations, producing and writing her own work, and working at the Heinz Foundation where she helps foster the careers of both new and established artists. I spoke with women who know that the theater is part of their lifeblood but wanted to find different

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ways of engaging with it, like Regina Bain ’01, YC ’98, the vice president of The Posse Foundation, a national education non-profit, and Maria Matasar-Padilla ’99, DFA ’05, who found her way into TV journalism (and got a JD, in case a DFA wouldn’t be enough), combining her love for storytelling with rigorous research. And I spoke with women for whom theater will always be a part of their lives, but who have sought to enrich themselves elsewhere, like Amy Povich ’92 who is now spearheading a wellness retreat in Lanai, HI, with her husband. In addition to Matasar-Padilla, there is a surprising cohort of women dramaturgs-turned-lawyers, who are all still intimately involved with the dramatic arts. Passionate about protecting artists, Jan Breslauer ’86 now works as an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles and is the legal counsel and a member of the board of directors of the Garry Marshall Theatre in Los Angeles. Jessica (Mann) Gutteridge ’94 thought she was retiring from theater when she got her JD only to end up running a theater company in Vancouver. And Rachel Carpman ’15 is in Ann Arbor in her first year of law school, somehow finding time to direct theater on the side. Joan Channick ’89 (Faculty) went in the other direction—leaving her career in securities litigation with the Boston law firm of Gaston Snow & Ely Bartlett to enroll at YSD and pursue theater management. Her career spanned from Center Stage to TCG, and today Joan is the Chair of Theater Management at the School. “Although I am happier working in the collaborative world of theater than I was in the adversarial world

01 Amy Aquino ’86 and Jan D. Breslauer ’86. Photo by Aaron Batzdorff. 02 Shaunda Miles McDill ’04. Photo by Lindsay B. Garvin. 03 Amy Povich ’92 at Sensei Retreat, Lanai. Photo by Bere Olmedo. 04 Sasha Emerson ’84 leading a playwright’s conference in Zimbabwe.

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05 05 Maria MatasarPadilla ’99, DFA ’05 and Martha Hostetter ’98. 06 Joan Channick ’89 (Faculty). Photo by Joan Marcus. 07 Regina Bain ’01, YC ’98 hosts YSD alumni at her home in NYC. (first row, left to right) Amanda Wallace Woods ’86, Pun Bandhu ’01, Adriana Gaviria ’01, Michael Walkup ’06, DFA ’11, and Ben Ehrenreich ’14. (second row, left to right) Regina Bain, Seamus Mulcahy ’12, Clark Jackson ’97, Sallie Sanders ’02, Amanda LaFolette Blackman ’01, Izumi Ashizawa ’02, Laura Gragtmans Charles ’12, Katie Touart ’18, Alyssa Simmons ’14, YC ’09, Robin Miles ’94, YC ’86, Claudia Case ’01, DFA ’07, Nelson Eusebio ’07, Shawn Marie Garrett ’96, DFA ’06, and Caitlin Smith Rapoport ’15. Photo by Rosey Strub ’05. 08 76

of law,” Joan shared, “the legal experience has been very helpful to my career in theater management. I also enjoy teaching the Law and the Arts course at YSD, introducing managers and artists to copyright, contracts, and other issues that will undoubtedly arise in their professional work.” As we know, the thing that connects all YSD grads is that we are united in a common goal: to tell stories. While all of the women I spoke with have big lives outside of theater, it quickly became apparent that storytelling remains of primary importance. As executive editor in News Practices at NBC, Maria Matasar-Padilla is consumed with it. “The storytelling part of what we do in theater is not exclusive to that medium.... My favorite part of my job is trying to figure out how to use the information I’m getting in the service of the story and making sure that the structure and the format and the narrative elements serve the purpose of ‘what is it that we’re trying to share?’” Telling stories can take on so many forms. For Sasha Emerson, her interior design work is entwined with dramaturgy: “I think a lot about design as a representation of a person’s or a family’s character and personality. And that’s really tied to dramaturgy, where you’re thinking about structure, history, text, character…. I look at a home, and I think, what does this express about this family and what they want to project about who they are to the world?” From my conversations with these women, certain patterns started to emerge. I assumed each of them would have one passion project, but I was dead wrong. They have created lives that are more like a vibrant patchwork quilt of passions than a smooth skein. Jessica Gutteridge is the Performance Works Program and Events Manager at Boca del Lupo, a

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small theater company in Vancouver; she recently dramaturged a play series for young audiences at Carousel Theatre; she performs Burlesque. But why stop there? She’s also learning how to make her own costumes! As she said, “I call myself a lifelong learner. Our art form is collaborative and there’s virtually no difference between a kid doing a team sport and being in the school musical. It teaches all the same lessons. Support your teammates, and take your turn, and try your hardest, and keep practicing, because you’ll get better and better. All of that comes in our artistic practice.” Indeed, what we do as theater artists is inherently communal: you can write, produce, and act in a onewoman show, but if there is no audience, no one to witness it, it ceases to have the same power. For some, their passion lies in helping others to tell their stories, delving deeper into communities of theater makers and non-theater makers alike. Shaunda McDill set up a 501 C-3 called Damaskus to help women of color have their work produced. It was about “bringing it back to community, so that we can see ourselves and celebrate not only the things that we’ve overcome, but the great beauty of our culture.” And as Program Officer of the Arts at the Heinz Endowments, “coming back to support artists was really what I felt like my purpose was.” Amy Povich has likewise sought to foster community and bolster her fellow artists wherever she has gone: “Translating my role as collaborative storyteller from theater to other settings felt like a natural extension. I devoted time to the communities I cared most about, helping to build a new spiritual

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community, IKAR, in Los Angeles, developing programming and teaching playwriting at our children’s school, as well as lecturing at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. Now as an empty nester, I have been working to create Sensei Retreats, a wellness company, designing products and experiences that foster well-being and focus on health.” As Vice President of The Posse Foundation, Regina Bain is involved with the very definition of community. When I asked her if she ever uses her acting training in her work with Posse, she swiftly replied, “What I’m doing today...is about the core of what acting is about for me, which is about relating vulnerably as truthfully as possible to another human being. And one of the reasons I love acting and storytelling and theater is because you get to provoke emotions and thoughts in an audience that they may not have had before. I get to do that as a facilitator now.” She’s also extending the themes of her work with Posse to our very own gang, with a newsletter and a new podcast called “Drama,” dedicated to fostering community among YSD alumni. For the dramaturgs-turned-lawyers, protecting fellow artists is of the utmost importance. As Jan Breslauer said of becoming a lawyer, “As a journalist, I’d been interviewing artists for many years, and hearing their concerns. And when I went to work with Garry [Marshall], working with artists quite a lot, I really perceived a need: it seemed to me there

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was a gap. Entertainment lawyers in LA primarily are doing big film and TV deals, and there’s a whole strata of artists who weren’t represented. I felt the same feeling of being an advocate for artists as I did as a journalist, but now I could continue to do that more effectively.” The election of 2016 spurred Rachel Carpman into law, because she was acutely aware that it was becoming less safe to be an artist: “I went through this realization that the root of dramaturgy is artistic support: it’s helping artists convey what they want to convey. And I felt like, if what I want to do is support artists, then maybe the way that I, Rachel, should do it is by making sure that there is always a clear space in which they can speak. And maybe that’s what my gift to the artistic world is actually supposed to be.” Each of the women I spoke with has had a life made up of so many different things. None of them was satisfied to do just one. They needed to branch out—to make things beautiful, to bring people together, to perform, to protect their fellow artists. As Sasha put it so well, “A creative person is a creative person. And we must all embrace ‘fearlessness.’ So, whether I am designing, producing, writing, or researching and developing plays, I am storytelling and collaborating and making new things, just in different forms. That was a big lesson of YSD...YSD taught me to be very brave. The world didn’t always embrace me, or female bravery. But things are better now. So, it’s important never to be limited and shackled by societal expectations and norms.”

Rachel Carpman ’15 performing with her a cappella singing group, the Headnotes, as a part of the University of Michigan Law School’s annual Valentine’s Day fundraiser. Photo by Dustin Johnston. 09 Jessica Gutteridge ’94. 10 Sophie von Haselberg ’14, YC ’08 and Ariana Venturi ’15 in a photoshoot for their podcast, “Having a Night.” Photo courtesy of Sophie Von Haselberg.

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sound & vision fa i t h z a m b l é ’22

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Hannah Wasileski ’13.

hen I was offered the opportunity to interview alumnae and women faculty of YSD’s sound and projection design programs, a David Bowie song lyric arose unbidden from some dusty corner of my brain: “Don’t you wonder sometimes /’Bout sound and vision?” Perhaps the quote is a bit on the nose, but the idea of wonder ultimately framed my process for asking these women about their artistic sensibilities and life experiences. In fact, as I transcribed the interview recordings, I heard myself using the phrase “I wonder” continuously because, well, it was true! I was wondering—about process, about being a woman in these fields, about what design can offer a world that is often plagued by a lack of (political, theatrical, academic, etc.) imagination. What these designers offered in return for my curiosity was laughter, wisdom, and myriad exciting visions for the future of theater—and beyond.

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origin stories

02 01 Kate Marvin ’16. Photo by Sinan Refik Zafar ’16. 02 Nok Kanchanabanca ’13 and Rasean Davonte Johnson ’16. Photo by Michael Commendatore ’17.

The road to both sound and projection design is apparently paved with music. For composer/ sound designer Nok Kanchanabanka ’13, it was the music she heard on a Thai soap opera at age six. Amy Altadonna ’07 began with a clarinet she discovered lying around the house. Projection designer Hannah Wasileski ’13 was a violinist who discovered an interest in moving images during her undergraduate studies. Sound designer Kate Marvin ’16 “grew up in a musical family” and spent her childhood playing musical instruments. Liz Atkinson ’12 took a music theory class in high school that amplified her existing interest in sound. And on and on. It’s not surprising that these designers gravitated towards music early in life. Music is widely considered the perfect combination of materiality and abstraction: twodimensional symbols on a page, that when played, exist in a realm that’s both physical and psychological. And isn’t that the heart of design? Sure. Of course, there are many (many) other routes to the world of design. Some of them involve a career in advertising, mixed with experimental filmmaking, as Wendall Harrington’s (Faculty) trajectory suggests. It must also be said, that having a background in composition or technical design or video art or even sound design doesn’t make the transition to MFA training inevitable. A fair number of women had had no idea sound or projection design programs existed, and in many cases, fell into their studies via happy accidents— fortuitous Google searches or simply running into someone who told them that yes, the thing they wanted to do was being taught. Which is how, armed with various skills and life experiences, people submitted their applications and made the decision to attend.

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03 03 Palmer Hefferan ’13 in tech at Studio 54 for The Lifespan of a Fact which had the first all-female design team in Broadway history. Photo by Tess Mayer. 04 Brittany Bland ’19 and Wendall Harrington (Faculty) in 2017. Photo by Joan Marcus.

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training

When I asked about her graduate school experience, sound designer Palmer Hefferan ’13 put it simply: “Yale taught me everything.” This is a refrain I hear multiple times from those with a more complicated road to theatrical design. Hefferan, coming originally from a background in cinematic sound, cited Yale’s combination of “scholastic and practical work” as central to her development as an artist. The word “artist” is important here, because in certain theater contexts, designers may feel like they’re “delivering pizza,” Harrington says, as though their work is just “something extra” and not integral to the story. Within the design departments though, students are encouraged to uncover their own aesthetic and cultivate their singular perspectives. For people like Liz Atkinson, who’d been working in the field for some time before grad school, the sound design program gave her the chance to fill her toolbox and learn new skills. Atkinson also mentions that the sound department’s emphasis on composition and notes that it does a good job of “getting anyone at any level to write music.” Nok Kanchanabanka agreed completely and repeats the advice of Professor in the Practice, Matthew Suttor (Faculty), who told her that writing music is like drawing a teacup: “if you draw what’s actually there instead of what you think it looks like, the end result will look more like a cup. Listen to what you hear.” She also spoke to the joys of being in a program that values diversity, which is probably why, after being asked what advice she’d give to young female designers, she said, “Be true to yourself. Difference is what makes you shine.” Amy Altadonna told me that the “multiplicity of perspectives” that David Budries (Faculty) allows “defined the program” for her. Meanwhile in projection, Brittany

Bland ’19 echoed the instruction she received to “follow and trust your instincts” from Harrington and the exhortation to “let it be messy.” Hannah Wasileski shared something similar, explaining that she was part of the first class of projection designers, and as such, was able to help shape the program into what it has become: a place that values the abstract. That said, the main source of projection’s ethos is the inimitable Harrington, who gives me a peek into her teaching philosophy. “I try,” she says, “to teach [students] to be fierce in their ideas and flexible enough to add things to it. I call it being ‘You+.’” Altadonna, though not a projectionist, models this in her own practice, saying design “is about more than the right cue at the right time. It’s about—am I being the right person at the right time?”

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the future of design

Percussive. Intuitive. Rigorous. Abstract. Inclusive. Asking designers what their medium means to them often elicits a moment of poetic license. Kate Marvin writes, “To me, sound design is 3D painting with aural elements.” Wasileski describes projection design as “painting with light.” Palmer Hefferan calls sound “ritualistic and seductive.” One of the most exciting moments, however, is when I asked current female-identifying sound design students to join the conversation. Noel Nichols ’21 observed that sound carries a lot of power and that she feels a responsibility for the way that power is wielded. Bailey Trierweiler ’21, expressed a deep interest in the way “our humanness relates [to] sound and music.” That consideration of humanness gives an added significance to writing this article during Women’s History Month, while celebrating 95 years of women attending Yale School of Drama. Yale has pioneered spaces for women to exist in theater, but of course, it’s the responsibility of alumni, current student, faculty, and staff to keep moving our art form in a more inclusive direction. After all, the less sexism and self-doubt women have to wade through, the more time they can spend making theater radical and interesting. As Harrington said to me at the end of our interview, “I just want to change the way people see and think. That’s the goal.”

Faith Zamblé ’22 is a first-year MFA candidate in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism.

05 Amy Altadonna ’07 teaching students how to use sound for storytelling at UMass Amherst. Photo courtesy of Amy Altadonna. 06 Liz Atkinson ’12.

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xx The

Factor a l e x t r ow ’12, yc ’09

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I had the privilege of catching up with 10 stellar Yale School of Drama alumni who all happen to have two X chromosomes. These brilliant artists made me envious of their work ethic, anxious to catch their next projects, and proud to share the same ra d alma mater.

Alex Trow ’12, YC ’09 is a New York-based actor, writer, and director.

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Charlotte Brathwaite ’11

No More Water/The Fire Next Time: The Gospel According To James Baldwin conceived by Meshell Ndegeocello (pictured), co-created and directed by Charlotte Brathwaite ’11. Photo by Marc Millman.

At the time of our conversation, Charlotte Brathwaite was about to leave for a month in Senegal. A recipient of a 2019 Creative Capital Award grant, Charlotte was taking the trip as part of an ongoing project exploring the “lost, forgotten, and silent parts” of her past, which had led her to the trans-Atlantic slave trade and exploratory trips to Ghana, Barbados, and England. Charlotte is no stranger to journeys in the pursuit of experience and connection: she was born in England and raised in Canada, and moved to New York at 16. While finishing her last year of high school in the city, she took an internship at La MaMa (“the only theater that would let students actually work on shows”), met founder Ellen Stewart, and, two weeks after high school graduation, found herself in war-torn

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Charlotte Brathwaite ’11

Yugoslavia making theater with Stewart’s company. After a decade with La MaMa, Charlotte earned her undergraduate degree at a university in Holland, spent a few years in Germany, then returned to the U.S. to study directing at YSD. When I ask how living in different parts of the world affects her work, Charlotte invokes Ellen Stewart’s belief that “theater is the international language,” and goes on to say that it is “an art that involves every form, can happen in any language, or with no language, or with made up languages—it can communicate on a level of sight, sound, smell, feeling, all the senses.” Storytelling that is not limited by language, form, or category is Charlotte’s wheelhouse—her pieces incorporate film, dance, photography, opera, sculpture, activism…the list goes on. Charlotte says that beyond great

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collaborators, one thing Yale gave her was a sense of “how to get ideas out as fast as possible.” Looking ahead, this efficiency will come in handy: Charlotte has a number of major projects in the works, including the large-scale action piece “Casting the Vote” (a dinner party hosted by young people to encourage participation in democracy) and Omar Ibn Said (a full-length opera that will premiere at the 2020 Spoleto Festival). I asked her about getting it all done, and she said: “You always have a plan, but you have to be able to shift and evolve, and you have to be able to listen and find the synthesis. I don’t have kids, but projects feel kind of like kids: you have to let each one be raised with what it needs.”

Annie Dorsen ’00, YC ’96

Hello Hi There by Annie Dorsen ’00, YC ’96. Photo by W. Silveri/Steirischer Herbst.

Annie’s work incorporates the rapidly evolving world of technology, in a set of projects that she calls ‘algorithmic theatre.’ Annie says that 10 years ago, when her first algorithmic piece, Hello Hi There, premiered, some audiences expressed confusion. In that piece, two laptops perform instead of human actors, running custom software that generates a unique, real-time dialogue about the relationship between language, creativity, and thought, among other topics. Those first audience members would sometimes leave the show wondering, “What did I just see? Why did I watch that?” Annie says: “At that time, it was still possible for people to feel that computers were

Annie Dorsen ’00, YC ’96. Photo by Stephen Dodd.

not relevant to them, for people to say, ‘Oh, I’m not interested in that.’” In the last 10 years, however, a lot has changed: “I think we all now recognize that these technologies have utterly transformed our culture, our social lives, our economy, our politics.” In short, an urgent, broader interest in technology caught up with her work, and that interest has only grown: Annie won a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship this year. Annie’s process involves drawing inspiration from a wide range of thinkers such as Alan Turing, Michel Foucault, Noam Chomsky, J.L. Austin, and Claude Shannon, and designing performances that allow her to explore her ideas with an audience. It therefore makes sense when Annie says her favorite classes at

YSD were those in theory, dramaturgy, and theater history. Looking ahead, Annie says she has been considering what algorithmic theater could be, as recent advances in the field of machine learning have started to suggest new theatrical approaches. “Recently, I’ve been thinking more precisely about what acting is. In a way, you could almost say actors are a kind of artificial intelligence. Just like A.I., they are trying to produce a really good imitation of a human being.” Her upcoming projects will no doubt continue to mine this rich terrain where theater and computer science meet.

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Jackson Gay ’02 Jackson Gay hails from a Texas town where college, let alone graduate school, was not the traditional path. At Yale, Jackson found an exhilarating community that de facto believed in her: she remembers the Directing faculty telling her on the first day “you’re not here to learn how to be a director, you are a director already, one who is here to experiment and grow, so own it from day one.” That affirmation and the confidence it instilled stuck with her,

even as she found herself in a brave new world of privilege and opportunity. In her directing and teaching since, Jackson says her process generally includes returning again and again to the text, mining it for themes, ideas, and, most importantly, what the characters are doing. Her directing credits include collaborations with New Neighborhood, the collective she co-founded with Rolin Jones ’04 and which is populated by YSDers of all stripes. She recently worked with Bess Wohl ’02, ART ’98 on the

premiere of Wohl’s Make Believe, a play about children and children growing up. And speaking of, our interview ended with Jackson warmly chatting about her daughter Lola, who, she says, is “the most important thing” in her life. Jackson also mentioned how difficult it is to be a parent in the theater: “it’s really hard, and people—women and men—are not supported sufficiently or paid enough money to make it possible to work when you have a child. Continuing to speak up about how difficult it is for

theater artists with children is incredibly important.” Jackson is no stranger to advocacy and awareness: New Neighborhood, with Steven Padla (Staff), is launching a series of nationwide “Live Actions,” pieces that will help give political issues a platform in the coming year. She says the project fulfills her need for a “positive, joyous action” that reminds her why she became a theater artist in the first place.

The cast of Make Believe by Bess Wohl ’02, ART ’98, directed by Jackson Gay ’02 at Hartford Stage. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Jackson Gay ’02

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Anne Hamburger ’86

Jen Anaya in Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes) at En Garde Arts. Photo by Maria Baranova.

When Anne Hamburger entered the Theater Management program at YSD, she told then department head Ben Mordecai (Former Faculty) that she wanted either to start a site-specific theater company or become a Broadway producer. Those paths seem to diverge, but Anne has managed to walk both the not-for-profit and commercial worlds: her company En Garde Arts, founded in 1986, specialized in site-specific performance projects staged in locations like the Meatpacking District and Central Park. Years later, after a brief stint at La Jolla Playhouse, Anne was tapped to found and run the Creative Entertainment division of Disney Parks and Resorts, where one of her first projects was a Broadway-style live version of Aladdin that would run for 13 years at Disneyland. When I asked about how she thrived in creative environments ranging from gutsy nonprofit theaters to multi-milliondollar corporations, Anne said “you have to have the respect of every-

Anne Hamburger ’86

one you work with, from the execs you report to, to your peers. And when you’re in charge, you assemble a team of people who are smarter than you.” Anne sometimes encountered resistance to her leadership: “There are certain adjectives ascribed to women that are never ascribed to men. At Disney I was sometimes called ‘difficult to get along with’ by people who were reticent to change within the organization. I haven’t ever heard a man described that way.” Despite these occasional bumps in the road, Anne’s team was hugely successful, and she is credited with introducing the non-profit theater’s “consultancy model” (hiring creative individuals who match the show being mounted) to the Disney Parks department. Anne returned to New York in 2014 to relaunch En Garde Arts. When we spoke, she had just opened Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes), written by Andrea Thome, a piece that sprang from verbatim interviews with undocumented immigrants from Latin America and which has evolved into a music-theater show with only one

section of verbatim text. Anne loves this process of evolution and development, and when I asked her how she chooses projects to dedicate time and resources to, she said she always asks herself a series of questions: “What are the societal, philosophical, cultural, and economic implications of the work? And how can we get people who are not normally in conversation in a room together?” Anne has twins in their twenties, and when we spoke about being a creative woman, she was clear about the challenges: “always something is suffering—your ability to be an attentive mother, your ability to be an attentive partner, your ability to get your show done—it’s impossible to get A+ marks on everything, but you do your best.” Despite the challenges of juggling a creative life with being a parent, Anne says she wouldn’t change any of it: “Stay open to what’s going on around you, know why you’re in the room, and follow your heart.”

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Martyna Majok ’12 Katy Sullivan and Wendell Pierce in Cost of Living by Martyna Majok ’12. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Martyna Majok ’12. Photo by Tess Mayer.

At the time of our chat, Martyna had two television jobs, two film scripts, and seven theater commissions in the works, plus other projects hovering in the wings. “For a long time, I wasn’t comfortable turning things down,” she says. “I worried if I said ‘no’ to a job, I’d get cancer the next day. Like I’d be struck down for my hubris, y’know, and someone would say ‘who do you think you are to reject work?’” Martyna’s life has included navigating disaster and being rewarded for hard work since the beginning, so it’s not surprising she feels effort is the answer. At a young age, she emigrated from Poland with her mother and soon took refuge from a difficult home situation in books. She eventually earned a full scholarship to the University of Chicago. After discovering a love of playwriting in her senior year, Martyna realized she needed to teach herself to write. She won The Merage Foundation for The American Dream Fellowship grant, which she used to subsidize a period of

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self-education in Chicago. She worked part time and used her remaining hours to take occasional workshops at local theaters, see shows, and patronize the local library, checking out “10 plays a day and just reading, usually on public transit to and from jobs, trying to understand how to tell stories onstage.” Eighteen months later, she was on her way to Yale. Martyna is candid about the fact that the scholarship, living stipend awarded to playwrights, and health insurance were vital: “Without YSD, I don’t know how long I could have held on to being a playwright because of the amount of money—or lack thereof—that I had. It felt like someone was saying ‘we trust you and we believe in you. Welcome.’ And that was sort of a new world.” When pressed, Martyna somewhat reluctantly agrees her work addresses displaced characters creating families and communities. Martyna’s particular brand of writing about community has earned her no shortage of acclaim, including the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for her play Cost of Living.

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When I asked what had changed since the Pulitzer, Martyna said that a few doors she’d been knocking on for a while were now a tiny bit ajar, but otherwise, “to be honest, nothing really changed, which is kind of lovely. Because there’s still that drive to write, to create. I have my same insecurities and problems—which I guess no award can fix—but I’m also still driven to tell certain stories.” But Martyna also acknowledges that when she enters certain rooms now, things are sometimes different. “The Pulitzer seems to change the way some people perceive your worth when they first meet you. I think it also pisses off certain older men in power—which I sort of love.” Pissed off men should probably get used to it: Martyna’s work ethic, imagination, and desire to say ‘yes’ to any opportunity that lights a creative spark will keep her calendar full, sometimes too full, for a long, long time.

Patricia McGregor ’09 For Patricia McGregor, storytelling is genetic. Born in the Virgin Islands, she came from a group of raconteurs. “My mom was a painter and my Dad, a fisherman who was also in the Navy, was a great storyteller.” Her passion for performing brought her to Dallas’ Southern Methodist University where she planned to study acting, but after time abroad at Trinity College, she realized she wanted to change tracks: “I switched to directing in response to racial tensions on the campus. I thought, ‘What can I do to contribute my part of the dialogue?’” She directed Athol

Fugard’s My Children! My Africa! and was hooked. Another watershed moment—what Patricia refers to as her “first grad school”—was a year working on the international tour of Deborah Warner and Fiona Shaw’s Medea. “I learned so much from that opportunity, both about high-level professional theater and collaboration.” One of Patricia’s closet collaborators is her sister, Paloma. “Our company, Angela’s Pulse—named in honor of our mother, is a place where our ideas, whether they are explicitly collaborative between the two of us or those we don’t want to outsource to another institution, can

come to life. We are generative artists and the company allows us to hold a certain autonomy in knowing that we can create from scratch.” The way Patricia organizes collaboration is centered on how she believes communities should function. “My mom was a union worker who taught me the value of collective action whose principles I rely on for my artistic process.” While much of Patricia’s work falls in the category of traditional theater, she has a diverse portfolio, including consulting on tours with musicians like Raphael Saadiq, J. Cole, and Vijay Iyer, and directing short films: “I’m called upon to craft viscerally engaging

performances in various mediums, balancing elements of narrative and abstraction.” Work also continues on Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole, the musical she co-wrote with Colman Domingo: “Working on this show falls in line with what I was exploring in Jelly’s Last Jam (her thesis at YSD). I hope that Lights Out honors the work of artists like George C. Wolfe, who have been the vanguard at the fusion of politics and entertainment. In many ways, I’ve been working toward how to tell stories that way for decades.”

Dulé Hill and Daniel J. Watts in Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole co-written and directed by Patricia McGregor ’09 at Geffen Playhouse. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

Patricia McGregor ’08

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Beth Morrison ’05

The cast of Angel’s Bone. Photo courtesy of Beth Morrison Productions.

After earning a master’s degree in music performance and pedagogy, Beth Morrison was dead set on starting her own production company. Looking for institutions with hands-on rather than theoretical approaches led her to the Theater Management program at YSD, led at the time by Ben Mordecai. Beth knew that her calling was developing new pieces of opera theater, and while at Yale, she was not only active with Yale Opera, the Yale School of Music, and the YSD Cabaret, but also connected with fellow student artists who helped shape the aesthetic sensibility she now curates through Beth Morrison Projects. BMP has nine fulltime staff members who are involved in every step of creation, from matchmaking composers with librettists, directors, and creative teams, to organizing national-

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Beth Morrison ’15. Photo by Michael Nagle.

and world-wide tours. Beth has a reputation in the industry for impeccable taste and is renowned for her ability to identify important young composers and bring their ideas to life. The writers she is most interested in are those who “don’t limit themselves to what they think classical music should be,” but instead have a wide range of influences—jazz, rock, pop, hip hop—that come together to create their unique voices. Beth believes the most important thing for a creative producer is to “understand what your own aesthetic is,” and then find artists to join in mutually beneficial partnerships to realize that vision. Her philosophy is working: two of her operas, Angel’s Bone and p r i s m have won Pulitzer Prizes. The acclaim is a nice perk of pursuing her curatorial passion, which was her primary reason for founding BMP: “I had to start my

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own company because women hardly ever get the opportunity to have an artistic curation role.” Beth credits Joe Melillo at BAM with an important bit of advice: you need to know the women in the field, because it’s a man’s field. Beth took his advice, meeting with women who had founded their own companies, who “became my mentors and my heroes.” Beth has followed in their footsteps and trailblazed ahead: BMP has four shows opening in six different cities this March. When I checked in about vacations, Beth said the company takes one week off in the summer, which doesn’t seem like enough. Then again, maybe a week is all you can afford when you’re a woman in a man’s field. “We just have to work so hard to get the opportunity to have our artistic voices heard.”

Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty) (from left) Condola Rashad, Kevin Mambo, and Jackson Harper in Ruined by Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty) at Manhattan Theatre Club. Photo by Sara Krulwich.

Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty)

I asked Lynn Nottage what she was most interested in as a writer and theater artist. “I’m curious about continuing to push form and find inventive ways to tell stories outside of the proscenium,” she answered, “and figuring out how to expand my reach as far as audiences go. We’re super reliant on traditional theaters as a means to convey our stories, and those theaters aren’t always as inclusive as they should be.” Lynn has spent a fair amount of time facing and addressing issues of inclusiveness: when she entered YSD in the mid-80s, she was only the second African American woman in the playwriting program. She came straight from Brown University, and found herself in an environment that was environmentally and culturally challenging; New Haven was in the grip of both a crack epidemic and the AIDS crisis, and her fellow Yale classmates seemed to have theatrical vocabulary and experience that she did not. It was not an especially happy time, but 30 years later, Lynn rel-

ishes not only the collaborators and friends from YSD, but also the social progress that has been made. “There has been tremendous evolution since I went to graduate school. I entered a climate in which it was nearly impossible for a young African American woman to get a play on a main stage, and even the thought of a main stage production seemed like a pipe dream.” Today, Lynn is a role model for young playwrights who may feel that production of their work is a long shot: she has won not one, but two, Pulitzer Prizes (for her plays Ruined and Sweat), and says that one of the most important things for a young writer to remember is that they should lean into their own voice “regardless of the noise” around them. “It’s easy for the younger generation to assume that they have to be making art in the ways that others are making art, but the ones who succeed are those who take their own path. You have to hold onto your individuality even in the moments when you feel ignored.” Lynn finds that teaching forces her to interro-

gate her own craft on a regular basis. “This is going to sound incredibly banal, but I always ask ‘What is the conversation you want to have with your audience? Why are you writing this play at this moment in time?’ I believe that as writers, part of our social responsibility is to be in conversation with what’s happening in the culture today—that is literally the role of the artist, to hold a mirror or a magnifying glass to the culture.” When I let Lynn know I was a little concerned about writing an article that might seem to highlight gender rather than artistry, she pushed back: “I think that’s important. We’ve made headway, but there’s still a lot of mileage left to cover. Statistically, women, and particularly women of color, are not being produced in the same numbers that white men are, and we must still fight for parity and equity.” In short: “It’s wonderful that we are telling our stories, but we have to continue to demand that theaters do the hard work of producing our plays.”

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Rebecca Taichman ’00 The first show Rebecca Taichman directed at YSD was a piece called The People vs. The God of Vengeance, and, 17 years and a name change later, it would win a Tony as Indecent. Rebecca came to Yale’s Directing program thrilled to have an opportunity to spend three years directing and curious to learn everything she could. One of the biggest lessons was how to work with other creative people: “I think I was starting to understand collaboration, but it was hard because I wanted to control it all. It took a while to understand that that was generally not that effective; it didn’t set people on fire, which is what you need as a director.” Rebecca is still figuring out and refining her process, but there are some points that recur: she immerses herself in the material, works with designers to build a world, then adds the cast. And

even for someone as prolific and successful as Rebecca, there is doubt. “There’s always a point, usually during the dress rehearsal, when I’m asking myself what other career I could have. The good thing now is when that happens, I can say, ‘oh, I recognize this feeling, and it will pass.’” Rebecca currently has seven projects in development, each of which features an exciting combination of co-creators and source material, and many of which include music or are highly theatrical. The biggest change with so much going on? “Getting better at delegating and surrounding myself with people whom I trust, so that there are many brains working on many things.” One other thing that’s changed is how Rebecca feels about the way she is perceived in the male-dominated world of directing: “Consciously and unconsciously, we all have these deeply imbedded belief systems or

thought processes around what gender means. When I was younger, it was far too easy to get labeled one way or the other; there was a tiny line between being a bitch and being indecisive, and for me, fear of that lasted until I finally went, ‘oh who cares, you can’t please everybody, so just be yourself.’” Rebecca’s views have also evolved when it comes to balancing professional work with a personal life. “There was a time when I believed that you couldn’t do it all and it was a mistake to try,” she said. “Now I feel deeply that that’s wrong—I think life expands to accommodate what you choose to put in it. As a community, it’s very important we stand up and say it’s possible to prioritize our families and our personal lives. And it’s not only possible, it’s divine.”

Adina Verson and Katrina Lenk in Indecent by Paula Vogel (Faculty), directed by Rebecca Taichman ’00 at the Cort Theatre. Photo by Carol Rosegg. Rebecca Taichman ’00

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Bess Wohl ’02, ART ’98 The cast of Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl ’02, ART ’98. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.

Bess Wohl ’02, ART ’98

Bess Wohl was in the Acting program at YSD and had never written a play before coming to Yale. She certainly didn’t think she would ever be a playwright. “I really thought actors who became playwrights were failed, miserable people,” she says. “But in my first year, I remember walking by the Cabaret and sort of wondering if I could write a play for that space.” In her second year, she wrote Cats Talk Back, which starred her YSD peers as ex-Cats actors discussing their post-Cats lives. The cast included future collaborator Jackson Gay, a director who also “happens to be a brilliant actor, which not enough people know.” Cats Talk Back premiered at the Cab to acclaim, and Bess says she has a vivid memory of sitting in the audience and thinking: “Oh, this is

something I’m going to be doing.” She ended up pursuing writing alongside acting for several years after graduation, but it became clear that she would have to declare herself as one or the other. Despite a growing list of acting credits, playwriting won out; and soon enough she had a breakthrough in Small Mouth Sounds. When I asked about a through line in her work, Bess mentioned tone: “I love putting really intense comedy right next to something incredibly painful, and seeing how quickly I can go between those two feelings.” Her daily creative schedule is admirable: “I have three small children, but I’m lucky to have wonderful adults in my life—caregivers, grandparents, a great husband. I write in the morning when I get the kids off to school, and if I’m having a really good day, I’ll capture a few

more hours in the afternoon.” Bess says one of the greatest things about YSD was a terrific community of collaborators and friends with whom she still works. She also credits those collaborators and the YSD ethos of shared disciplines for her eventual transition from acting to writing, as the cross-pollination between departments led to a sense of “elasticity of creative roles.” And to that end, Bess feels that “the more you understand other roles, the better.” After college she was a follow-spot operator for a show in New York and saw what it was like to be on that side of the process. And acting training helped because “when writing, I’m trying to inhabit characters and make them live and breathe.”

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Name Game

Solve the puzzles to reveal these stellar YSD women!

THE MONDAY CROSSWORD

down 1 She won a Pulitzer Prize for Fairview

For beginners

2 As Cathy Durant, she (just barely) survived House of Cards 1

3 One of the best women in The Best Man

2 3

4 She's Connie to her core...leone. 5 She was a Ewing who lived in Knots Landing

6 She had two starring roles in Us 8 An Oscar nominee for Working Girl and Gorillas In the Mist, in the same year.

5 6 7

9 On The Blacklist, her character's office romance included assassins and a near-drowning.

9 10

11 12

12 She spent time with Vanya and Masha and Spike…and Sigourney

11 Wakanda's queen

17 18 19

16 Winning that second Pulitzer was no sweat 18 The Cost of Living paid off with a Pulitzer across 7 She was Image Award-nominated for How to Get Away With Murder and The Birth of a Nation 10 Tony Soprano's mom…in the past. 12 It's “transparent”-ly obvious that she's great as Rabbi Raquel

13 She was the artistic sister on Six Feet Under and the (literally) poisonous mother on Sharp Objects 14 It would be a “scandal” if you didn't know she's V.P. Sally Langston 15 She mails her postcards from the edge 17 Being "in the Middle" put her on top across 7. Aja Naomi King; 10. Laila Robins; 12. Kathryn Hahn; 13. Patricia Clarkson; 14. Kate Burton; 15. Meryl Streep; 17. Jane Kaczmarek; 19. Frances McDormand; 20. Julie Harris down 1. Jackie Sibblies Drury; 2. Jayne Atkinson; 3. Sanaa Lathan; 4. Talia Shire; 5. Joan Van Ark; 6. Lupita Nyong’o; 8. Sigourney Weaver; 9. Mozhan Marno; 11. Angela Bassett; 12. Kristine Nielsen; 16. Lynn Nottage; 18. Martyna Majok 10 0

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19 She was already totally famous when she made Almost Famous 20 She won her fifth Tony for playing Emily Dickinson

Mark Blankenship '05 currently hosts the “Showtune Countdown”, a musical theater podcast for iHeartRadio Broadway, and serves as features editor for The SDC Journal. He has written for The New York Times, Variety, Vulture, and many others.

THE SATURDAY CROSSWORD

down

As the week goes on, the clues get harder!

1 The only graduate from Yale Zuul of Drama 1

6 She was Sally Bowles on Broadway, but didn’t sing a note.

1 2

7 She was Tony-nominated for Hedda Gabler and The Elephant Man...in the same year.

2 3 3

9 Her play Fe-bound, has an atomic weight of 26.

13 She was a "bad mom." Twice!

4 6

7 5

15 A specialist in intimate apparel?

6 8

across

9 7 10 8 9

11 10 1411

3 ‘Olive’ the critics loved her eponymous turn on HBO

4 In 2004, she got SAG Award nominations for both The Station Agent and Pieces of April

18 14

5 Her rap name is Troublemaker

17 20

6 In 2003, she had an enchanted April in Enchanted April

8 Rocky relationship expert?

10 She parodied the Newhart finale in an "alternate ending" for Breaking Bad 11 She played Betty Dean Sanders and Anna Mae Bullock 12 21 and counting 14 She won an Obie for taking a summer vacation. 16 She was Michaela, and she co-starred with Viola, who played Annalise 17 She was Marian in all four of Richard Nelson's Apple Family plays 18 YSD's (love and) basketball coach?

across 2. Jackie Sibblies Drury; 3. Frances McDormand; 4. Patricia Clarkson; 5. Lupita Nyong’o; 6. Jayne Atkinson; 8. Talia Shire; 10. Jane Kaczmarek; 11. Angela Bassett; 12. Meryl Streep; 14. Kristine Nielsen; 16. Aja Naomi King; 17. Laila Robins; 18. Mozhan Marno; 19. Sanaa Lathan; 20. Joan Van Ark

19 An actress who was glad to be blacklisted? 20 Before she was a Ewing, she was a Tony nominee as a pupil in 1971’s A School for Wives

down 1. Sigourney Weaver; 6. Julie Harris; 7. Kate Burton; 9. Martyna Majok; 13. Kathryn Hahn; 15. Lynn Nottage

2 YSD is proud to present her as a member of the faculty

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Events 2019 NEW YORK HOLIDAY PARTY

01 William Ivey Long ’75, Carrie Robbins ’67, John Rothman ’75, Alma Cuervo ’76, and Jeremy Smith ’76. 02 Magaly ColimonChristopher ’98, Alison Summers, and Charles Turner ’70.

10 2

03 Hudson Oznowicz ’19, William DeMeritt ’12, and Jakeem Powell ’19. 04 Lily Guerin ’20, Elsa GibsonBraden ’20, and Sarah Karl ’20. 05 Solomon Weisbard ’13 and Ilona Somogyi ’94 (Faculty).

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10 06 Allison Collins YC ’11 and Matthew McCollum ’14. 07 Leandro Zaneti ’19, Emily Reeder ’17, Victoria Nolan (Deputy Dean), Dani Barlow ’20, Emika Abe ’16, SOM ’16, and Trent Anderson ’19. 08 David Shookhoff ’69, Carol Waaser ’70, and William Otterson ’76.

11 09 James Bundy ’95 (Dean) presents Victoria Nolan (Deputy Dean) the Warfel Award as Chantal Rodriguez (Associate Dean) looks on. 10 Abubakr Ali ’19 and Ravi (Riw) Rakkulchon ’19. 11 Annabel Guevara, Michael Early ’91, Teresa Eyring ’89, and Michael Rogers ’85.

photos by sam stuart

AT THE YALE CLUB OF NEW YORK CITY

Events 2019 WEST COAST ALUMNI PARTY AT THE HOME OF JANE KACZMAREK ’82

photos by nick agro

03 01 Kathy Li ’18, Armando Huipe ’19, Sylvia Zhang ’18, Erin K. Tiffany ’18, Patricia Fa’asua ’18, and Lisa D. Richardson ’19. 02 Jane Kaczmarek ’82, Stephen Godchaux ’93, and Deborah S. Berman (Staff). 03 Jeff Rank ’79, Joseph Brennan ’15, and Tom Harper ’15. 04 Victoria Nolan (Deputy Dean) and Marcus Henderson ’11.

05 Christine Estabrook ’76, Jane Kaczmarek ’82, and Asaad Kelada ’64.

06 Amnon Kabatchnik ’57 and Bill Bohnert ’58.

07 A.J. Bermudez and Joshua Bermudez ’13. 08 Tom Moore ’68 receives the Warfel Award from James Bundy ’95 (Dean).

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Events CELEBRATING JANE GREENWOOD AND JESS GOLDSTEIN On June 17, 2019, colleagues, friends, and former and current students gathered on the rooftop of the Dream Hotel in New York to honor two cherished design faculty members on their retirement: Jane Greenwood and Jess Goldstein ’78.

06 01 James Bundy ’95 (Dean), Jane Greenwood (Faculty Emerita), and Jess Goldstein ’78 (Former Faculty). 02 Jane Greenwood, Richard Fuhrman ’64, and Jennifer Moeller ’06.

09 10 4

03 Tim Mackabee ’09, Heidi Hanson ’09, Anya Klepikov ’08, and Leon Dobkowski ’11.

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photos by sam stuart

07 04 Jess Goldstein ’78 and Susan Hilferty ’80. 05 Rick Elice ’79. 06 Jayne Atkinson ’85. 07 John Glover.

08 Wilson Chin ’03, Alejo Vietti, Wade Laboissonniere ’03, Lora Dole ’99, and Ilona Somogyi ’94 (Faculty). 09 Gordon Rogoff YC ’52 (Faculty Emeritus) and Deborah S. Berman (Staff). 10 Adrianne Lobel ’79 and Wendall Harrington (Faculty).

Events A TRIBUTE TO TOM MCALISTER The August Wilson Lounge was the festive setting for a party on April 8, 2019, celebrating costume shop manager and faculty member Tom McAlister on the occasion of his retirement.

photos by linda-cristal young (staff).

05 01 Judy Wallace (Former Staff), Jamie Farkas (Former Staff), Clarissa Wylie Youngberg (Staff), Mary Zihal (Staff), Nikki Fazzone (Staff), Tom McAlister (Faculty Emeritus), Pat Van Horn (Staff), Linda Kelley-Dodd (Staff), Elizabeth Bolster (Staff), Robin Hirsch (Staff/Lecturer), Harry Johnson (Former Staff/Lecturer), Deborah Bloch ’06 (Staff), Denise O’Brien (Former Staff), and Barbara Bodine (Staff). 02 Tom McAlister with YSD Design students, alumni, and faculty.

03 Tom McAlister and Pat Van Horn. 04 Anita Yavich ’95. 05 Stephen Strawbridge ’83 (Faculty), Jane Greenwood (Faculty Emerita), Tom McAlister, Jess Goldstein ’78 (Former Faculty), Ilona Somogyi ’94 (Faculty), and Robin Hirsch. 06 Tom McAlister and Robin Hirsch.

08 08 Tom McAlister, Beatrice Vena ’19, Yunzhu Zeng ’20, and Stephanie Bahniuk ’20.

07 Tom McAlister.

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Events A FAREWELL FOR MARY HUNTER Current and former students of Mary Hunter, Chair of Stage Management, joined her colleagues, friends, and family on April 15, 2019, in the Iseman Theater to wish her well on her retirement.

04 01

01 Ruby Hunter, Mary Hunter (Former Faculty), and Maria Leveton (Former Staff). 02 Laraine Sammler and Ben Sammler ’74 (Faculty Emeritus). 03 Mary Hunter with Stage Management alumni.

10 6

04 (left to right, standing) Helen Muller ’17, Paula Clarkson ’17, Ben Pfister ’17, and Abby Gandy ’19. (left to right, seated) John Carlin ’19, Bianca Hooi ’18, Sam Tirrell ’20, Julia Bates ’20, and Avery Trunko ’16. 05 James Mountcastle ’90 (Faculty).

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photos by t. charles erickson

08 06 Ryan Koss, Mary Hunter, Will Rucker ’15, and Christina Fontana ’19. 07 (left to right, standing) Emily Duncan Wilson ’20, Amanda Luke ’21, Kevin Jinghong Zhu ’21, Fabiola Feliciano-Batista ’20, and Edmond O’Neal ’21. (left to right, seated) Christina Fontana ’19, Mary Hunter, Laurie Coppola (Staff), and Laura Torino (Staff);

08 Mary Hunter surrounded by her family.

Bookshelf PUBLI C AT IO NS BY & ABO U T YAL E S C H O OL O F DRA MA A L U MN I

Narda E. Alcorn ’95 and Lisa Porter ’95 Put the Stage on the Page In our new book, Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach, we provide techniques for stage

around stage management methodology have been a through-line in our relationship. We have navigated marriages, raising chil-

01 managers who are curious about authentic leadership and transformative process. Our ideas date back to our collaboration at Yale School of Drama, where we met as graduate students in 1992. During our studies at Yale we discovered a shared purpose, including expanding the idea of stage management beyond a prescribed approach. Theory, practice, environment, communication, orchestration, culture, ethics, and purpose are among the themes—and titles to 04 our book chapters—that began percolating for us during graduate school. In the book, we share experiential stories in order to empower stage managers to create an individualized style that can form an approach to the work. As stated in the introduction, “throughout the years, our discussions and debates

dren, dealing with disability, illness, death, divorce, and the related challenges of coming of age and growing into middle life as best friends.” This book reflects our identities at this point in our lives: mid-career women who are educators and stage managers, spouses, parents—in Narda’s case, a person of color—and leaders in our field. Dean James Bundy, who graduated with us in 1995, wrote the forward, and said, “there is import in making the path wider and safer for those who follow in our footsteps. But there is vitality as well in giving close attention to why trailblazing matters and how many different ways one can do it.” All of these ideas can be traced back to the connection we made at Yale so many years ago, inspiring us not only to widen the path but distill our shared perspective, as well. YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

01 Narda E. Alcorn ’95 (Faculty) and Lisa Porter ’95 (Former Faculty) at their YSD graduation with their mentor, Karen Carpenter (Former Faculty). Photo courtesy of Lisa Porter. 02 Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach by Narda E. Alcorn ’95 and Lisa Porter ’95, Routledge, 2019.

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Bookshelf PUB L IC AT IO NS BY & ABO U T YAL E S C H O OL O F DRA MA A L U MN I

01 03 02

06 08 10

07 01 Edwin Forrest: A Biography and Performance History By Arthur W. Bloom ’66 McFarland & Company, 2019 02 New Dramaturgies: Strategies and Exercises for 21st Century Playwriting (Focus on Dramaturgy) By Mark Bly ’80 (Former Faculty) Routledge, 2019

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03 e xc ep tion a l — American Exceptionalism Takes Its Toll By William Boardman ’64, YC ’60 Yorkland Publishing, 2019 04 Hannah’s War: A Novel By Jan Eliasberg ’81 Little, Brown and Company, 2020 05 American Political Plays in the Age of Terrorism By Allan Havis ’80 Bloomsbury/Methuen, 2010

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06 The Voice of James M. Cain: A Biography By David Madden ’60 Rowman & Littlefield, 2020 07 Circe, A Novel By Madeline Miller ’11 Little, Brown and Company, 2018 08 Safety and Health for the Stage: Collaboration with the Production Process By William J. Reynolds ’77 (Former Faculty) Routledge/Focal Press, 2020

09 Hippie Woman Wild: A Memoir of Life & Love on an Oregon Commune By Carol Schlanger ’70 Wyatt-MacKenzie, 2019 10 Feeding the Dragon By Sharon Washington ’88 Oberon, 2019

Awards & Honors 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards 2019 Outstanding Variety Sketch Series Tom Broecker ’92 (Producer) Winner, Saturday Night Live Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub ’80 Winner, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Henry Winkler ’70 Nominee, Barry Outstanding Narrator Angela Bassett ’83, HON ’18, YC ’80 Nominee, The Flood Liev Schreiber, ’92 Nominee, The Many Lives of Nick Buoniconti Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming Tom Broecker ’92 Nominee, Saturday Night Live Outstanding Production Design for Variety, Reality, or Competition Series Eugene Lee ’86 (Production Designer) Winner, Saturday Night Live 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards 2019 Best Supporting Performance by an Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film Henry Winkler ’70 Nominee, Barry 35th Annual Helen Hayes Awards 2019 Outstanding Lighting Design— HAYES Production Robert Wierzel ’84 Winner, Camelot

Outstanding Set Design— HAYES Production Lee Savage ’05 (Faculty) Nominee, Passion

Outstanding Director Lileana Blain-Cruz ’12 (Faculty) Nominee, Marys Seacole

Outstanding Set Design— HELEN Production Natsu Onoda Power ’97 (Scenic Designer) and Danny Carr (Projection Designer) Winner, The Lathe of Heaven

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Ato Blankson-Wood ’15 Nominee, Slave Play

Outstanding Sound Design— HAYES Production Ken Travis ’97 Winner, Camelot Outstanding Director of a Play— HAYES Production David Muse ’03 Nominee, The Remains Outstanding Director of a Play— HELEN Production Natsu Onoda Power ’97 (Director and Scenic Designer) (Nominee, The Lathe of Heaven Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation Natsu Onoda Power ’97 Winner, The Lathe of Heaven 34th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards 2019 Outstanding Play Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, Milma’s Tale Jeremy O. Harris ’19 (Playwright) Nominee, Slave Play Outstanding Revival Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine Outstanding Solo Show Sharon Washington ’88 Nominee, Feeding the Dragon

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Steven Skybell ’88 Winner, Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish) Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Bryce Pinkham ’08 Nominee, Superhero Outstanding Scenic Design Wilson Chin ’03 Nominee, Pass Over Outstanding Costume Design Dede M. Ayite ’11 Nominee, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark Montana Levi Blanco ’15 Winner, The House That Will Not Stand Jennifer Moeller ’06 Nominee, Milma’s Tale

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Kristine Nielsen ’80 Nominee, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus Best Scenic Design of a Play Santo Loquasto ’72 Nominee, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus Best Costume Design of a Musical William Ivey Long ’75 Nominee, Tootsie Nominee, Beetlejuice Best Sound Design of a Play Fitz Patton ’01 Winner, Choir Boy 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards 2019 Outstanding Revival of a Play Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine Outstanding Play Jackie Sibblies Drury YC ’03 (Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, Fairview

Outstanding Lighting Design Yi Zhao ’12 Nominee, The House That Will Not Stand

Outstanding Actor in a Musical Steven Skybell ’88 Nominee, Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish)

Outstanding Sound Design Jane Shaw ’98 Nominee, I Was Most Alive with You

Outstanding Music in a Play Fitz Patton ’01 and Jason Michael Webb Winner, Choir Boy

73rd Annual Tony Awards 2019

Outstanding Set Design of a Play Matt Saunders ’12 Winner, Daddy

Best Play Tarell Alvin McCraney ’07 (Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, Choir Boy

Outstanding Costume Design for a Play Dede M. Ayite ’11 Nominee, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark Nominee, If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka

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Awards & Honors Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical William Ivey Long ’75 Nominee, Tootsie Nominee, Beetlejuice Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play Jiyoun Chang ’08 Nominee, Slave Play Yi Zhao ’12 Nominee, The House That Will Not Stand Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical Scott Zielinski ’90 Nominee, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Outstanding Sound Design in a Play Tyler Kieffer ’15 Nominee, Plano Fitz Patton ’01 Nominee, Choir Boy Jane Shaw ’98 Nominee, I Was Most Alive with You 85th Annual Drama League Awards 2019 Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play Mike Donahue ’08 (Director) Nominee, Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties Marcus Gardley ’04 (Playwright) and Lileana Blain-Cruz ’12 (Faculty) (Director) Nominee, The House That Will Not Stand Jackie Sibblies Drury YC ’03 (Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, Fairview

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Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark Tarell Alvin McCraney ’07 (Faculty) (Playwright) and Trip Cullman ’02, YC ’97 (Director) Nominee, Choir Boy

Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) William Ivey Long ’75 Nominee, Tootsie Nominee, Beetlejuice

Distinguished Performance Award Steven Skybell ’88 Nominee, Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish)

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Reg Rogers ’93 Nominee, Tootsie

69th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards 2018–19 Outstanding New Broadway Musical James Magruder ’88, DFA ’92 (Faculty) and Jeff Whitty (Bookwriters) Nominee, Head Over Heels Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Marcus Gardley ’04 (Playwright) and Lileana Blain-Cruz ’12 (Faculty) (Director) Nominee, The House That Will Not Stand Jackie Sibblies Drury YC ’03 (Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, Fairview Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) James Magruder ’88, DFA ’92 (Faculty) and Jeff Whitty Nominee, Head Over Heels Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway of Off-Broadway) Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty) (Playwright) Nominee, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark

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Outstanding Actor in a Musical Steven Skybell ’88 Nominee, Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish)

John Gassner Playwriting Award Jeremy O. Harris ’19 Nominee, Slave Play Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell ’86 Winner, The Lifespan of a Fact 51st Annual Jeff Equity Awards 2019 Scenic Design—Large Kristen Robinson ’13 Nominee, Familiar Todd Rosenthal ’93 Nominee, How to Catch a Creation Nominee, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Projection Design Rasean Davonte Johnson ’16 Winner, Frankenstein 30th Annual Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards 2019 Best Season Center Theatre Group led by Meghan Moreland Pressman ’10, SOM ’10 (Managing Director) Nominee, Dana H., Lackawanna Blues, Linda Vista, Quack, Sweat, Valley of the Heart

Best Production of a Play— Intimate Theatre Martyna Majok ’12 (Playwright) Winner, Cost of Living (Fountain Theatre) Sarah B. Mantell ’17 (Playwright) Nominee, Everything that Never Happened (Boston Court Pasadena) Best Production of a Play — Large Theatre Andrew Boyce ’09 (Scenic Design) Nominee, Dana H. (Center Theatre Group) Marcus Doshi ’00 (Lighting Design) and Todd Rosenthal ’93 (Scenic Design) Nominee, Linda Vista (Center Theatre Group) Best Production of a Musical —Large Theatre David Lee ’96 (Director) Winner, Ragtime (Pasadena Playhouse) Direction of a Musical David Lee ’96 Winner, Ragtime (Pasadena Playhouse) Scenic Design—Large Theatre Andrew Boyce ’09 Nominee, Dana H. (Center Theatre Group) Todd Rosenthal ’93 Nominee, Linda Vista (Center Theatre Group) 64th Annual Obie Awards 2019 Playwriting Marcus Gardley ’04 The House That Will Not Stand

Awards & Honors Sustained Excellence in Costume Design Dede M. Ayite ’11 Sustained Excellence in Sound Design Palmer Hefferan ’13 Sustained Excellence in Scenic Design Louisa Thompson ’98 Special Citations Lileana Blain-Cruz ’12 (Faculty) (Director) Marys Seacole The Director and Creative Team of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, including Scott Zelinski ’90 (Lighting Designer) The 29th Annual Connecticut Critics Circle Awards 2019 Outstanding Production of a Play Yale Repertory Theatre Nominee, Twelfth Night Nominee, el Huracán Tom Killen Award for Lifetime Achievement in Connecticut Theater Michael Yeargan ’73 (Faculty) Outstanding Director of a Play Jackson Gay ’02 Nominee, Make Believe Outstanding Ensemble Dria Brown, Ashley Bryant ’08, Brontë England-Nelson ’17, and Chalia La Tour ’16 Nominee, Cadillac Crew

Outstanding Actor in a Play Zach Appelman ’10 Winner, The Engagement Party Brad Heberlee ’02 Nominee, Make Believe Outstanding Costume Design Mika H. Eubanks ’19 Winner, Twelfth Night David Toser ’64 Nominee, The Music Man Herin Kaputkin ’19 Nominee, el Huracán Outstanding Projection Design Yaara Bar ’19 Winner, el Huracán Brittany Bland ’19 Nominee, Twelfth Night Caite Hevner ’07 Nominee, Working Rasean Davonte Johnson ’16 Nominee, Cadillac Crew Outstanding Set Design Alexander Dodge ’99 Winner, The Engagement Party Wilson Chin ’03 Nominee, Man of La Mancha Kristen Robinson ’13 Nominee, A Flea in Her Ear Outstanding Lighting Design Matthew Richards ’01 Winner, The Engagement Party Samuel Kwan Chi Chan ’19 Nominee, Twelfth Night Alan C. Edwards ’11 Nominee, Man of La Mancha

2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Jackie Sibblies Drury YC ’03 (Faculty) Winner, Fairview The 59th Annual United States Institute for Theatre Technology Awards Distinguished Achievement Award in Digital Media Wendall Harrington (Faculty) Distinguished Achievement Award in Education Toni-Leslie James (Faculty) Distinguished Achievement in Scene Design & Technology Todd Rosenthal ’93 Bernhard R. Works, Frederick A. Bueki Scenic Technology Award Rebecca Terpenning ’18 KM Fabrics, Inc. Technical Production Award Latiana (LT) Gourzong ’19 The 2nd Annual Knight of Illumination Awards USA The Paky Lifetime Recognition Award Wendall Harrington (Faculty)

Outstanding Sound Design Frederick Kennedy ’18 Nominee, Twelfth Night Michael Vincent Skinner ’11 Nominee, Sweeney Todd Megumi Katayama ’19 Nominee, el Huracán

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Graduation CLASS OF 2019

Congratulations to our newest alumni — the Class of 2019! Master of Fine Arts/ Certificate in Drama acting Abubakr Ali Stephen Cefalu, Jr. Danielle Chaves John R. Colley Erron Crawford José Espinosa Evelyn Giovine Moses Ingram Louisa Jacobson Amandla Jahava Rachel Kenney Kineta Kunutu Hudson Oznowicz Jakeem Dante Powell Sohina Sidhu Arturo Luís Soria

design Yaara Bar Brittany Bland John Bondi-Ernoehazy Samuel Kwan Chi Chan Jessie Chen Stephanie Cohen Gerardo Díaz Sánchez Mika Eubanks Herin Kaputkin Matthew Malone Ravi (Riw) Rakkulchon Beatrice Vena Nic Vincent directing Aneesha Kudtarkar Em Weinstein Jecamiah M. Ybañez dramaturgy and dramatic criticism Michael Breslin Molly FitzMaurice Amauta Marston-Firmino Sophie Siegel-Warren Patrick Young

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playwriting Jeremy O. Harris Alex Lubischer Christopher Gabriel Núñez sound design Megumi Katayama Andrew Rovner Kathryn Ruvuna stage management John A. Carlin Christina Fontana Abigail Gandy Olivia Plath technical design & production Kevin Belcher Austin J. Byrd Jason Davis Latiana (LT) Gourzong Chimmy Anne Gunn Jeongah (Jenna) Heo Kirk D. Keen Bryanna Kim

Dashiell Menard William Neuman Valerie Tu Alex Worthington Jacqueline Deniz Young theater management Trent Anderson Laura Cornwall Caitlin Crombleholme Armando Huipe Sam Linden Lisa D. Richardson Leandro Zaneti doctor of fine arts Ilya Khodosh Dana Tanner technical internship certificate Marisa Arellano Yitong Huang Ruoqiao Li Kyra Murzyn Amelia Pizzoferrato Hyejin Son

Graduation CLASS OF 2019

GRADUATION PRIZES

Prizes are given each year as designated by the faculty. ASCAP Cole Porter Prize Jeremy O. Harris ’19 Alex Lubischer ’19 Christopher Gabriel Núñez ’19 Edward C. Cole Memorial Award Latiana (LT) Gourzong ’19 Carol Finch Dye Prize Sohina Sidhu ’19 John W. Gassner Memorial Prize Madeline Charne ’20 Evan Hill ’20

Morris J. Kaplan Prize Caitlin Crombleholme ’19

Pierre-André Salim Prize Latiana (LT) Gourzong ’19

Julian Milton Kaufman Memorial Prize Aneesha Kudtarkar ’19

Bronislaw (Ben) Sammler Award Latiana (LT) Gourzong ’19

Jay Keene and Jean Griffin-Keene Prize for Costume Design Herin Kaputkin ’19

The Frieda Shaw, Dr. Diana Mason, OBE, and Denise Suttor Prize for Sound Design Megumi Katayama ’19

Leo Lerman Graduate Fellowship in Design Mika Eubanks ’19

Bert Gruver Memorial Prize Christina Fontana ’19

Dexter Wood Luke Memorial Prize Olivia Plath ’19

Allen M. and Hildred L. Harvey Prize Kirk D. Keen ’19 Dashiell Menard ’19

Donald and Zorka Oenslager Fellowship Matthew Malone ’19 Ravi (Riw) Rakkulchon ’19

Oliver Thorndike Acting Award Arturo Luís Soria ’19 George C. White Prize Leandro Zaneti ’19 Herschel Williams Prize Moses Ingram ’19

01 Acting graduates (left to right) Erron Crawford ’19, Kineta Kunutu ’19, Moses Ingram ’19, and Abubakr Ali ’19. 02 Designers Yaara Bar ’19 and Herin Kaputkin ’19 with actor Danielle Chaves ’19. 03 Design graduate Ravi (Riw) Rakkulchon ’19. 04 Stage Management graduates (left to right) Olivia Plath ’19, Abigail Gandy ’19, and John A. Carlin ’19.

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Graduation FELLOWSHIPS & SCHOLARSHIPS

The recipients for the 2019–2020 academic year were: Nina Adams and Moreson Kaplan Scholarship Oluwaseun Soyemi ’22 John M. Badham Scholarship Danilo Gambini ’20 John M. Badham Scholarship in Directing Maeli Goren ’21 Mark Bailey Scholarship Alex Vermillion ’20 George Pierce Baker Memorial Scholarship Emma Pernudi-Moon ’22 Ashley Thomas ’22 Faith Zamblé ’22

Cullman Scholarship in Directing Christopher Betts ’21 Leyla Levi ’22 Katherine (Kat) Yen ’20 Holmes Easley Scholarship Miguel Urbino ’22 Marcelo Martinez ’22 Eldon Elder Fellowship Hsun Chiang ’22 Jenn Kim ’22 Chor Yan Pang ’22 Hyejin Son ’21

Sally Horchow Scholarship for Yale School of Drama Actors Abigail Onwunali ’22

Frederick Loewe Scholarship for Directors in Honor of Floria V. Lasky Christopher Betts ’21

William and Sarah Hyman Scholarship Emma Deane ’20

Lord Memorial Scholarship Emma Perrin ’21

Geoffrey Ashton Johnson/ Noël Coward Scholarship Gregory Saint Georges ’20 Pamela Jordan Scholarship Eli Pauley ’20

Edward A. Martenson Scholarship Jaime Totti ’20 Virginia Brown Martin Scholarship Malachi Beasley ’22 Stanley R. McCandless Scholarship Evan Anderson ’20 Graham Zellers ’22

Wesley Fata Scholarship Thomas Pang ’22

Stanley Kauffmann Scholarship Henriëtte Rietveld ’21

Foster Family Graduate Fellowship a.k. payne ’22

Sylvia Fine Kaye Scholarship Tavia Hunt ’22

Dino Fusco and Anita Pamintuan Fusco Scholarship Anula Navlekar ’20

Jay and Rhonda Keene Scholarship for Costume Design Meg Powers ’21

Robert Brustein Scholarship Jisun Kim ’21

Annie G. K. Garland Memorial Scholarship Fabiola Feliciano-Batista ’20

Ray Klausen Design Scholarship Jimmy Stubbs ’21

Benjamin Mordecai Memorial Scholarship in Theater Management Laurie Ortega-Murphy ’20

Paul Carter Scholarship Francesca DeCicco ’21

Earle R. Gister Scholarship Devin White ’20

Ciriello Family Fund Scholarship Rajiv Shah ’20

Gordon F. Knight Scholarship Noel Nichols ’21

Randolph Goodman Scholarship Lily Guerin ’20

Kenneth D. Moxley Memorial Scholarship Michael VanAartsen ’20

Ming Cho Lee Scholarship Alex McCargar ’20

Alois M. Nagler Scholarship Evan Hill ’20

August Coppola Scholarship Madeline Carey ’21

Jerome L. Greene Scholarship Robert Hart ’20 Manu Kumasi ’20 Ciara Monique ’20 Ilia Isorelýs Paulino ’20 John Evans Reese ’20

Lotte Lenya Scholarship Shimali De Silva ’22

G. Charles Niemeyer Scholarship David Bruin ’16, DFA cand. Charles O’Malley ’18, DFA cand.

Herbert H. and Patricia M. Brodkin Scholarship Anthony Holiday ’21 Patricia M. Brodkin Memorial Scholarship Julia Bates ’20 Samantha Tirrell ’20

Caris Corfman Scholarship Olivia Cygan ’22 Cheryl Crawford Scholarship Angie Bridgette Jones ’21 Edgar and Louise Cullman Scholarship James Fleming ’22

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Julie Harris Scholarship Alexandra Maurice ’21 Stephen J. Hoffman ’64 Scholarship Matthew Lewis ’20

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Helene A. Lindstrom Scholarship Isuri Wijesundara ’22 Victor S. Lindstrom Scholarship Kelly O’Loughlin ’21 Frederick Loewe Scholarship Adrienne Wells ’20

Alfred L. McDougal and Nancy Lauter McDougal Endowed Scholarship Juliana Martinez ’20 Dario Sanchez ’20

Dwight Richard Odle Scholarship Erin Sullivan ’20 Donald M. Oenslager Scholarship in Stage Design Chris Evans ’20 Sarah Karl ’20

Graduation FELLOWSHIPS & SCHOLARSHIPS Donald and Zorka Oenslager Scholarship in Stage Design Stephanie Bahniuk ’20 Anna Grigo ’21 Bridget Lindsay ’21 Zunzhu Zeng ’20

Daniel and Helene Sheehan Scholarship Estefani Castro ’21

Eugene O’Neill Memorial Scholarship a.k. payne ’22

Shubert Scholarships Lucy Bacque ’20 Brandon Burton ’20 Noah Diaz ’20 Logan Ellis ’20 Ben Jones ’20

Mary Jean Parson Scholarship Maeli Goren ’21

Howard Stein Scholarship Edwin Rosales ’22

Alan Poul Scholarship James Fleming ’22

Stephen B. Timbers Family Scholarship for Playwriting Gloria Majule ’21

Jeff and Pam Rank Scholarship Tatsuya Ito ’20 Mark J. Richard Scholarship Christopher Puglisi ’20 Lloyd Richards Scholarship in Acting Matthew Webb ’21

Jennifer Tipton Scholarship in Lighting Nicole Lang ’21 Tisdale Family Scholarship Gwyneth Muller ’20

Nancy and Edward Trach Scholarship Zachry Bailey ’20

Rodman Family Scholarship Bailey Trierweiler ’21

Ron Van Lieu Scholarship Patrick Ball ’21

Pierre-André Salim Scholarship Hao-En Hu ’20 Juhee Kim ’22 Jinghong (Kevin) Zhu ’21

Leon Brooks Walker Scholarship Nome Okojie ’22

Scholarship for Playwriting Students Rudi Cano ’22 Richard Harrison Senie Scholarship April Hickman ’20 Camilla Tassi ’21

Yale School of Drama Board of Advisors Scholarship Daniela Hart ’21 Albert Zuckerman Scholarship Benjamin Benne ’21

Frank Torok Scholarship Edmond O’Neal ’21

Barbara Richter Scholarship Fabiola Feliciano-Batista ’20 Alexandra McNamara ’20

Bronislaw “Ben” Sammler Scholarship Martin Montaner ’20

Audrey Wood Scholarship Margaret Douglas ’20

Richard Ward Scholarship Yuhan Zhang ’21 Zelma Weisfeld Scholarship for Costume Design David Mitsch ’21 Constance Welch Memorial Scholarship Patrick Falcon ’22 Sarah Lyddan ’21 Rebecca West Scholarship Jackeline Torres Cortes ’21 Samuel DeMuria ’22

06 05 Design graduates (left to right) Samuel Kwan Chi Chan ’19, Nic Vincent ’19, Beatrice Vena ’19, Stephanie Cohen ’19, John BondiErnoehazy ’19, and Riccardo Hernandez ’92 (Faculty). 06 TD&P faculty, staff, and graduates together in front of the UT. (first row, left to right) Latiana (LT) Gourzong ’19, Valerie Tu ’19, Chimmy Anne Gunn ’19, Jeongah (Jenna) Heo ’19, Jacqueline Deniz Young ’19, Shaminda

Amarakoon ’12 (Faculty), Jennifer McClure (Staff/ Lecturer), (second row, left to right) Matt Welander ’09 (Faculty), Austin J. Byrd ’19, Dashiell Menard ’19, Kevin Belcher ’19, Alex Worthington ’19, Bryanna Kim ’19, Kirk D. Keen ’19, Anna Glover (Staff/ Lecturer), (third row, left to right) Donald Titus (Staff/ Lecturer), Neil Mulligan ’01 (Faculty), Will Neuman ’19, Michael Backhaus ’13, (Staff/Lecturer), and Jonathan Reed ’08 (Faculty).

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Art of Giving Designing a Lasting Legacy A YSD Couple’s Bequest Will Help Ensure the Future of the School of Drama

Elmon Webb ’64 and Virginia Webb ’65, scenic designers who met at YSD and were married in 1969,

designers, often working together— on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in regional theaters across the U.S., including Long Wharf Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. Among their career highlights was a critically acclaimed 1971 production of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night, directed by Arvin Brown, and starring Geraldine Fitzgerald, Robert Ryan, Stacy Keach ’66, and James Naughton ’70.

01 01 Virginia Webb ’65 and Elmon Webb ’64 on a winter’s walk overlooking an inlet on Long Island’s South Fork.

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have decided to include Yale School of Drama in their wills. The future gift will endow a scholarship for scenic design in the name of Virginia Dancy Webb. The Webbs, both retired now, had distinguished careers as set

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In addition to theater, the Webbs designed sets for numerous television shows; Virginia at CBS and Elmon at CBS, NBC, and the ABC Family Network. Elmon also served as president of the United Scenic Artists.

Art of Giving “Our gift is a reminder of happy times in New Haven. And for the sentimental fact that Yale School of Drama brought us together.” “Our gift is a reminder of happy times in New Haven,” said Virginia and Elmon. “And for the sentimental fact that Yale School of Drama brought us together.” “Legacy gifts—such as this—are a wonderful way to make a lasting contribution to the School,” said Deborah Berman, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs. “Our list of Legacy Partners keeps growing, and these legacies keep YSD growing. On behalf of all of us at YSD, I am extremely grateful to Elmon and Virginia Webb.”

Thinking Outside the Black Box For Mark Blankenship ’05, working off campus and outside of his YSD comfort zone had a profound effect on his career, and he wanted to provide a similar opportunity for current Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism students. Understanding financial considerations can seem like an insurmountable obstacle to

getting access to outside experiences, Mark has established a fund that offers dramaturgs an exciting opportunity to explore work they’re interested in beyond YSD and a chance to focus on professional development. Last summer, the Blankenship Fund allowed me to visit Sofia, Bulgaria, for a meeting of The Fence—a network for “playwrights and those who make playwriting happen.” Through informal chats and dinners, I (re)connected with international playwrights, dramaturgs, and cultural operators. The fund also gave me a chance to visit Oerol, an annual arts and performance festival in the Netherlands. Shortly after I came home to Utrecht, I was joined by my fellow fund-recipient, Emily Sorensen ’20, and also theater manager Caitlin Volz ’20, for three days at the festival. Oerol takes place across the island of Terschelling and is known for experimental site-specific art and performance (oerol is an old Frisian word for everywhere). There are performances and installations in the woods, on the beach, in sheds, and on the streets. A continuous program of talks and live music is offered at the two festival hubs. We rented bicycles to get around the island and camped near one of the hubs. We crossed the island several times to see five performances and many installations. What really stayed with me is how these artists composed pieces using landscape, sound, and movement, as well as the audience. In Firebird by Touki Delphine, the audience wore silver capes and walked through the dunes during sunset to arrive at a

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Art of Giving

02 02 Henriëtte Rietveld ’21, Caitlin Volz ’20, and Emily Sorensen ’20 in the Netherlands at Oreol. 03 Mark Blankenship ’05.

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final destination where car lights danced to a bombastic Stravinskyinspired symphony. For Technostalgia by Ulrike Quade Company/Strijbos & Van Rijswijk, we were given headphones and traipsed through the woods and the dunes to a beautiful soundscape, stopping at stations where we’d hear scenes. My favorite performance was on a concert stage—Permanent Destruction: The HM Concert by Naomi Velissariou/ Theater Utrecht engaged with and complicated Heiner Müller’s work; here was a theatre concert using deadpan and dry humor and a 90s house aesthetic to explore misogyny,

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sexism, and destructive behavior. I’ve wanted to go to Oerol for many years, and the Blankenship Fund gave me (and Emily) an opportunity to see and experience work that is happening beyond the proscenium. This trip has been a great refresher on thinking outside the black box, exciting me about innovative approaches to the landscape and the environment, and engaging with audiences. The fund has also offered fellow dramaturgy students opportunities to explore their interests beyond YSD. In 2018, Madeline Charne ’20 spent a week in Malta to attend the Dance Studies Association

Art of Giving

Financial considerations can seem like insurmountable obstacles to getting access to outside experiences. conference, where she presented her work and attended panels and working groups. The fund also gave Michael Breslin ’19 a chance to continue his performance-making collaboration with Patrick Foley ’18, and a dramaturgical team including Cat Rodriguez ’18 and Ariel Sibert ’18. In 2019, Amauta Marston-Firmino ’19 traveled to

Mexico City to attend the 11th Encuentro of the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, giving him access to an international artistic community. Rebecca Adelsheim ’21 used the fund to attend the annual LMDA conference in Chicago, where she was able to reunite with former colleagues, meet other dramaturgs, and mentor undergrads. According to Mark, “it has been really gratifying to learn how students are taking advantage of that opportunity and going out and doing what seems to be an endless amount of things.” — Henriëtte Rietveld ’21

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In Memoriam Charles Levin Actor

Charles Levin ’74, YC ’71, a prolific actor who appeared in both movies and television, and who was perhaps best known for his role as a mohel in a classic episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, died in July 2019 in Grants Pass, Oregon, where he had made his retirement home. He was 70 years old. 01 Charles Levin ’74, YC ’71

02 Charles Levin as Nick Bottom in the 1975 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Yale Repertory Theatre alongside Rude Mechanicals (left to right) Ralph Redpath ’75, Frederic Warriner, Joseph Grifasi ’75, and Jerome Dempsey.

Charles Herbert Levin was born in Chicago. He graduated from Yale College in 1971 and received his MFA from the School of Drama in 1974. Charles later taught drama at Harvard’s A.R.T. Institute. A skilled character actor in both dramatic and comedic roles, Charles appeared in many feature films, including The Golden Child, Annie Hall, Manhattan, The Seduction of Joe Tynan, This Is Spinal Tap, and A Civil Action. He also made guest star appearances on a long list of popular TV shows, among them Murphy Brown, thirtysomething, Night Court, Designing Women, and L.A. Law. He had a recurring role as Elliot Novak on the CBS series Alice, and played Eddie Gregg on NBC’s Hill Street Blues from 1982 to 1986. In 1983, Charles married actress and YSD alum Katherine De Hetre ’71, who died in a car accident in 2007. At the time, Charles remembered her in this magazine as “a brilliant actor, a wild and crazy mom, and the gypsy in my soul.” Jesse Levin told the Daily Mail that his father “was as rambunctious in real life as he was on screen and on the stage, and was well known and liked in Grants Pass, where he had retired from his acting career.” Charles is survived by his sons, Jesse Levin and Ben Covette.

Costella Hatcher Former Yale Staff

Every so often, we are reminded that it is not necessarily what we do but how we do it that matters most. This was the case with Costella Hatcher, our former University Theatre building custodian, who passed away at age 86 on September 23, 2019, in Richmond, VA, surrounded by her family. Costella kept our working environment cleaner than we ever expected it to be and did so with a kindness and joyfulness that uplifted all who came in contact with her. “Her presence warmed the space around her,” remembers Bill Reynolds ’77 (Former

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In Memoriam Faculty), who served as Director of Theater Safety and Occupational Health. YSD’s former registrar, Maria Leveton (Former Staff ) recalled, “I first met Costella in 1986. She was a gem. She genuinely cared about each of us at 222. She was a loving woman with tremendous selfrespect, who taught others by example 03 to care about themselves and 03 take pride in their Costella Hatcher accomplishments.” The University Theatre was also Costella’s stage, where she performed her role for a long-running 26 years with nothing less than perfection. Costella is survived by her son, Roswell Hatcher; daughter, Zelma Hatcher; sister, Deacon Myrtle Spurlock; brothers, Leon and Jerome Hatcher; and many loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Douglas Langworthy Dramaturg

Douglas Langworthy ’92 (Former Faculty), dramaturg, translator, collaborator, and mentor, died on March 9, 2020, at his home in Denver, Colorado. He was 61 years old. As longtime dramaturg for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company, and previously McCarter Theatre and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Doug shared his passion for new plays and classics with a quiet grace. He worked tirelessly behind the scenes as a champion of playwrights and their work for more than three decades, while drawing in audiences with his thoughtfully engaging, curated programming. His masterful translations from German, including over a dozen works by Goethe, Kleist, Wedekind, Brecht, and Müller stand in testament to his fierce

intellect and love of language. Doug was a native of California. He graduated from Pomona College in 1980, majoring in German language and literature. He went on to study acting at Cal Arts, where he met then-professor Libby Appel. She would change the course of Doug’s life by seeing his strengths in language and research, and encouraging him to apply to the Yale School of Drama’s pioneering program in dramaturgy. He earned his MFA in 1992 and worked at the forefront of his field—contentedly out of the spotlight—until his death in March. In 1996, Doug was serving as Managing Editor of American Theatre magazine when he received a call from Appel who had just been named Artistic Director of Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She wanted his advice on whom she should approach to be OSF’s first full-time resident dramaturg. By the end of the conversation, Doug had the job. Over the next seven years he oversaw the creation of a world-class new play development program and implementation of a rich and broad tradition of dramaturgy at one of the nation’s largest theatres. Doug went on to work as dramaturg for Princeton’s McCarter Theatre before eventually joining the Denver Center Theatre Company as literary manager in 2007. There, his talents in cultivating relationships with playwrights and enriching audiences’ experience truly came to the fore. Under his leadership, the annual Colorado New Play Summit became a national mainstay for artists and audiences alike. In his 13 years at DCPA, during which time he was promoted to director of new play development, Doug helped to bring 19 world premiere plays to full production in the Denver Center season. In 2011, Doug won acclaim for his outstanding dramaturgical work in support of the Denver Center’s production of Ruined by Lynn Nottage ’89 (Former Faculty). He facilitated Skype conversations between the actors and Ugandan women who had YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

04 Douglas Langworthy ’92 (Former Faculty). Photo courtesy of Rex Fuller. 121

In Memoriam experienced trauma similar to the women in Nottage’s play, and traveled twice to Uganda in conjunction with the Women’s Global Empowerment Fund. The trips were lifechanging for Doug; and for his efforts on Ruined, he was given the Elliott Hayes Award for Dramaturgy. With this global engagement he demonstrated the impact that a skilled, compassionate dramaturg can have within their larger community. Colleagues, friends, and family were stunned with the news that Doug took his own life. They continue to speak warmly of this unassuming, gentle man whose inquisitive mind and openness to the world inspired those around him to create their best work. He leaves behind his husband of nine years, Rex Fuller, along with his parents, siblings, and extended families. — Allison Horsley ’01

Elliot B. Quick

Dramaturg, Producer, Teaching Artist

05 Elliot B. Quick ’12. Photo by Eileen Meny.

Elliot B. Quick ’12, dramaturg, producer, teaching artist, and cherished collaborator, died after a fall on February 19, 2020, in Brooklyn, New York. He was 35. A true multi-disciplinary, multi-hyphenate theater artist, Elliot brought his intrepid spirit and prodigious intellect to many

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creative ventures over the course of his career. He co-founded Piehole theater company in 2008, remaining an active member through 2018, and he worked with Playwrights Horizons, Page 73, the Civilians, and numerous other off- and off-off-Broadway theater companies. He also brought his expertise to the classroom, teaching theater history and playwriting at SUNY Purchase and the Maggie Flanigan School of Acting. Originally from Washington, D.C., Elliot studied theater arts at Brown University. He described himself as someone who “stumbled into dramaturgy after trying on nearly every other theatrical profession,” and after two years of working in off-Broadway literary offices, he enrolled at the Yale School of Drama, where he received his MFA in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism in 2012. During his time at Yale, Elliot gravitated towards production dramaturgy work and became a fixture at the Yale Cabaret, taking on curatorial roles as the Associate Artistic Director for the Yale Summer Cabaret Shakespeare Festival and the Associate Artistic Director for the Cab’s 43rd season. Ever prolific, he dramaturged 16 productions, directed one, and produced 25 more over the course of his three years at YSD. His classmate Caroline V. McGraw ’12 describes him as “an exceptional new play dramaturg, inextricably bound with my memories of YSD. He was such an important part of our community.” Catherine Sheehy ’92, DFA ’99 (Faculty) remembers that Elliot “radiated a kind of goodness and gentleness that were remarkable as they are rare. He was thoughtful, compassionate, and kind to everyone he encountered. He was endowed with a beautiful intellect and great curiosity.” Elliot trained a discerning eye on the profession and practice of dramaturgy, challenging himself to broaden the parameters of a title that many within the industry still struggle to define. “Collaboration involves compromise,” he

In Memoriam wrote, “and a large part of working in a collaborative art form is nurturing the humility to recognize that your work may be participating in someone else’s vision.” He found great joy and fulfillment with Piehole, a creative multimedia laboratory that enabled Elliot and his collaborators to investigate the processes of devised theater and collective authorship. Director Tara Ahmadinejad, a fellow founding member of Piehole, recalls how his presence “made everyone feel more confident in the pursuit, giving us the boost we needed to see it through to a place of discovery. At the same time, he made space for our doubts and skepticism, honoring them as key parts of the artistic process.” Elliot carried all his idealism and generosity of spirit to his work as a teacher, introducing the next generation of theater artists to the aesthetic values, intellectual pursuits, and ethical quandaries of the culture that contains the stage. As he articulated in his teaching philosophy, “It is crucial that we make space to sit together, feed the soul, and fortify the mind. My classes are an opportunity to ask why performance has been a vital medium of human expression for thousands of years, and to remind ourselves what we love about it.” Elliot is predeceased by his father, Perry D. Quick, and survived by his mother Pamela Johnson and his sister Abby Quick. — Kari Olmon ’18, DFA cand.

Frank Torok

Director and Stage Manager Former faculty member Frank Torok passed away on November 21, 2019, in New Haven. He was 85. In 1967, Torok joined Yale Repertory Theatre as production stage manager, a position he held for many years. He went on to become a lecturer in directing at the School of Drama, and later an adjunct professor of directing and chair of the

Department of Directing and Stage Management, eventually retiring in 1987. For the next 20 years, he continued to head the Yale Summer Program acting and directing courses, leading and mentoring generations of YSD alumni who would become the backbone of its faculty.

Evan Yionoulis ’85, YC ’82 (Former Faculty) and Mark Brokaw ’86, Directing alums, sat down together to share memories of their time with Frank. Evan: How to honor Frank Torok adequately? Mark: I feel a bit overwhelmed myself trying to do justice to Frank. He gave me so much. He taught me how to live and survive a life in the theater, and he did it with kindness, compassion, a sense of proportion, and a special kind of grace. You couldn’t find a more unassuming or less pretentious man or one with a more devilish sense of humor. If gnomes existed, Frank would be one. He had that special twinkle in his eye, and a heart large enough protectively to embrace his students. For someone who had spent his life in the theater, he surprisingly lacked the

06 (left to right) Jacqueline Farrington (Former Faculty), Evan Yionoulis ’85, YC ’82 (Former Faculty), Frank Torok (Former Faculty), Joan Robbins ’86, DFA ’91, Mark Brokaw ’86, and Ed Check ’90 at the Yale Summer Program “graduation” ceremony in July 1994. Photo courtesy of Tom Delgado ’09.

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In Memoriam capacity to be snarky, or belittling, or just plain negative. I always felt happy after being with him. Evan: Yes, yes, to all that. His compassion and easy manner, grounded in his faith, served him well as a teacher of theater practitioners and, later, as a mentor of theatre practitioners striving to be teachers. On some hunch he hired me in my third year to teach a class in acting for the stage managers and then in Yale’s Summer Program, where the curriculum was (and remains) extraordinarily tight and integrated through his leadership. Each summer he would give his legendary lecture “Acting Is the Color Purple,” in which he employed beakers of colored water to demonstrate how when the warm red of the actor met the cool blue of the text, something altogether different and alchemical occurred, giving us the purple of the character. His wit was dry, and his heart was all-encompassing. Mark: Frank saved me a number of times and imparted lessons that have now become second nature to me. My last year at the Drama School, while directing my thesis project, I was living through one of those rehearsal periods where the critical voice was screaming so loudly in my head that it was drowning out everything else. I was totally at sea, not sleeping, and of course felt like my life was hanging in the balance. One afternoon after rehearsal I made my way to Frank’s house at 105 Howe Street and launched into a sixty-mile-an-hour bemoaning of my woes, spittle flying. He listened to my long account, expressionless, and when I finally finished, he paused for a while, and then said: “Why don’t you go see a movie?” I said okay, turned on my heels, left his house and marched up to Broadway and the now-defunct York Square Cinema, plunked down my money for whatever was playing, and watched the whole movie. I never for a moment questioned why. I just did it and escaped the 124

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world for two hours. Afterwards, I went back to his house. “Do you feel better?” he asked. “You know, I do.” I replied. “Go home, sleep, and stop torturing yourself. You’re doing fine—you’re the only one who thinks you aren’t.” And that was that. He had no patience for navel gazing or for catastrophizing. He just didn’t believe in it. Evan: “Keep your chin up and your nose to the grindstone.” This was Frank’s perennial advice. And to this day—of course, aware of its oxymoronic impossibility—I try to follow it. Mark: If we doubted ourselves, with just a few choice words Frank would encourage us to take risks and to break out of our comfort zones—nothing ventured, nothing gained. And he meant it. I still rely on that sage advice all the time and try to pass it along whenever I’m teaching a room full of students. Evan: To us, it seemed like Frank had been at Yale forever. He had been Production Stage Manager at the Rep when it began in 1967. He had stories of Meryl Streep ’75, HON ’83 and Andrzej Wajda. But he also had a life before that, teaching at a high school in New Jersey, directing plays and making the props and set and costumes and, after his retirement running a garden shop on Howe Street and being the landlord of several properties where many members of the faculty stayed a couple of nights a week for years and years. Mark: In his later years, he ruled from his “dacha” out on Summit Street, where he could put to full use his masterful green thumb. It was a beautiful property, with a large stone boulder at the base of a hill and lots of lawn to mow. His nephew Jeffrey cared for him there. Even on our last visit, Frank at 84 was full of vim and vigor and jokes. Evan, you drove us to New Haven, and we all had lunch together. He spoke honestly about growing old, and how it was no

In Memoriam picnic. He asked about us, what we were doing, what was on the horizon. I always rolled my eyes growing up when my mother said, “time flies so fast,” but I felt those words that day. Evan: Indeed. I can still see him at one of the “graduation” ceremonies we had each year for the Summer Program’s 10-day directing course. There was Frank in his selfmade paper mortarboard reading a pun-filled commencement speech—with the esteemed faculty in shorts and tennis shoes humming “Pomp and Circumstance”—something about the good Lord calling the final “GO.” Thank you for everything, Frank. We will miss you.

his father and brothers all studied at MIT, Frederick chose Harvard, graduating with a BA in 1955. After a stint in the Navy Reserve, he came to Yale School of Drama, studied playwriting, and in 1961 received his MFA. Unlike his brothers Charles and David, Frederick had little interest in the family’s oil business. Koch saw himself as a gentleman and a scholar. He spent his life pursuing his love of art, architecture, literature, music, and theater. He served on the boards of the Metropolitan Opera, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and the Spoleto Festival USA, and made major contributions to the Frick Collection, the Morgan Library, and the Carnegie Museum of Art. In addition, Koch donated some 2,000 items to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manu-

In 2011, Cliff Warner ’87 made a major gift to establish the Frank Torok Scholarship, which now provides financial aid for stage management students each year. To make a contribution to the scholarship fund, contact Susan Clark, Senior Associate Director of Operations for Development and Alumni Affairs, at susan.clark@yale.edu or (203) 432-1559.

Frederick Koch Art Collector

Frederick Koch ’61, a philanthropist and patron of the arts, died on February 12, 2020, at his home in Manhattan. He was 86. Koch, the older brother of Charles and the late David Koch, whose company, Koch Industries, is the second largest privately held firm in the U.S., was a well-known collector of art, decorative objects, rare books, and photography, and a generous benefactor whose contributions and gifts to many arts institutions were often made anonymously. Frederick Robinson Koch was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1933. He attended the Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY, and as class valedictorian, graduated in 1951. While

07 script Library at Yale, including rare musical and literary manuscripts, among them original scores by Mozart, Schubert, and Stravinsky, Noël Coward’s diaries, the typescript of Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller, and page proofs of Remembrance of Things Past by YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

07 Frederick Koch ’61. Photo by Ben Gabbe/ Getty Images.

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In Memoriam Marcel Proust. He also donated a collection of more than 50,000 photographs. Frederick is survived by his brothers Charles and William. According to a longtime assistant, Koch’s entire estate will be used to establish a foundation for the arts.

George S. Morfogen Actor, Director

My uncle, George S. Morfogen ’57, a wellknown stage, television, and film actor, died on March 8, 2019, in his home in Tribeca. He was 86. His husband and partner of 51 years, Gene Laughorne, was by his side. As I wrote George’s tribute for this publication, so many wonderful and funny memories bubbled to the surface. My first experience seeing George as an actor, came in 1972, when my mother took my sister and me to see his film debut in Peter Bogdanovich’s What’s Up Doc? That cameo appearance as Rudy the Head Waiter made me a life-long fan at the age of eight. I stood up in the theater and proudly announced, that’s Uncle George, when he appeared on screen. As an adult, I always had that same impulse when watching him perform.

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When I greeted him backstage after seeing the 1991 production of Othello at the Delacorte, where he played Brabantio, George introduced me to Christopher Walken, the ultimate Iago. I enthusiastically shook his hand and declared awkwardly, “It was great!” Later, George gently but firmly reprimanded me, “Leslie, when you congratulate an actor’s performance, you never say, ‘It was great; you say YOU were great.’” Believe me, I never made that mistake again. In 2017, I saw what would be George’s last performance at the age of 84 in Horton Foote’s Traveling Lady, directed by longtime friend and collaborator Austin Pendleton YC ’61. “One of the things—just one of them—that I treasured about George,” reflects Austin, “was his lucidity. You’d tell him about your life, where it was, what was swimming around it, at any given point, and he would pause for a moment, and then come out with a sentence that defined it absolutely. This sentence was always compassionate, even on the rare occasions when it was appropriately harsh. Often it was very funny. Always it was irreplaceable. I miss that as fiercely as I miss anything in this world.” George’s career spanned decades and he appeared in productions on and off-Broadway, in regional theaters throughout the country, and for 17 seasons as a resident actor at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. His most significant parts included the title role in Uncle Bob, written by Austin Pendleton; Voysey, Sr. in The Voysey Inheritance, Freud in Freud’s Last Session, and Shotover in Heartbreak House. George was also a dedicated and talented teacher. He never let anything, even his fading health, interfere with his commitment to his students. His teaching statement, posted on the HB Studio website, is so quintessentially George—dramatic, direct, deeply profound and kind: “Audibility is not a liability. It is an enhancement. Clarity is strength not weakness. Please work with a partner, if possible. But better to do a solo than no work at all. If

In Memoriam asked to bring a scene back next week, please do so. You have the right to say I’d rather not. I retain the right to make it mandatory. Avoid being late. Excused lateness is a privilege. Don’t make it a habit. Rise to the challenge. Don’t intentionally miscast yourself. Be courageous. Behavioral values are more potent than literary decisions. Criticism may be brutal but never cruel.” George was an extraordinary actor, artist, teacher, partner, friend, and uncle. We will miss him immensely. George, YOU were great! — Leslie Brauman ’92

Jerry Hanley

Technical Designer and Professor Jerome “Jerry” Richard Hanley ’60, a designer, director, and professor of theater, passed away on October 11, 2019, in Savannah Georgia, after two years of battling complications from a stroke. He was 84. Jerry Hanley attended The Milne School in Albany, NY, graduated from Brown University in 1957, and received his MFA degree from Yale School of Drama in 1960 in Technical Design & Production. It was at the School that he met the woman who would become his wife, fellow student Ann Elizabeth Truslow ’61. After graduation, Jerry served two years in the U.S. Army, and then joined the faculty of Dartmouth College. He taught lighting and technical production for four years, and along with fellow alum Bob Donnelly ’64 helped found the college’s new theater and music space, the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Both Jerry and Bob left Dartmouth and were reunited at the University at Albany, where their technical expertise played a key role in the development of the university’s multi-stage Performing Arts Center, completed in 1969. The PAC, now a leading national performance center, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. During his tenure at UAlbany, Jerry taught courses in lighting, technical production, acting, and directing, and also served as chair of

the theatre department. He designed lighting for university productions, performed in a few, and directed, including a notable production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “Jerry and I worked together for over 25 years,” recalled Donnelly. “It was a close association and a good working relationship. He was even-tempered, quiet, and considerate. He was a good man, a good friend, and a good artist. Jerry’s principal skill was lighting and sound, and mine was design and construction of scenery. We were putting on four to six plays a year—that’s over 100 shows that we did together. And we opened two of the largest college theater and music centers in the Northeast, the Hopkins Center and the Performing Arts Center. They were very large facilities with multiple theaters.” “When we married,” Ann remembered fondly, “we decided that one person in the family in the theater was enough.” So with Jerry teaching and working in the theater—as well as summers spent doing lighting design for, among others, the Lake George Opera Festival—Ann became “stage manager” for a family of five, including three loving daughters and a marriage that lasted 59 years. In 1996, Jerry and Ann retired to Skidaway Island, Georgia. There Jerry performed dramatic readings, appeared in a number of local theater productions, including The Sunshine Boys, and directed plays, among them one of his favorites, Our Town. Jerry Hanley was also a talented singer and a member of his church choir in both Albany and Savannah. His voice will be missed by many. He is survived by Ann; brothers, Joe, John, and Chap; sister, Mary; daughters, Jennifer, Deborah, and Kate and their spouses, and four grandchildren.

10 08 George Morfogen ’57. Photo courtesy of Leslie Brauman ’92.

09 George Morfogen (right) in Traveling Lady at the Cherry Lane Theater in 2017.

10 Jerry Hanley ’60

John Wulp

Producer and Designer John Wulp ’53, a theater producer and designer, as well as a director and playwright, YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

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died in Rockport, Maine. He was 90 years old. Wulp had lived and taught on Vinalhaven and North Haven in Maine for nearly 30 years. It was John Wulp who brought the Edward Gorey-designed Dracula to Broadway in 1977 after its successful run at the Nantucket Stage Company. The show received a special Tony Award for Most Innovative Production of a Revival, and Frank Langella won a Tony for his performance in the title role. John Edwin Wulp was born in New Rochelle, New York, in 1928. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1950 and the School of Drama in 1953. A play that Wulp wrote while in the Marines, The Saintliness of Margery Kempe, premiered off-Broadway in 1959 with Gene Hackman and earned a Rockefeller Grant for playwriting. In 1963, he directed Arnold Weinstein’s (Former Faculty) The Red Eye of Love, which won an Obie Award; years later a musical adaptation of the play, with lyrics and libretto by Wulp and Weinstein and music by Sam Davis, ran off-Broadway. The set design was by Wulp’s fellow Vinalhaven resident, the artist Robert Indiana. Wulp moved to Nantucket and founded the Nantucket Stage Company in 1973. In addition to Dracula, he produced John Guare’s ’63 (Former Faculty) Marco Polo Sings a Solo. He returned to Broadway in 1979 and received a Tony nomination for his production of the Sherlock Holmes play, The Crucifer of Blood, starring Glenn Close. Wulp also helped to establish and taught at the Playwrights Horizon Theatre School at New York University. In 1994, Wulp moved to Vinalhaven, Maine, and began teaching and producing theater at the North Haven Community School. In 2001, he created Islands, a musical about his adopted Maine homeland. It was the subject of a documentary on PBS, entitled On This Island, and was narrated by Sigourney Weaver ’74. “John is so brilliant,” Weaver told the Bangor Daily News in 1998. “His standards YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

are very high. He has the soul of an artist. He’s a great observer of human nature and a great enthusiast for honesty. Every time I work with John it feels like a gift.” Wulp was also an accomplished photographer, painter, and poet. A collection of photographs he took of the choreographer Merce Cunningham was purchased by the New York Public Library. Cormorant Time, a book of his poems, was published in 2016. A memorial service for John was held on Vinalhaven this past summer. A selection of his work can be viewed at johnwulp.com.

Josh Foldy Actor

A word cloud created from the tributes celebrating Josh Foldy ’98 since his death on December 26, 2019, would show the largest words to be: Janet, Tallulah, kindness, friendship, talent, commitment, humor, stoicism, focus, love. Josh was born and raised in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, the son of teachers Ted and Susan. He and his much-loved sister, Kate, attended outdoor Shakespeare performances, listened to vinyl albums on the family turntable, and danced to The Beatles’ White Album. Family lore is that Josh began at Covington Latin School at the early age of 11 just so he could gain a grade on Kate; while that may be true, his test scores and teachers testified to Josh’s brilliance. By his graduation at 15, he’d embarked on a lifelong journey as an actor, playing the Stage Manager in Our Town during senior year. His commitment to craft continued at Northern Kentucky University where he was loved for writing songs, the bounce in his walk, and how his face lit up when smiling. Josh began studies at the Drama School in 1995. He was a ponytailed, guitarplaying actor known for his intensity, thoughtfulness, deep honesty, authenticity, and expansive intellect. Among the people 15 he met who would remain lifelong friends

In Memoriam

and collaborators were two who would change his life: the late Earle R. Gister (Former Faculty), a legendary acting teacher, and and the woman who would become his wife, playwright Janet Allard ’97. Earle’s method would fuel Josh’s work as he took on roles in The Lady from the Sea and Uncle Vanya at Yale and, later, across the country at Urban Stages, the Guthrie Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, and the Klondike Gold Rush show at the Liarsville Camp in Skagway, Alaska. Earle’s greatest impact on Josh was in inspiring his dedication to teaching. At schools including North Carolina School of the Arts, Wake Forest, and Southeastern Louisiana University, Josh trained a new generation of actors to play an action effortlessly and perform without self-generating. Josh and Janet share one of the greatest love stories I know. Director Jean Randich ’94 recently described them as “the gentle and the wild. The quiet and the fierce. The rooted and the floating.” They occupied a tiny NYC studio and also lived in Minneapolis, Hammond, Louisiana, Miami, and

Alaska. They frequently visited family in Hawaii, Las Vegas, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, where Josh indulged his love of Skyline Chili. In 2009, they made Greensboro, NC, their home when both landed teaching jobs at the University of North Carolina. Josh became a regular at Triad Stage, founded by Preston Lane ’96 and Rich Whittington ’98, and created memorable performances in Doubt, Other Desert Cities, and Billy Bishop Goes to War. Tallulah Foldy, born in 2012, has been described as Josh and Janet’s “best collaboration.” Tallulah’s love of artmaking, ballet, and unusual food combinations were nurtured by Josh, who committed himself to fatherhood with gusto and thoughtfulness. Though Josh is missed by hundreds of friends, former and current students, a coterie of “favorite aunts,” mother-in-law, Diane, mother, Susan, sister, Kate, and— most of all—beloved Janet and Tallulah, they celebrate the gift of his life, talents, and friendship. It was a life well-lived. — Elizabeth Bennett ’97

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11 John Wulp ’53. Photo by Matt Cosby.

12 Josh Foldy ’98 in Billy Bishop Goes to War at Triad Stage. Photo courtesy of Janet Allard ’97.

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In Memoriam Marna King Costume Designer

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Marna Jeanene King ’64 passed away on June 23, 2019, at Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. She was 79. Marna King was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1939. She attended Fairview High School where she first discovered her passion for theater and costume design. She went on to Northwestern University, graduating with a BA in 1961, and received her MFA from the School of Drama in 1964. Following graduation, Marna accepted an instructional appointment at the School for two years. She then headed west to work at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago before joining the theater department at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1968. Marna remained at Wisconsin until her retirement in 2002. During her tenure there, Marna taught design and costume history, designed costumes for productions at the university’s theater, and supervised its costume shop. She also received a number of grants to study contemporary German theater, in which she was to develop an expertise. “Marna was the cheerful leader of our class who daily made the work of the costume shop a joyful place,” remembers Michael P. Price ’63, Executive Director Emeritus of the Goodspeed Opera House. “She not only brought a spirit of good cheer but one of constantly striving for excellence in design and execution. In those days of the early 60s, we were handed keys to reenter the building after it was locked to complete our work in the shops. Marna was always among the first heading to a late-night sewing machine.” In 2002, Marna donated her extensive collection of descriptions and photographs of twentieth-century German theater productions to the Akademie der Kunste in Berlin. She outlined the contents of the collection writing in USITT’s Sightlines in March YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

2011: “From 1981 through 2000, I witnessed, studied, and collected primary materials of each production I thought valuable to record—155 such files from the former Federal Republic of Germany and 85 files from the former East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall from 1990-2000. I used this material to influence my own costume designs and those of my students, and to reach American theater practitioners through presentations and articles.” She added, “I’ve identified each photo by play, scene/act, and character. In addition, I’ve included selected writings of my own. Be prepared to stay a while. The collection weighed over 400 pounds when shipped to the Akademie.” More information about the Marna King Theater Collection can be found on the Akademie der Kunste website at: public-archiv.adk.de. Marna is survived by her sister-in-law, Rita, and her nephew, David, both of Dayton, Ohio.

Peter Larkin Production Designer

Peter Larkin ’47, the Tony Award–winning set designer whose career on Broadway and in Hollywood spanned more than 50 years, passed away on December 16, 2019, in Bridgehampton, New York. He was 93. While many of us dream of winning a Tony, Peter Larkin won four. During his long and distinguished career, Larkin received a total 10 Tony nominations, and on two separate occasions, won two Tony Awards in one season. Larkin was raised in Boston, the son of the Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Oliver Waterman Larkin. He graduated from Yale School of Drama in 1947. After making his Broadway debut with Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, directed by Morton Dacosta, in 1951, Larkin worked on Peter Pan, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow 15 Up, starring Mary Martin, in 1954. The show

In Memoriam was a stunning success and later that year was shown on television, featuring Larkin’s sets, to an audience of more than 65 million viewers. Larkin won the Tony Award twice in 1954, for his work on Ondine, directed by Alfred Lunt and starring Audrey Hepburn, and for the Teahouse of the August Moon, starring John Forsythe and David Wayne. He repeated his “double play” in 1956, with No Time for Sergeants, starring Andy Griffith, and Inherit the Wind, with Ed Begley. In 1958, Larkin received four Tony nominations in a single season—for Cy Coleman and Meyer Levin’s musical Compulsion, the comedy Good as Gold, and the dramas Blue Denim and Miss Isobel, with Shirley Booth. Two years later, he was nominated for his design of the Frank Loesser musical Greenwillow, and in 1984, for his work on the Terence McNally, John Kander, and Fred Ebb musical, The Rink, starring Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, who won her first Tony for her performance in the show. Larkin’s other Broadway credits include, Dial “M” for Murder (1952), Arthur Miller’s The Crucible (1964), Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ (1978), the Elizabeth Swados and Garry Trudeau collaboration Doonesbury (1983), and the 2003 revival of Oscar Wilde’s Salome, directed by Estelle Parsons, featuring Al Pacino, Marisa Tomei, and Dianne Wiest. Following his success on Broadway, Larkin began working as a production designer for film and television. His first Hollywood film was the thriller Nighthawks in 1981, starring Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams. His long list of film credits include Tootsie (1982), Three Men and a Baby (1987), The Secret of My Success (1987), House of Cards (1993), Get Shorty (1995), The First Wives Club (1996), and Miss Congeniality (2000). Larkin also designed sets for the New York City Ballet and the Stratford Shakespeare Theater. Peter Larkin’s wife, painter Racelle Strick,

died in 2008. He is survived by his stepson, Wesley Strick, and stepdaughter, Ivy Hamlin.

Peter Sargent

Lighting Designer, Professor, Dean Peter Edward Sargent ’63, a lighting designer, professor, and dean emeritus of the Webster University College of Fine Arts, died on November 27, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was 82. A widely recognized leader of the arts in the St. Louis area, Sargent helped establish both The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts. He served as chair of Webster’s Fine Arts Department and became the founding dean of its Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts in 1995. The College currently has more than 500 undergraduates studying theater, dance, music, and visual arts. Peter Sargent earned a BA from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1959 and received his MFA from the School of Drama in 1963. He was hired by Webster in 1966 to head the lighting design and stage manageYA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

14 Mary Martin and her shadow on Peter Larkin’s ’47 set for the Broadway production of Peter Pan, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. 15 Peter Larkin. Photo by Wesley Strick.

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In Memoriam

16 Peter Sargent ’63

ment program located at the University’s newly established Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, and he would remain at Webster for his entire professional career. During that time, Sargent received a number of prestigious awards, among them a Special Citation for Education from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, and an Achievement in the Arts Award from the Missouri Arts Council. He also served on the board of directors of the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, as well as those of the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, Dance St. Louis, and the Insight Theatre Company. A beloved figure on the Webster campus, Sargent was affectionately known as “the man in plaid” by students and staff for the sartorial splendor of the colorful plaid sport coats he favored. In addition to his academic responsibilities, he continued to work as a lighting designer for productions staged at St. Louis Rep, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Holland, Michigan, and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, including You Can’t Take It with You, Sweeney Todd, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, A Little Night Music, and Company. “Peter left a lasting impact on the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts, on Webster University, on the St. Louis arts community, and on the national landscape of fine arts,” said Webster University President Julian Schuster at the time of Sargent’s passing. “The thousands of his graduates continue to be major influencers throughout the world of art. Peter left a legacy, a precious gift we must preserve, nurture, and grow.” Peter is survived by his wife, Alice, daughters Amy and Megan, and two grandchildren.

Robert Auletta Playwright and Teacher

Robert Auletta ’69, an award-winning play132

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16 wright who served on the faculty of Yale School of Drama and also taught at Harvard, the School of Visual Arts, and The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, died on April 3, 2019, after a long illness. He was 79. Auletta’s plays, including Amazons, Rabbits, Rundown, and the one-acts Stops/Virgins, as well as his modern adaptations of classics, among them The Oresteia, The Persians, Molière’s Tartuffe, and Büchner’s Danton’s Death, have been produced at Yale Repertory Theatre, the American Repertory Theater, The Public Theater, P.S. 122, and the West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theater Bar. His modern version of Sophocles’ Ajax, directed by Peter Sellars in 1986, was staged at both the Kennedy Center and the La Jolla Playhouse, and received the Hollywood Drama-Logue Award. It was filmed by Dutch television and shown at film festivals to wide acclaim. Stops/Virgins received a Village Voice Obie for distinguished playwriting in 1983. A memorial service for Auletta was organized last September by his wife, Jeni Breen; Jeni and Bob met at a downtown New York dance performance in 1977. “It was love at first sight,” she remembers. “We went out for coffee, and Bob and I were sitting across the table from each other feeling the earth turn and feeling the reality of everything

In Memoriam shift. Three months later, we moved in together. He was utterly dedicated to his writing, and I was utterly dedicated to my dancing. We never got in the way of each other’s pursuits. He was extraordinarily generous. And the funniest person I ever met.” Many members of the Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre community, including Carmen de Lavallade (Former Faculty), Betsy Parrish (Former Faculty), Rebecca Nelson ’79, Steve Rowe ’75, and Jeremy Smith ’76, were among those who gathered at the West Bank Cafe to honor their friend and colleague. Jeremy read the following tribute at the request of YSD’s former dean, Robert Brustein ’51, HON ’66: “Bob Auletta was one of the dearest and most gifted products of the Yale Drama School. An inspired theater student, he became a brilliant playwright and adaptor who contributed truly imaginative adaptations of classics like Tartuffe and The Oresteia to the Yale Repertory Theatre. He was a dear colleague whose premature death leaves a large hole in the heart of the theatrical community, and in mine.” Roy Steinberg ’78, a close friend of Auletta’s, remembered him as “a spark who lit the world—an urban poet who changed all who knew him. He was passionate and funny and extraordinarily dedicated to his craft and his students. Our relationship was even more personal because I met my wife, Marlena Lustik, doing his Expo 99 at the Yale Cabaret. We would often go to theater together and talk about the work well into the night.” “Bob’s work was peopled with characters unique, eloquent, and always passionate, the women equally strong as the men,” said Gaylen Ross, who directed many of Auletta’s plays at the West Bank. “Bill Foeller’s ’80 brilliant production of Rundown will forever remain Bob’s legacy for me, and about which Frank Rich wrote: ‘There’s so much to admire about the playwright Robert Auletta that one can’t help but root for his success. Mr. Auletta is a daring imagist whose

nonlinear plays try to burrow right into the center of the American consciousness. He throws out plot, structure and conventional characterization until he creates a desolate, almost lunar theatrical landscape inhabited by phantasmagoric images and fragmented lives.’” Robert Auletta left a lasting impression on his former YSD students. Robert Gainer ’73, who would later direct Auletta’s play Guess Work at Yale Rep, with actor David Clennon ’68 and a set designed by Michael Yeargan ’73 (Faculty), recalled that “whether in Bob Auletta’s playwriting class or in the rehearsal studio, one was intoxicated by his spiritual reverence for the dramatic poet’s power to employ language revealing the depths of human desire, dream, nightmare and mystery. Bob’s passionate conviction and distinctive poetic imagination inspired many of his theater collaborators over the years. He will surely remain in our hearts and minds as a dear friend, colleague and a most vital theater artist.”

17 17 Robert Auletta ’69 (Former Faculty). Photo courtesy of Jeni Breen.

Robert Blacker Dramaturg and Teacher

At a memorial service in October 2019 for my friend, the renowned dramaturg and teacher Robert Blacker (Former Faculty), I read celebratory words by four of our former students: Marcus Gardley ’04, Sunil Kuruvilla, ’99, Ken Lin ’05, and Jami O’Brien ’04. I was the chair of the Playwriting program at Yale School of Drama from 1992 to 2004; Robert Blacker succeeded me as the interim chair of Playwriting in 2004. His impact is reflected in Marcus’s words: “Robert Blacker is the reincarnation of the God Dionysus. He loved the theater, its practitioners, its power to intoxicate and baptize. He also had a divine laugh that trembled the bones like that first whip of thunder on a quiet night. He was wise beyond this world and gave me some of the best advice of YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

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In Memoriam my career.” Robert Blacker left this realm unexpectedly on August 30, 2019, at age 71, after a 50year career as an internationally celebrated dramaturg of classics and new plays, and a teacher and mentor to legions of grateful artists. His legacy is marked by a generosity of spirit and profound, fierce commitment to sharing why theater matters. Robert was born in Allentown, PA, in 1947. He was a graduate of Cornell University. In addition to teaching playwriting at

18 18 Robert Blacker (Former Faculty) at Sundance Theatre Lab. Photo by Fred Hayes.

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YSD, he taught Shakespeare at Columbia University, the University of Iowa, and the University of California, San Diego on a graduate level. He worked as dramaturg at New York’s Public Theater (in fact, the first dramaturg there), La Jolla Playhouse, and Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada. He was Des McAnuff ’s associate artistic director at La Jolla, where he worked on The Who’s Tommy and Steppenwolf ’s The Grapes of Wrath, which both received Tony Awards. Robert was a polymath, but more than that he had an uncanny ability to approach new plays with a cubistic, ever-deepening perspective. During his eight-year tenure as the artistic director at Sundance Theatre Lab over 50 projects went on to productions: I Am My Own Wife (Tony and Pulitzer Prize YA L E S C H O O L O F D R A M A A N N UA L 2 019 –2 0

winner), The Laramie Project, The Light in the Piazza, and Spring Awakening (Tony Award winner). Over a year ago, Robert’s new book, Shakespeare in Three Dimensions: The Dramaturgy of Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet, was published. In reading an early draft of this book, I discovered our mutual love of the poet John Keats. I shared with him a favorite phrase of mine from a poem of Keats to —‘unweave a rainbow’— that over the years I have often shared with playwrights, actors, dramaturgs, and directors in reference to working on a new play. Robert loved it because he knew that is what we artists do when approach new plays. We unweave the play, giving gently, courageously the note that might create a second unexpected rainbow. And for that and for so much else, I will miss Robert’s rare and adventurous spirit. As his lifelong collaborator and friend Des McAnuff once said: “Robert Blacker was like Johnny Appleseed, spreading wisdom and inspiration to actors, playwrights, directors, and drama students from New York to California and on up to Canada.” We are entering a new decade now, and I for one hope that the spirit of Robert Blacker—the Johnny Appleseed of Unexpected Rainbows—will not leave us, at a time when perhaps we need it most. — Mark Bly ’80 (Former Faculty)

In Memoriam Farewell

Stephen Coy

Leif Ericson Ancker ’62 / 4.12.19

Director and Teacher

Robert A. Auletta ’69 (Former Faculty) / 4.3.19

Stephen C. Coy ’63, DFA ’69 died on February 3, 2020, and is survived by his wife, Mary Jane (Jamme), one son, and a brother. Steve’s introduction to theater was playing small roles as an undergraduate at Amherst College and during his two-year stint in the Army, mainly with the objective of meeting girls. It was only after his boss at Life magazine, William Baring-Gould, talked him into working with a community theatre in Connecticut that he decided to apply to Yale School of Drama with the goal of teaching theater at the college level. This he did for 30 years at such places as Amherst, Dartmouth, Skidmore, and his longest tenure, 19 Hamden-Sydney College, directing more than 60 19 productions and Stephen C. Coy ’63, teaching thousands DFA ’69. Photo courtesy of of students. Among Mary Jane Coy. the latter were Ken Howard ’69, Jerry Zaks, Sandra Boynton ’79, YC ’74, and Stephen Colbert. After his retirement in 1993, Steve took great delight in proving that those who teach can do by acting in 30 productions at theaters in the Richmond, Virginia, area. — Mary Jane Coy

Robert Blacker (Former Faculty) / 8.30.19 William B. Branch (Yale-American Broadcasting Fellow) / 11.3.2019 René Buch ’52 / 4.20.20 Joseph Chomyn ’53 / 3.11.19 Forrest Compton ’53 / 4.5.2020 Stephen C. Coy ’63, DFA ’69 / 2.16.20 Lyle Dye, Jr. ’58 / 11.12.19 Joshua Foldy ’98 / 12.26.19 Jerome R. Hanley ’60 / 10.11.19 Costella Hatcher (Former Yale Staff) / 9.23.19 George L. Hickenlooper DFA ’67 / 7.18.19 Peter H. Hunt ’63, YC ’61 / 4.26.20 Marillyn B. Johnson ’50 / 3.23.20 Marna J. King ’64 / 6.23.19 Frederick R. Koch ’61 / 2.12.20 Douglas Langworthy ’92 (Former Faculty) / 3.9.20 Peter Larkin ’47 / 12.16.19 Charles Levin ’74 / 7.1.19 Frederick Marker DFA ’67 / 11.23.19 George Morfogen ’57 / 3.8.19 Elliot B. Quick ’12 / 2.19.20 Harry M. Ritchie ’55, DFA ’60 / 1.14.20 A. Raymond Rutan IV ’54 / 6.16.19 Jim Sandefur ’85 / 3.22.20 Peter Sargent ’63 / 11.27.19 Eugene Shewmaker ’49 / 2.15.20 Daniel Stein ’64, DFA ’67 / 3.16.19 Frank Torok (Former Faculty) / 11.21.19 Barbara H. Van Schermbeek ’48 / 12.22.18 John E. Wulp ’53 / 11.27.18

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Alumni Notes 1940s Joan Kron ’48 writes: “I’m producing/ directing my second film, on the history of Botox, partnering with a respected documentary studio—The Documentary Group, founded by Peter Jennings.”

1950s Joy Carlin ’54 writes: “In this past year I cast and directed an onstage reading for the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra; played the sympathetic G’ma in Significant Other at the San Francisco Playhouse, and directed A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Jewel Theatre in Santa Cruz, CA. I also acted and directed in new play improvs for PlayGround (an idea conceived by YSD grad Jim Kleinmann ’92 which takes place at Berkeley Rep).” ● In Fall 2019, Robert Kalfin ’57 staged a reading of Choices, a new musical at the York Musical Theatre. Robert is currently in pre-production for Levy’s Ghost, a new play by Lewis Schrager that will open in Spring 2020. His recent off-Broadway production of My Parsifal Conductor by playwright Allan Leicht ’66 was videotaped for the Lincoln Center Library Theater Collection. ● Gordon Micunis ’59 is happily residing in New York City and would be delighted to hear from fellow Drama School alumni.

1960s Dr. Michael Elliot Rutenberg ’60, DFA ’65 retired from the theater department at Hunter College in January 2015, and now resides in Boca Raton, Florida, where in 2016 he was invited to Florida Atlantic University to teach Improvisation. ● Wendy Adams ’61 writes: “I have changed my art of choice from drama to painting. I am enjoying days filled with color and design. All my family is well and happy.” ● David Madden ’61 has penned a wildly innovative biography of James M. Cain that will appear soon, published by Rowman & Littlefield. Having told the story of Cain’s life and work [The

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Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce and more], David also tells the story of the decline of a famous writer and the emergence of a young writer—David himself. David is now 86, however, with three books well underway. ● Mango Publishing has released a new book by Allen Klein ’62, The Lighten Up Book: Affirmations and Insights to Inspire Health and Happiness. Also, Klein’s TEDx Talk on The Power of Intention is approaching 65,000 views. ● Len Berkman ’63, DFA ’70 writes: “Now in my 51st year on the Smith College Theatre faculty, I’ve had the first presentation at the University of Hamburg of my play We Three, as translated into German Wir Drei by Yannik Raiss, this past spring. Wir Drei will next be presented at the Hamburg Kunsthalle (the major city museum) in early 2020. My first opera libretto, The King Without a Voice (Le Roi Sans Voix) is being set to music by Italian composer, Marco Rosano (best known for his Stabat Mater, recorded and performed internationally by German counter-tenor Andreas Scholl). I began writing the libretto while spending 11 days in the Intensive Care Unit after chemotherapy to treat stage 3 lymphoma. I am now strongly in recovery, just in time to return as dramaturg for the annual Iowa New Play Festival, as well as my 30th year with New York Stage & Film Company’s Powerhouse Theatre summer season.” ● William Boardman ’64, YC ’60 has been writing political commentary for Reader Supported News since 2012. In September 2019, Yorkland Publishing of Toronto published Exceptional: American Exceptionalism Takes Its Toll—an anthology of 126 of his radical critiques. From voting rights to impeachment to destroying the environment and the climate, Bill’s essays confront some of the major failures of contemporary America (and the world). ● Raymond J. Barry ’65 writes: “During the month of September 2019, I shot a film called Free Byrd and at the age of 80 played the leading role of Harry Byrd—an old guy who escapes from an old age home and runs to Las Vegas with four strippers, becomes a comedian in their casino show, and wins a fortune on the slot machines,

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Alumni Notes

07 01 Joan Kron ’48 in her director’s jacket commissioned by AARP. Photo by Ramona Rosales. 02 Dr. Michael Elliot Rutenberg ’60, DFA ’65

09 05 Allan Leicht ’66

Carrie Robbins ’67. Photo by Richard Termine.

06 The Liquid Border: The Rio Grande from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico by Jonathan Reeve Price ’68.

09 William Boardman ’64, YC ’60 with Elizabeth Warren accepting a copy of his book, Exceptional: American Exceptionalism Takes Its Toll.

03 Warren Bass ’67

07 Robert Greenwood ’67 as King Duncan in Macbeth.

04 Wendy Adams ’61 alongside her still life, Banquet Ready.

08 Remy Zaken (Gloria) and Jenne Vath (Mom) in Pie Lessons by

10 Jim Metzner ’69. Photo by Eileen McAdam.

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Alumni Notes after which he has a heart attack and joins his wife in the afterlife. I recently exhibited my paintings at the Lodge Gallery in Los Angeles. Been painting for 57 years now while making a living in the theater.” ● Arthur Bloom ’66 writes: “My third book, Edwin Forrest: A Biography and Performance History, has just been published by McFarland & Co. Forrest was the premier American actor of the early 19th century. Forrest was born in Philadelphia, performed at the Walnut, Arch Street, and Chestnut Street Theatres, lived here, died here, and is buried here. This is the first fully annotated biography of Forrest’s work and the only day-by-day account of his performances and reviews. It includes a detailed account of his participation in the Astor Place Riot and a sensational public divorce case, as well as his affinity for the hyper-masculine imagery of Jacksonian democracy. I am available for a PowerPoint presentation on the subject.” ● James Berton Harris ’66 began researching Michigan’s historic opera houses in August 2008. After more than a decade of writing and rewriting, his book, Once upon a Time at the Opera House: Drama at Three Historic Michigan Theaters, 1882-1928, was published in 2019 and was the recipient of one of the Historical Society of Michigan’s State History Awards, the highest recognition presented by the state’s oldest cultural organization. His current writing project is pure fiction—Six Degrees of Betty Grable: Movies, Music, and Murder. ● Allan Leicht ’66 premiered his Wagnerian Comedy, My Parsifal Conductor, to excellent reviews. ● Cuban Queens, a painterly experimental film by Warren Bass ’67, has been selected by the juries of 46 international film festivals from 28 countries. The film has received four international awards. ● Vienna CobbAnderson ’67 is being honored by Virginia Repertory Theater for being the first woman director in Richard, VA, in 1963. ● Robert Greenwood ’67 writes that in April 2019, Iranian and Canadian theater performers came together at Theatre Encounter to learn and create, culminating with performances in the Studio Theatre at cSpace. Robert was featured as King 13 8

Duncan, the Doctor, and the Porter in Malachite Theatre’s production of Macbeth in January 2019. ● Stephen Hendrickson ’67 writes: “I have just finished 10 years of production design for The Good Wife and The Good Fight for CBS Television and CBS All Access, both written and produced by Robert and Michelle King. I have now moved on to their new production, Evil, again for CBS. My wife, Calista, and I have passed our 50th anniversary, and enjoy our family with three grandchildren.” ● Carrie Robbins’s ’67 play The Dragon Griswynd was chosen by Theater for the New City for its 2018 Dream-Up Festival and nominated for Outstanding Original Short Script by the 2019 N.Y. Innovative Theatre Awards. It featured Charles Turner ’70 as the Dragon. Her play Pie Lessons was selected by Theater for the New City’s 2019 Scratch Night Reading Series and went on to be chosen for the 2019 New York International Fringe Festival at the Metropolitan Playhouse in October. ● David Ackroyd ’68 writes: “It’s hard to believe that it’s been 23 years since I ditched LA in favor of Montana and almost 15 years since I co-founded Alpine Theatre Project, Montana’s first fully Equity theatre, in my new hometown of Whitefish. Despite the very real financial vagaries of not-for-profit theater in a somewhat remote area, ATP continues to produce quality theater and has also developed a thriving educational program that includes two full productions of musicals adapted for lower- and high-school kids. I have assumed a more or less emeritus status with the theater since A) I don’t want to work that hard anymore and B) we are now sort of bi-coastal (if you think of Montana as the west coast) with a second home in New Jersey near one of our daughters. I occasionally direct and/or act in site-specific readings for ATP. Among others, we’ve done American Buffalo in a junk shop, Sideman in a bar, and Lips Together, Teeth Apart around a swimming pool. I am currently directing Over the River and Through the Woods for the Whitefish Theatre Company. But for the most part, I find that semi-retirement suits me just fine.” ● The Liquid Border by Jonathan

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Reeve Price DFA ’68 celebrates the Rio Grande as it forms the border between Mexico and Texas, a homage to the trek that migrants face, going through this forbidding landscape. The aluminum prints have been exhibited in New Mexico, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and New York, with more shows to come. ● Lonnie Carter’s ’69 two-hander, Bollywood 9/10, had its fourth iteration in Falls Village, CT, this past June, following New Dramatists, Victory Gardens, and The Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis. It was supported by a grant from the Northwest CT Community Foundation. The piece takes place on September 10, 2001, and features Ida B. O’Shea, an African American children’s book writer and Sita Devi, an Indian (South Asian) novelist and activist. ● Linda Fisher ’69 writes: “I continue to work, but rarely, and only at Irish Rep here in NYC— four shows (or two and a half because three of them were co-designed with David Toser ’64)! My husband and I have been able to travel more, especially as he is officially retired. In the last 10 years or so, we have gone to Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, England, Israel, Iceland, Japan, Croatia, Mexico, and possibly some I have forgotten. So, all in all, not too bad!” ● As a Fulbright specialist in media and communications, Jim Metzner ’69 gave presentations in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. He will be spending next spring at the University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ, giving master classes and recording the soundscapes of New Zealand. His first novel, Sacred Mounds, will be published by Adelaide Books in 2020. Jim writes: “It’s a blend of historical fantasy and magical realism, with a foreword by Hutke Field, principal chief of the Natchez tribe. It would make one helluva movie. Happy to have reconnected with David Ackroyd ’68 after all these years.” ● In December 2019, Richard Olson ’69 directed The Stable-Girl, an opera for which he also wrote the libretto, at the Church of the Transfiguration in Manhattan. He also wrote a set of 366 “Life Sentences,” ranging from the personal to the philosophical.

Alumni Notes 1970s Marc Flanagan ’70 writes: “I continue to spend much of my time in Ireland but left my place in Los Angeles and moved to Fairfield, CT. At the same time, I went back to work on Murphy Brown (with Barnet Kellman ’72) at Astoria Studios in Queens. Now that I partially reside in CT, classmates James Naughton ’70 and Jill Eikenberry ’70 are my new/old neighbors. As New Haven is just up the Merritt Parkway from my new home, I get to the Drama School and to their wonderful productions. I had occasion to be introduced to the living legend Peter Brook by James Bundy ’95 (Dean) at a small gathering—a great honor. Looking forward to spending more time around the campus when in New Haven (and going to Pepe’s Pizza).” ● Alan Marlis ’70 writes: “My book The Long Legacy of ‘Random Harvest’ will appear from Edwin Mellen Press.” ● Carol Schlanger ’70 is delighted that her 70s memoir, Hippie Woman Wild, has just been published by Wyatt-MacKenzie with a foreword by Henry Winkler ’70. ● Mark W. Travis ’70 writes: “For over 16 years I have had the honor of teaching my autobiographical storytelling workshop, ‘Write Your Life,’ in Hawaii. This workshop attracts writers and storytellers from all over the world. Consequently, I have been honored and blessed to meet and work with some of the most intriguing, inspiring, and culturally diverse artists and storytellers. It took me nearly 12 years before my eyes opened, and I realized that the woman of my dreams and my future wife, Elsha Taya, had been in the workshop almost every year. We are living together in marital bliss. In Hawaii, of course. Elsha has joined me not only in my life, but also in my work. I continue to travel the world teaching The Travis Technique with Elsha. One of our newest projects is the formation of The Travis International Film Institute, offering workshops and webinars to our vast network of followers. YSD alumni will recognize the influence of Stella Adler, Bobby Lewis, Nikos Psacharopoulos ’54 (Former Faculty), Gordon

Rogoff YC ’52 (Faculty Emeritus), and of course, Robert Brustein ’51, HON ’66 (Former Dean). ● Last season, Charles Turner ’70 received a Broadway Salutes Award honoring veteran Broadway actors who have dedicated the past 25-50 years serving the theater community. Keeping busy, he performed as the title character in The Dragon Griswynd, Carrie Robbins’s ’67 award-winning off-Broadway fable. He is currently working on the new Will Eno play, The Underlying Chris, at Second Stage. His daughter, Dr. Shairi Turner-Davis, presented a paper at the Yale School of Medicine’s Global Health Conference and the University of Shanghai recently. His son, Kai, works in the creative department at Netflix. ● Jim Crabtree ’71 has retired as Producing Director/CEO of The Cumberland County Playhouse, where he has served full time since 1976, after participating as TD and actor in CCP’s opening seasons ’65-’67, before marrying Ann Windrow Crabtree and heading for Yale. The year-round nonprofit has grown to three theaters, and 300 performances a year. ● Charles N. Steckler ’71 writes: “Since retiring from the theater department at Union College after 46 years as resident designer, I have been redirecting my energies on my artwork and my interests in puppetry. Last summer, my six-year-old grandson Gelato and I created and performed shows in our garage toy theater, putting my Yale MFA training to continuing good use.” ● Barnett Kellman ’72 writes: “This summer I was on the faculty of the National Directors Fellowship at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center while my son, Michael, assistant directed at the National Playwrights Festival. In September, I moderated a panel on Mad About You with Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, and Peter Tolan at the Paley Center for Media. I continue teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts as the Robin Williams Endowed Chair in Comedy.” ● Marty Lafferty ’72 received a Boating Safety Challenge Coin from Captain Scott L. Johnson, Chief of the Coast Guard Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, for leading the development of America’s Boating Channel and the production of safe boating

and boater education videos. America’s Boating Channel is now in production of its fourth season. ● Jonathan Marks ’72, DFA ’84, YC ’68 (Former Faculty) writes: “I retired in September 2018 but my retirement reception wasn’t until October of 2019. That was fine with me, because I was given the honor of directing the first production in the new addition to Texas Tech’s theatre building. The ribbon-cutting and my reception bookended a performance of Molière’s Doctor Love, a seldom-revived comedy with music and dance that was created in four days in 1665 for a royal divertissement at Versailles. We boiled the script down to 130 uninterrupted moments of laughter suitable to the occasion of thanking donors and dedicating a new theatre space. Like a good dream, it echoes...mixed with the ingathering of a score of family members come to Lubbock to celebrate. The very best way to retire.” ● Ray Recht ’72 writes: “I am still teaching at Marymount Manhattan College in NYC and have just become the assistant chair in theatre arts for production. I have brought in Mitch Dana ’67 to teach some of our lighting courses and design some shows for the mainstage. I also continue to design professionally at the Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, FL, and at the Florida Rep Theatre in Fort Myers, FL.” ● Joel Schechter ’72, DFA ’73 (Former Faculty) directed his play The Brecht Effect at San Francisco State University in the fall of 2019. ● Femi Euba ’73 is directing Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins for LSU Swine Palace Productions 2019-2020 season at the Reilly Theater, Baton Rouge, LA. His memoir, entitled Experiencing WS: The Making of an Artist-Scholar is slated for publication by Austin Macauley Publishers this year. ● In March of 2019, Huckleberry Finn’s Big River, a young adult play written by William Hauptman ’73, was presented at the Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, Maryland, outside of Washington, DC. The artistic director was Michael Bobbitt and producers included Rodgers & Hammerstein. This version of the play does not include the disturbing Pap or much of the racism in the original text,

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Alumni Notes although there is a dialogue about it between Huck and Jim, who are the same age. The show, which was well-received, was also performed in Milwaukee, and will be performed by the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma City before being licensed by Rodgers & Hammerstein. It was directed by Michael Baron. ● John Shea ’73 continues his work on stage and screen. Grey Lady, the romantic thriller that he wrote, directed, produced and acted in, is currently in international release by Lionsgate Films. As artistic director emeritus of the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, this season he acted in Terms of Endearment and as Ahab in Orson Welles’ Moby Dick Rehearsed, which he also directed. John makes his home on the island with his artist wife, Melissa MacLeod, and their children. ● Ben Slotznick ’73, YC ’70 was awarded a Yale Alumni Association Volunteer Leadership Award in November 2018, and has since been appointed to the YAA Board of Governors, where he recently met Regina Bain ’01, YC ’98. They’ve been thinking about how to connect YSD alums to the university-wide alumni association— YAA. So, if you want YAA to do something dramatic, let them know! ● In August, Ben Sammler ’74 (Faculty Emeritus) and Dennis Dorn ’72 traveled to Los Angeles to attend a memorial service for long-time friend and colleague Bob Scales YC ’60. Bob, revered in technical theater and design, was an active member of USITT and the first to receive the Distinguished Achievement Award in Technical Production. Rarely on the west coast, Ben asked Laura Patterson ’03 to coordinate a dinner with alumni. Characteristically, Laura did a fantastic job reaching out to the many TD&P’s in the area. Ben was especially appreciative of the reunion with Melissa Cochran ’81 and her husband Jon Cochran (Former Faculty) who traveled three hours from their home in San Diego to be there. The attendees span almost 50 years since leaving YSD, and in those years, have made countless contributions to the entertainment industry. ● David Stifel ’74 has become a full-time audiobook narrator with over 150 titles 14 0

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Alumni Notes

21 11 Just Between Brothers: Robert Long ’76 (Former Faculty) and William Ivey Long ’75 deep in conversation. Photo by Anne Mandeville-Long. 12 Theatrical poster for Grey Lady, written and directed by John Shea ’73. Photo by Andrzej Bartkowiak and John Shea. 13 Peter Tolan, Barnet Kellman ’72, Helen Hunt, Paul Reiser at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills, CA. Photo by Brandi Albahary. 14 Walt Klappert ’79 in his “un-retirement” golf cart. 15 Mark W. Travis ’70 and Elsha Taya Travis.

22 16 Martha (Gaylord) Lidji Lazar ’77, Dr. Martin Lazar, and Dallas Assistant District Attorney Michelle Shughart 17 Barnet Kellman ’72 and son, Michael, at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center. Photo by Amy Saltz. 18 (clockwise from left) Tommy Rose ’15, Joey Brennan ’15, Lee O’Reilly ’15, Dennis Dorn ’72, Jenna Heo ’19, Joe Hamlin ’07, Mitch Massaro ’16, Tito Tatsuya ’20, Laura Patterson ’03, Ben Sammler ’74 (Faculty Emeritus), Steve Henson ’11 (holding 5-month-old baby Brayden), Krystin Matsumoto ’16, Maureen Davis ’99 and Jason Davis ’04, Alec Scribner ’80, Ed Kaye ’86, Melissa ’81 and John Cochran (Former Faculty), and Kate Newman ’15.

19 Bill Reynolds ’77 (Former Faculty) and spouse, Sharon, staying healthy. 20 Charles Steckler’s ’70 grandson Gelato rehearsing a show in the toy theater. 21 Garfield High School’s 2019 Academic Decathlon Team after winning first place in the LAUSD Super Quiz. 22 Um...Om was presented as an immersive theatrical experience. (left to right) Meghan Crosby (Playwright), Daniel Kirby (Actor), Jess Rawls (Actor), Lily Zahn (Actor), Megan Greener (Actor), and Joseph Capone ’76 (Director).

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23 A Murphy Brown script by Marc Flanagan ’70. Photo by Marc Flanagan. 24 Ryan Scott Yuille ’77 25 Marty Lafferty ’72 accepts U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Challenge Coin.

26 William Otterson ’76 (front) in The Most Dangerous Man. 27 John Rothman ’75 as Senator Sheldon Whitehead in The Report. 28 Charles Turner ’70 and his daughter, Dr. Shairi TurnerDavis.

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29 Ted Ohl ’77

30 Edith Tarbescu ’76 31 David Stiefel ’74 receiving Best Biography at the Independent Audiobook Awards 2018. 32 David and Karen Gropman ’77 33 (left to right) Roger Bellon, Martina Harte, Darlene Kaplan YC ’78, Steve Zuckerman ’74, Zoe Winters, Adam O’Byrne ’04, YC ’01, Gail Albert Halaban ART ’96, Nick Hussong ’14, Masha Tsimring ’13, and Mary Seidel. 34 Jonathan Marks ’72, DFA ’84, YC ’68 (Former Faculty), Tova Marks, daughter, Tina Cohn, and family.

Alumni Notes

completed to date. Last year he won two Independent Audiobook Awards at the inaugural ceremony at the HEAR Now Festival in Kansas City; this year he was again nominated for two awards for the second awards ceremony. Add to that participation in a production of The Crucible at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, and he has been keeping busy at his craft. ● Steve Zuckerman ’74 directed Grace and Milt, a multi-media project based on the photography of Gail Albert Halaban ’96 ART at the Aperture Gallery. It was produced by Steve, Darlene Kaplan YC ’78, Adam O’Byrne ’04, YC ’01, Rolin Jones ’04, and Martina Harte. Written by Sheila Callaghan and Marcus Gardley ’04, performed by Zoe Winters and Adam O’Byrne, with projection design by Nick Hussong ’14, lighting by Masha Tsimring ’13, and music by Roger Bellon. “Great work by all involved,” writes Steve. He also taught multi-camera directing at Chapman University’s Dodge College for James Gardner ’84. ● John Rothman ’75 writes: “I will be seen as Senator Sheldon Whitehead in The Report which will be released in November 2019. It is a great movie, and I am proud to be in it even in a small part. I am shooting Bombshell with Nicole Kidman (coming soon) and have a great part in a psychological thriller called Nocturne for Blumhouse/Amazon. In December, I will be playing Flavius in Simon Godwin’s production of Timon of Athens at TFANA and going with the production to the Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. On the personal news front, our son Noah, wrapped the movie he was producing a few days before his wedding in Palm Beach. We celebrated with friends and family, including my old YSD roommate Meryl Streep ’75, HON ’83. ● David Ward ’75 (Former Faculty) writes: “After almost 24 years at New York City Center as senior director of Facilities and Capital Planning, I finally retired in April. I’m now enjoying spending more time with my wife, Susan, who is still teaching history of art at RISD, my daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Brad, who are now living near us in Brooklyn, working on the garden and house, and

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Alumni Notes reflecting, reading, and writing.” ● Joseph Capone ’76, co-artistic director at American Renaissance Theater Company, directed Um…Om by Meghan Crosby. The performances were presented at Sweat Yoga studio in New York. Audience members had the option to participate in an actual yoga class alongside the actors on a mat or observe from a seat. In December 2018, Joseph directed and acted in Little Images by Glenda Frank, a play about the passionate relationship between Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, presented by ARTC at Theatre 71 in New York. ● Andrew Davis ’76 coached speech for the 2019 Academic Decathlon Team from the Garfield High School (of Stand and Deliver fame) having just won 1st place in Los Angeles in ‘The Super Quiz.’ Andrew has coached teams to the top three places in Academic Decathlon competitions. ● William Otterson ’76 writes: “I played Major John Lyman, arguably the title character of the action feature, The Most Dangerous Man. The Most Dangerous Man is the latest Future Proof production presented in Ultimate Viewing [e]Xperience, a new immersive approach, which incorporates live elements within the presentation of film. My On-Camera Workshop for the Actor now is open to writers who want to have accomplished actors perform their works in progress.” ● Edith Tarbescu ’76 writes: “I sold a mystery titled One Will: Three Wives to Adelaide Books to be published in 2020. In the meantime, you can read my short story Belfast Blues at www.adelaidemagazine.org. ● Last May, David Gropman ’77 and Karen Gropman ’77 celebrated 45 years together; and after transitioning from theater to film, they production designed and art directed their first mini-series, an adaptation of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, directed and produced by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Ellen Kuras. They are currently designing a film adaptation of Stephen Karam’s The Humans. This follows a long history of designing films of plays including Marvin’s Room, Doubt, and August: Osage County, all starring Meryl Streep ’75, HON ’83. Next year David and Karen will return to Italy to design an 14 4

eight-part mini-series based on The Talented Mr. Ripley, written and directed by Steven Zaillian. ● Martha (Gaylord) Lidji Lazar ’77 writes: “We have had an interesting year here in Dallas. Our little piece of paradise got hit by an apparent tornado in June, and we have been in construction ever since! My husband, Martin, became the expert neurosurgeon witness in a case that has gained quite a bit of notoriety. It involved a Dallas neurosurgeon known as ‘Dr. Death’ who paralyzed, maimed or killed many of his patients. There is an award-winning podcast entitled Dr. Death, a documentary, License To Kill, and a Universal mini-series currently in production. ● Ted Ohl ’77 (Former Faculty) joins Schuler Shook as a principal and leader of the New York office, the international theater planning and architectural lighting design firm. ● Bill Reynolds ’77 (Former Faculty) writes: “I retired from YSD/YRT in June 2017, after 35 years of joys and challenges—all of which I deeply cherish. I had the good fortune of serving YSD/YRT’s artistic and operational successes in three roles over those decades. When I returned to YSD in 1982, I was the associate technical director for student productions, then I served as the director of Facilities Operations. I retired in 2017 from my third position—director of Theater Safety & Occupational Health. Since then, while learning how to be successful at my new job of being retired, I’ve occasionally taught safety and health classes at YSD alongside the capable and engaging Anna Glover (Faculty). I maintain my status as an OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer and have been fortunate to be hired to teach classes for several theater companies. I have also written a book; Safety and Health for the Stage: Collaboration with the Production Process is soon to be published by Routledge/Focal Press. I find that retirement suits me, providing me with time and space for family. My wife, Sharon, and I spend as much time as we can with our sons and their families: seven grandkids (two in Durham, CT; five in Springfield, VA). We also travel to spend time with Sharon’s mother, and our

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siblings. ● Ryan Scott Yuille ’77 reports that he is “back in East Coast cold country. Hanging out with deer, bear, red foxes, eagles, geese, and the fish of Lake Ontario. Now at SUNY Oswego Theatre Department.” ● Dyanne Asimow ’67, Obi Ndefo ’97, YC ’94, and Walt Klappert ’79 decided to bring back Yale Cabaret Hollywood after a year and a half hiatus. They are producing a reading of The Cell, a new play by Robert Barnett ’89, directed by Fred Sanders YC ’77, in North Hollywood. Walt is giving people tours of Warner Bros. Studio, including the new classic tours with the subject matter anchored on films of the 1930s and 40s.

1980

Mark Bly ’80 (Former Faculty) received The Kennedy Center Medallion of Excellence Award in 2019 for his outstanding contributions to the American Theater and for his leadership in developing dramaturgy as a practice for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival over the past 15 years. Bly’s innovative new playwriting book, New Dramaturgies: Strategies and Exercises for the 21st Century, offers nine unique play-generating exercises. Each chapter features Bly’s former students, including Marcus Gardley ’04, Rolin Jones ’04, Ken Lin ’05, and Sarah Treem ’05, YC ’02, and their lively commentary and original, provocative short plays generated in response to his exercises. ● Allan Havis ’80 writes: “Last March, my edited anthology, American Political Plays in the Age of Terrorism, was published by Bloomsbury/Methuen in London with a foreword by Robert Brustein ’51, HON ’66 (Former Dean) and featuring Christopher Durang’s ’74 Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them. My young adult novel, Albert Down a Wormhole, was published by Goodreads Press. My fourth opera libretto, The Golem of La Jolla (composed by Michael Roth) was featured at La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW Festival 2019. I also had a second residency at Sweden’s Ingmar Bergman Estate, and I am currently

Alumni Notes serving stoically as theatre and dance department chair at University of California, San Diego (32 years on faculty).” ● Rik Kaye ’80 (Former Faculty) is reveling in grandfatherhood along with his wife, Diane. After a rewarding career in opera (NYCO) and theater (NYSF), he switched from “show biz” to “biz shows.” In this arena, RIK Productions has been thriving since 2011, and continues to serve clients across the globe. Rick writes: “I am grateful for the opportunity to have taught the production management class at YSD for about 25 years starting in the mid ’80s. Where else could one interact with such great people. Thank you, Ben Sammler ’74 (Faculty Emeritus)!” ● After an eight-year run on Showtime’s hit series Dexter and a one-year stint on HBO’s The Brink, Geoff Pierson ’80 concluded a two-year recurring role on ABC’s Splitting Up Together and three-year recurring role on the ABC/Netflix series Designated Survivor in early 2019. His next film, The Wrong Missy, is scheduled to open in early 2020. ● John Gould Rubin ’80 writes: “The Private Theatre, founded right out of Yale in 1979 by me, with Travis Preston ’78, Jody McAuliffe ’80, Bill Foeller ’80, and Royston Coppenger ’84, DFA ’98 —among others, produced Rocco, Chelsea, Adriana, Sean, Claudia, Gianna, Alex at HERE Arts Center. This was a devised piece inspired by our political polarization and developed through the Insight theory of philosopher Bernard Lonergan. Designers Erin Fleming ’18 (Lights) and Elizabeth Mak ’16 (Projections) collaborated. I’ll be doing a two-day workshop of Godless by Michael Ricigliano, Jr., about the first Latina president, to be produced off-Broadway with Chris Barreca ’83 and Stephen Strawbridge ’83 (Faculty). And I’ll be workshopping a radical new version of King Lear with Joe Morton, also designed by Chris and Steve, to be produced in Los Angeles. The Private Theatre is also producing a radical new translation of A Doll House, by Royston, which will have a third workshop this spring in anticipation of a production next season.” ● Susan Hilferty ’80 was selected to receive the 2019 TDF/Irene

Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award for costume design. It is the 25th anniversary of the award, named for Irene Sharaff, who was revered as a designer of enormous depth and intelligence, equally secure with both contemporary and period costumes. ● Jane Savitt Tennen ’80 is currently serving as Director of Resource Development at the National Council of Jewish Women in Essex County, NJ, a volunteerdriven nonprofit that is dedicated to improving the lives of women and families. “On a personal note,” writes Jane, “Steve and I are well. He continues as executive director at ArtsConnection; our kids continue to make us proud; and we’re having a blast with our granddaughter, who will turn four at the end of March and, lucky for us, lives five minutes away. She is happiness embodied and she makes us very happy too.” ● Jan Eliasberg’s ’81 debut novel, Hannah’s War, was purchased by Little, Brown. It is the story of a female scientist working to develop the first atomic bomb during World War II and the young military investigator determined to uncover her secret past. Hannah’s War was adapted by Eliasberg from her screenplay, Heart of the Atom, and has a publication date of March 2020. ● Melissa Rick Cochran ’81 writes: “Laura Patterson ’03 did a brilliant job of gathering a number of TD&P alumni at Whiskey Red’s in Marina del Rey while Ben Sammler ’74 (Faculty Emeritus) was in the area in August. It was a very pleasant evening of enjoying dinner and conversation with several ‘generations’ of alums.” ● Steve Saklad ’81 writes: “2019 has been my year abroad. For a Lionsgate feature starring Kristen Wiig, I spent four months in Cancun and Mexico City replicating Nebraska and Florida on soundstages I worked on 32 years ago, for the film Old Gringo. In February, my husband Paul and I headed east for a personal journey through Reykjavik, Rome, Strasbourg, and Paris. There’s no exhausting the untapped wonders of the world!” ● Bern Sundstedt ’81, reports that he is officially retired from working at his undergraduate alma mater, Rockford University. Returning to Rockford in 1990 shortly after the birth of

his son, Dain, to work as a resident actor at the local Equity theatre, he began a 25-year career at the university. While periodically teaching the advanced acting sequence as an adjunct instructor, he took on positions of increasing responsibility in Alumni Relations and Development, culminating in the position of VP for Institutional Advancement. With his six degrees of separation from all RU alumni (he is known as its Kevin Bacon), Bern is particularly proud to have delivered the university’s last two commencement addresses, most especially this year’s address, entitled, “Purpose.” While he will continue to perform Michael Frayn’s translation of Chekov’s The Evils of Tobacco, he has found his newest “purpose” as founding president of the Roscoe Township Historical Society and is helping lead a fundraising campaign to restore the 1840 homestead of the township’s founder. Open to new opportunities, he and Cindy have an eye on the Greensboro, NC, area, but in reality they are married only to each other, not a plan. ● Nextstage Design, the consulting firm founded by Gene Leitermann ’82 (Faculty) and Tony Forman ’83 (Former Faculty), continues to grow. Gene and Tony opened two special projects this year—the Tanglewood Learning Institute in Lenox, MA, and the world’s first vineyard recital hall at Penn State University. Matt Welander ’09 (Faculty) remains an essential part of the firm and was joined this year by office coordinator NJ Ollsten and drafter Stephanie Smith (Staff). Erich Bolton ’11 (Former Faculty) continues to advise as his busy life allows. The firm moved recently to a bigger space overlooking the New Haven Green. ● After opening the interactive and immersive Pip’s Island on West 42nd Street and Ninth Avenue, Geoff Cohen ’83 moved to Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, where he serves as general manager. ● Rick Davis ’83, DFA ’03 continues to serve as dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University, and to teach directing, dramatic lit, and arts management. He writes: “Off campus I’ve been directing primarily in the

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Alumni Notes 35 Ben Sammler ’74 (Faculty Emeritus) and Melissa Cochran ’81 at Ben’s gathering in Marina del Rey. 36 Steve Saklad ’81 with husband, Paul Hartman, on Nauset Beach Cape Cod. 37 Bern Sundstedt ’81 in The Evils of Tobacco. 38 Timothy Douglas ’86 as The Teacher in Small Mouth Sounds at Round House Theatre. Photo by Danisha Crosby. 39 Feeding The Dragon by Sharon Washington ’88. 40 Masks by Beckie Kravetz ’86. Photo by Beckie Kravetz. 41 New Haven Green from Nextstage office. Photo by Rajiv Shah ’20. 42 Kate Burton ’82 and Barbara Bragg ’87 in Nothing Here to See. 43 Lori Robishaw ’88 with George C. White ’61, YC ’57 (Former Faculty) at the O’Neill’s summer gala in August 2019. 44 Peri Gilpin, Dan Butler and Greg Stuhr in Slow Food by Wendy MacLeod ’87 at Dorset Theater Festival, directed by Jackson Gay ’02. 45 Designs for Man of La Mancha and Alice in Wonderland by Jim Sandefur ’85. 46 Custom-made Christmas décor by Michael Bianco ’84.

opera/zarzuela/music-theater worlds. Continuing a theme of my DFA dissertation, my translation of Calderón’s The Phantom Lady was awarded the 2019 Franklin Smith Comedia Translation prize by the Association of Hispanic Classical Theater, and that play and Life is a Dream have had recent productions. I enjoyed reading (and blurbing) classmate and colleague Chris Angermann’s ’83, YC ’73 new book, Dramatic Measures, which features some nice (and insightful) YSD memories.” ● 2019 has been a busy year for Jon Farley ’83. He was hired to teach lighting design and technology at Mount Hood Community College near Portland, and was also producing a staged reading of his script Sleepwalker for Portland’s Fertile Ground Festival. He designed lights for Leonard Cohen Is Dead and Pebble at Imago Theatre, and for Universo, a musical theatre piece produced by Hand2Mouth Theatre. He will be designing lights for A Xmas Cuento Remix, part of National New Play Network’s Rolling World Premier program, and Special K at Imago. ● An arts and entertainment attorney in Southern California, Jan D. Breslauer ’86 is proud and fortunate to count YSD alumni among her clients, as well as a diverse array of arts professionals across the country. Jan serves on the board of Arts For LA, along with her classmate Amy Aquino ’86 (Amazon’s Bosch), and the Garry Marshall Theatre. ● Michael Bianco ’84 is the owner of ELF Productions, decorating malls for Christmas all over the country. ● Robert Wierzel ’84 (Former Faculty) is working on a number of new projects, among them Deep Blue Sea, a dance/ performance piece directed by Bill T. Jones at the Park Avenue Armory in New York; A Walk on the Moon, a new musical, with scenery by Marina Draghici ’88 and costumes by Linda Cho ’98; Rinaldo, George F. Handel’s opera, directed by Louise Proske ’12, with scenery by Matt Saunders ’12 and costumes by Montana Blanco ’15; A Thousand Splendid Suns, a play by Ursula Rani Sarma, adapted from the novel by Khaled Hosseini, with costumes by Linda Cho ’98, at Arena Stage, Washington, DC; and Jubilee, an a

capella musical written and directed by Tazewell Thompson, with scenery by Donald Eastman ’76. ● After four years, Gayle Maurin ’85 stepped down as the inaugural President of the Fifty Vanderbilt Foundation and will remain a Trustee. Thrilled with a great cancer report and all clear, she journeyed to Italy by accepting Michael Angel Johnson’s ’87 invitation to stay in her beautiful 1,000-year-old home in Guardia Sanfromondi, followed by travel through the Holy Land and Petra, returning home to Kansas City in time to celebrate two family weddings and two first births. Gayle has been asked to serve as a theater panelist for the Missouri Arts Council and has a few business development clients and films in development. ● Jim Sandefur ’85 writes: “I left my corporate job with Mattel Toys where I was putting my theater training to use creating theatrical experiences to present new toy lines to buyers from major retailers. It is amazing how close the corporate design process is to the theater production process. After being there for almost 15 years, I’ve moved back to St. Louis, making it possible to spend time with my parents in the last act of their lives. It is true, ‘there’s no place like home.’ I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting with my roots, old friends and family. I am trying to get back into designing for the theater—my first love.” ● Timothy Douglas’s ’86 freelance directing continues apace, and recent successes include The Color Purple for Portland Center Stage and Long Way Down for the Kennedy Center. He adds: “My Arena Stage production of Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced played the historic Great Theatre of China in Shanghai. Continuing the practice of my first passion of acting, I appeared in the Round House Theatre production of Bess Wohl’s ’02, ART ’98 Small Mouth Sounds. I have been appointed distinguished artist in residence at Emerson College where I’ll teach scene study and directing.” ● “This year has been happily full of exhibitions and productions,” writes Beckie Kravetz ’86. “Solo mask exhibition in New Haven, solo sculpture exhibition in Lenox, MA, and an upcoming solo sculpture/mask exhibition in

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Alumni Notes Easthampton, MA. I also designed wigs and makeup for Opera Roanoke’s Barber of Seville, and Don Pasquale with Berkshire Opera Festival. I am currently working on mask and sculpture commissions. My work is online at TheMaskStudio.com and BKSculptureStudio.com.” ● Adam Versényi ’86, DFA ’90, YC ’80 writes: “I have agreed to do another term as chair of the Department of Dramatic Art at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I am also senior dramaturg for PlayMakers Repertory Company. At PlayMakers I’ve served as production dramaturg for Skeleton Crew, Life of Galileo, and Nambi E. Kelley’s adaptation of Richard Wright’s Native Son in the past year. My translations of Chilean playwright/director Ramón Griffero’s Cups of Wrath and Legua’s Gynecologist received staged readings at the International Voices Project in Chicago, and my article, ‘Increasing the Appetite for Latin American Theatre in Translation,’ along with excerpts of my translation of Griffero’s Prometheus, the Beginning, are forthcoming in Latin American Literature Today. In October 2019, my journal, The Mercurian: A Theatrical Translation Review, will participate in Theatrical Translation as Creative Process: A Conference Festival II here in Chapel Hill.” ● May Wu Skilbeck ’86 is still living in London where she regularly meets up with Margaret Glover ’88, YC ’81 and Holly Hayes ’86. She is currently assistant producer on a new thriller series for BBC Studios/UKTV and has various drama TV series projects in development. May has been organizing theater events for the Yale Club of London, including a performance of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s YC ’03 (Faculty) Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fairview, at the Young Vic in January. If any YSD alums are producing or performing in a show in London at any time, May says, “Do get in touch.” ● Barbara Bragg ’87 writes: “I had the honor of working with Kate Burton ’82 in a great short called Nothing Here to See, wonderful female director Amy Barham, and produced by Jamielyn Lippman. I was cast as Susan in Sophia by another female director—Yasmine Asha. Finished a pilot for a CBS comedy, Unicorn, with Walt Goggins, and I will play Dr. Leigh 14 8

Brackett in sci-fi franchise, Space Command, directed by Marc and Elaine Zicree. I am writing Elkhorn Ridge, an original Western TV series and teaching acting at Cal State Poly Pomona where Bernardo Solano ’88 chairs the Theatre and New Dance Department. Also, I have been blessed by helping Obi Ndefo ’97, YC ’94 pitch his marvelous TV show, Juice Bar, all over Hollywood. Obi suffered a horrific accident, but he has continued to uplift everyone around him and is a true hero. I have no doubt he will overcome every obstacle and be victorious. I am glad to know him.” ● Sara Hedgepeth ’87 returned to The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in 2015 working in development. She had worked at STNJ in the late 90s and then raised her kids and founded and managed a children’s theatre company, Hedgehog & Feather Theatre Company, for 10 years. ● It was a busy year for Peter Lewis ’87, appearing as the Mayor of New York in Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn opposite Alec Baldwin and Cherry Jones. Peter also had a guest star role in the CBS episodic Interrogation, as well as appearing in a recurring role in the second season of the Bravo/Netflix show Dirty John. On the teaching side, Peter is enjoying his new adventure as an associate instructor of the Meisner Technique at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio in Brooklyn. ● Wendy MacLeod’s ’87 Slow Food, directed by Jackson Gay ’02, was a hit at The Dorset Theater Festival. The Berkshire Edge said, “MacLeod has written a witty and wonderful play.... It is a comedy about more than just comedy.” The Manchester Journal called it “fresh and effervescent… comic mastery.” ● Rick Butler ’88 continues to design for the Netflix comedy Insatiable, and finished NBC’s The Enemy Within this past spring. Currently designing Ghost for the Starz Network, he splits his time between Atlanta, GA, and his home in Cape Cod, MA. Rick recently completed his third year teaching production design at St. John’s University, Queens, NY. ● Lori Robishaw ’88 writes: “As most alumni know, George C. White ’61, YC ’57 (Former Faculty) was the founder of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in 1964.

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George was the long-time co-chair of the Theater Management program, and I was thrilled when he and Lloyd Richards HON ’79 (Former Dean), the artistic director of the O’Neill’s National Playwrights Conference, hired me soon after graduation. I had the privilege of working three summers at the O’Neill handling media relations and then for three more years managing the conference in New York City and Waterford (1989-1994). I now get to see George occasionally because his home in Waterford is between where I live in Old Lyme and where I work in Stonington. I currently am the executive director of La Grua Center, a small nonprofit cultural arts center that presents concerts, lectures, and art exhibitions.” ● Sharon Washington ’88 wrote and performed in her first play, Feeding the Dragon, based on her childhood growing up living inside a branch of the New York Public Library where her father was the custodian. It received its world premiere at City Theatre in Pittsburgh followed by a co-production with Hartford Stage and Primary Stages at the Cherry Lane in NYC where it was nominated for Outer Critics Circle and Lortel Awards and won an Audelco Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. It truly took a village and I am so grateful for all the amazing support I received along the way taking this from page to stage. Dragon is currently available as an Audible Theater title and has been downloaded over 8,500 times. In November 2019, the hard copy will be published by Oberon Books. Sharon writes: “I’m working on my next play and in the meantime have enjoyed more time in front of the camera in City on a Hill, The Code, and Madame Secretary, as well as in the films On the Basis of Sex, The Kitchen, and Joker. My husband and I also made the move out of NYC after 20+ years in the same apartment to the bucolic country life in Millbrook, NY. A whole new world! With a milestone birthday coming up I’m excited to see what’s in store next creatively...” ● In March 2018, Bob Barnett ’89 dramaturged and directed a reading of the libretto for an opera version of Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls at the

Alumni Notes National Opera Center in New York. The cast included Alma Cuervo ’76 in the pivotal role of Pilar. He also had developmental readings of his plays, One Good Tree (also with Alma), God, By Another Name, Sleeping With The Dead, and most recently, The Cell by Yale Cabaret Hollywood, produced by Walt Klappert ’79 and directed by Fred Sanders YC ’77. “I finished my novel The Silent Brother (looking for an agent) and developed the proposal for a documentary, Democracy on Trial—The Supreme Court and the War on Voting, with producer Fred Silverman (looking for money to produce it!). Meanwhile, I’ve been working on concept development for theme parks and a shopping/entertainment destination in China—including being flown over there (once for a day) pitching and acting out story ideas and treatments to clients with the help of translators.”

1990s Phil Kaufmann ’90 writes: “I was recently promoted to associate chair of the acting department at The New York Film Academy, Los Angeles campus. I’m in my 6th year teaching here, and will be taking on expanded administrative duties, while continuing to teach Acting for Film in the MFA and BFA programs. Camillia Sanes Monet ’92 and Kadina de Elejalde ’91 are teaching here as well! I was also published this year, contributing a chapter on ‘Self-Producing for Actors’ to the textbook, PERFORM: Succeeding as a Creative Professional, Acting for the Screen.” ● Charles Evered ’91 is happy to report that his daughter, Margaret, is a sophomore at George Washington University and his son, John, just graduated from Princeton High School and is taking a gap year “much to my satisfaction.” Charles writes: “After 15 years, we moved out of Princeton, having loved our time there, and I’m now back in my hometown of Rutherford, NJ, where I’m re-connecting with people after being gone for almost 40 years. We still run the CJE House, an artist residency for veterans that we founded a few years ago,

near Joshua Tree Park in California. I’m adapting my play An Actor’s Carol to direct as a film, and look forward to working on my first-ever Christmas movie.” ● Joshua Fardon’s ’91 play The Burning of Kenneth Carrion will be part of the Benchmark Theatre’s 2020 Season in Denver. His play 1=0 was part of Theatre of NOTE’s 2019 Season in Los Angeles. He started The Naked Angels Tuesdays@9 Chicago branch and has been its creative director since September 2018. ● Michael Manuel ’92 writes: “I was so happy to work with classmate Jonathan Moscone ’93 at the Alley Theatre playing Toby Belch in Twelfth Night—Christopher Akerlind ’89 did the lights, Katherine Roth ’93 did the costumes, and Todd Rosenthal ’93 scenic design. So many of my sweetheart YSD friends came to see me as Iago in Othello and The Creature in Frankenstein—Elaine Tse ’92, Amy Povich ’92, Tom Whyte ’92, Kadina de Elejalde ’91, Chris Bauer ’92, Bruce Katzman ’88, Camilla Sanes Monet ’92 and Pamela Gray ’91.” ● Marty New ’92 continues to work on her documentaries on Ming Cho Lee (Faculty Emeritus) and Earle Gister (Former Faculty). A not-for-profit—Master Teachers of American Theater—was created to raise funds to complete Ming’s long format documentary covering the Saturday Design Class. Marty’s 2016 vintage of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is being released this year. ● Elaine Tse ’92 writes: “Hello to all my YSD family and friends! Living, creating and thriving in Southern California with my beautiful family.” ● Dominica Plummer ’93, DFA ’98 writes: “After 30 years in the U.S., I moved back to London. I’m enjoying rediscovering my hometown after so many years, and I am writing plays and theater criticism. I’m also doing a spot of reviewing for thespyinthestalls.com.” ● Martin Blank’s ’94 full-length play, The Law of Return, was published by American Ensemble Books. His first movie, Backbeat, has won three awards and has been accepted into seven film festivals.” ● The Grapefruit Sound Lab’s (aka Robert Cotnoir ’94) hit single “Don’t Fall For It” with recording artist Amuka, continues to climb the Billboard Dance Club chart,

debuting at #45, moving on up to #36 and #33 and it continues to rise. Robert is excited about his next releases with Amuka, “Anti-Social Media Whore” and “Love Cards” which will be part of the upcoming full length studio LP Eight Days Across America being released on Howe Records. Please check it out! ● Narda E. Alcorn ’95 (Faculty) and Lisa Porter ’95 (Former Faculty) are thrilled to announce the publication of their book, Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach, available as of December 2019, with a foreword by James Bundy ’95, their classmate and Dean and Artistic Director of YSD/YRT! ● Suzanne Cryer Luke ’95, YC ’88 is in the middle of filming the 6th, and final season of HBO’s Silicon Valley. “It has been a wonderful job for me as it has given me the ability to stay in town parenting three kids without missing school pick-ups. I’ll appear this fall in the new CBS fall legal drama All Rise. I was excited to meet and work with Mamoudou Athie ’14 on an upcoming FX multi-episode short form comedy where I was lucky enough to play multiple characters.” ● Lisa Porter ’95 (Former Faculty) is in her 15th academic year running the MFA Stage Management program at the University of California, San Diego. Other work highlights in 2019 have included teaching a class to arts management students in Guangzhou, China, as part of Yo-Yo Ma’s Youth Music Culture Guangzhou and stage managing Path of Miracles at the Spoleto Festival USA. Lisa’s ultimate work highlight of 2019 has been completing the book Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach, co-authored with Narda E. Alcorn ’95 (Faculty), with a foreword by James Bundy ’95 (Dean). ● Chris Weida ’95 writes: “Living in Milwaukee area. Two are out of the house in college (Alex, 19, at University of Minnesota, and Connor, 18, at University of Wisconsin). Emily, 15, is a sophomore, deeply involved with volleyball, and Danny, 12, is a seventh grader who still loves LEGO bricks, reading, and building robots. Rosanne is substitute teaching when not taking care of family or volunteering around the community. I’m in an

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Alumni Notes operations role at Derse, helping our six divisions with their ongoing production needs, travelling a lot, and coaching when I can.” ● Leah C. Gardiner ’96 writes: “I’m thrilled to be directing a revival of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at The Public Theater, with an extraordinary group of women of color at my side, many of whom are fellow Yale alums.” ● Alexander T. Hammond ’96 writes: “Amy and I are very happy to report that our oldest son, Max, has just started his first year at Yale College. I was unable to see him moved in as I am working in Canada currently, so being able to revisit the old haunts will have to wait. Family is great, work is good, if all consuming, and well...that’s about it, really. I still paint, draw and sculpt when time allows, and sometimes when it doesn’t. Someday before I die I may have to try for a little more balance in life, but my mind is challenged with work, heart is full with family, and I’m not really cut out for balance anyway. Love and miss my colleagues from Yale.” ● This year will mark 12 years in Boulder, Colorado with K2 Consulting for Kevin M. Hodgson ’96. Kevin was recently made a principal consultant and director of AV/ Technology. He also plays trombone with a local community band and keeps busy with both music and home projects. ● The Secret Life of Seaweed by Julie McKee ’96 an EST/Sloan Commission, directed by Jean Randich ’94, was produced by EST/First Light, HB Theatre and Collider Theater in NYC, featuring James Hallett ’95, Rebecca Nelson ’79, Maggie Lacey, and Aishling Pembroke. Design by Robert Murphy ’96 (Sound), Sue Rees (Set/ Projection), Elizabeth Hope Clancy ’91 (Costume), and Christina Watanabe (Lighting). Her play, A Holiday on Ice in a Warm Climate, was commissioned and published by Climate Change Theater Action in 2019. Julie’s Will Sacrifice, received a staged reading at HB Theatre’s OTHERS & US, directed by Christine Farrell, featuring Julie Boyd ’84, Jay Patterson, and Thomas Lyons-McHugh. ● Elizabeth Greer ’97 worked on several shows this past calendar year including guest spots on 15 0

Euphoria on HBO, Viida on STARZ, and a guest star role opposite Steve Carell on Apple TV’s premiere series, The Morning Show. ● Pendragon, the theater that Karen Kirkham ’97, DFA ’97 leads in the Adirondacks, received $2.5 million from New York State to rebuild in the downtown area. While that project goes forward, Karen is living in Norwich, England, with her family for the next two years running the Dickinson College program at the University of East Anglia. ● Ricardo Morris ’97 was happy to have Candace Jackson ’00 in Chattanooga during his Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas. This seven-day festival is committed to celebrating the extraordinary contributions in music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film, and literature of artists of African descent. BlackArtsAndIdeasfest.com. ● Meg Neville ’97 is working on costumes for Sarah Ruhl’s new play, Nurse Becky of Salem, at Berkeley Rep with fellow graduate Louisa Thompson ’98 designing the set. Meg is also designing costumes for The Great Wave at Berkeley. ● Paul Niebanck ’97 writes: “Our Grace started nursery school: What!? Just shot a day on the Spielberg/Kushner West Side Story. Great to be a tiny part of an exciting project. Jess continues to love/be challenged by the GM job at Lincoln Center Theater. All is well.” ● After 15 years of teaching at YSD, Tom Sellar ’97, DFA ’03 (Faculty) reports: “I made the most of my Fall 2018 research leave, working on research and creative projects during three residencies, first as curator-in-residence at the Onassis Foundation in Athens, Greece; then as a fellow at the MacDowell Colony and at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. In January, I curated the series Bodies on the Gears in the 2018 American Realness festival before re-immersing in YSD and Theater magazine. Now I look forward to editing the 50th anniversary edition of YSD’s journal in 2019-2020 as I continue to commute to New Haven from Brooklyn.” ● Alexander Woo ’97 was extremely fortunate to co-create and showrun The Terror: Infamy on AMC this summer. He says he’s happy to join Jami O’Brien ’04 (NOS4A2) in the AMC family of showrunners.

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51 53 52 54 55

59 47 Jennie Israel ’96 as Maggie in Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa at The Gloucester Stage Company. 48 Hello from Oklahoma City University! Bill Langan ’90, professor of acting, and Courtney DiBello ’02, professor of stage management. 49 Robert Cotnoir ’94 and Amuka. Photo by BerettaMedia. 50 Jeff Teitler ’98, Julius Galacki ’98, and Sheryl Arenson (Anderson) ’98 at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles. Photo by Jeff Teitler.

51 Phil Kaufmann ’90

57 Marty New ’92 and her son, Somerset.

52 Wade McIntyre’s ’98 daughter, Story, as Annie in a production at Gray Studios in Los Angeles. Photo by Samantha McIntyre.

58 Marty New ’92 and her Somerset Vineyards Pinot Noir.

53 Esther K. Chae ’99 on NBC’s World of Dance. 54 Chris Weida ’95 and family 55 Lisa Porter ’95 (Former Faculty) and Narda E. Alcorn ’95 (Faculty) 56 Paul Niebanck ’97 and Grace at the Empire State Building.

59 A still from First Night, Julius Galacki’s ’98 short film. Copyright Ownership Julius Galacki. 60 Elaine Tse ’92 and her family on their National Parks adventure, Summer 2019. 61 Brandy Zarle ’97 and Mickey Theis ’14 in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Photo by S. Hankin.

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66 65

67 70 62 Alexander Woo ’97 (far right) and the cast of The Terror: Infamy.

63 Bruce Katzman ’88, Kadina de Elejalde ’91, Tom Whyte ’92, Pamela Gray ’91, Michael Manuel ’92, and Camilla Sanes Monet ’92. 64 Julie McKee’s ’96 The Secret Life of Seaweed. Photo by Sue Rees.

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Alumni Notes 65 Ricardo Morris ’97 and Candace Jackson ’00 66 (left to right) Yuvika Tolani YC ’14, Associate Producer; Okwui Okpokwasili YC ’96; Toni-Leslie James (Faculty), Costume Design; Myung Hee Cho ’95, Scenic Design; Leah C. Gardiner ’96, Director; Jiyoun Chang ’08, Lighting Design; Alyssa K. Howard ’13, Production Stage Manager; and Megumi Katayama ’19 at The Public Theater. 67 Yana Landowne ’98 performing her project, #Reframe. Photo by Samir Bitar. 68 Ed Blunt ’99, International Speaker & Business Coach. 69 Conch Shell New Works Reading Series took place in New York in October 2019. 70 Jodie Markell as Leni Riefenstahl and Adrain Washington as Joseph Smith in Leni’s Last Lament by Gil Kofman ’90 at the Plank Theater in May 2019. Photo by Francis Krow. 71 Art for Backbeat, a film by Martin Blank ’94.

Brandy Zarle ’97, Jeff Barry ’05, and Nathan Hinton ’95, shared the stage in A Streetcar Named Desire at Virginia Stage Company. Brandy also appeared with Mickey Theis ’14 in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Triad Stage directed by Preston Lane ’96 with set design by Anya Klepikov ’08. She appeared as a guest star on Season 19 of Law and Order: SVU. “Most amazing to keep working with YSD alumni!” ● Magaly Colimon-Christopher’s ’98 production company, Conch Shell Productions, staged the Conch Shell New Works Reading Series, featuring new plays and screenplays by Caribbean-American writers, in New York in October 2019. Conch Shell’s mission is to develop, workshop and produce new plays and screenplays by writers of Caribbean heritage living in America who have an expanded view of reality. Magaly believes that art can and should provoke social change and inspire audiences to redefine their reality to find new ways of thinking when presented with challenges. Conch Shell New Works Reading Series featured plays include Lucky by Haitian-American Barnard student playwright Phanesia Pharel, Misfit, America: An American Western With Color by Puerto Rican American playwright Nelson Diaz-Marcano, and Destination Oooh, Aaah, Yummy by Magaly Colimon-Christopher. ● Julius Galacki ’98 writes: “Long after its festival run, my short film First Night had a reprise screening at the ‘Night of Shorts Night’ at the Parlor in Los Angeles. I adapted my short play of the same name (which I originally did at the Yale Cabaret in New Haven) into a film. A re-edited version of the film is now available for viewing on my Vimeo page.” ● This past year, Yana Landowne ’98 co-created/directed 50 Ways... for Capital Fringe and directed We Are Pussy Riot at Hofstra University. Yana continued to explore interactive performance art in NYC, Miami Art Basel, at Coachella, and in New Orleans. She attended TCG in Miami and was delighted to connect with alumni there. ● Wade McIntyre ’98 writes: “My daughter, Story, is starting the 4th grade and has somehow developed a passion for the theater. She recently starred as Annie and is in rehears●

als for The Wizard of Oz.” ● Kris Stone ’98 writes: “I’m currently designing Cabaret for Arizona Theatre Company, it is the exact opposite of the 1998 Cabaret Scott Pask ’97 and I assisted on at Studio 54. I’m also designing a show for the brilliant Eleanor Holdridge ’97 at Merrimack Theatre in Boston as well a production of Cake for St. Louis Rep, and Porgy and Bess for Nashville Opera. I’ve been designing for films and television and working for HBO on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver as the on-camera person for the special sets that generally close the episodes. And I’m teaching at NYU this fall with the lovely Chris Jaehnig ’85, TD&P extraordinaire. In my ‘spare time’ as the president of the Ming Cho Lee Foundation for Master Teachers of America, I am raising money to archive Ming’s teachings filmed by Marty New ’92. Please help support us if you can at mtamericantheater.com. John Coyne ’97 (Former Faculty) and Chris Barreca ’83 are my fellow board members, and we are passionate to preserve Ming’s teachings that we all witnessed firsthand for the future.” ● The Sweetest Land, Jeff Teitler’s ’98 feature length documentary about gun violence in Hartford and the courage and strength of those dealing with it, has been accepted by 13 film festivals in 2019, including New Haven Docs and the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles. Julius Galacki ’98 and Sheryl Arenson (Anderson) ’98 were all able to attend the L.A. screening. ● Rich Whittington ’98 writes: “After serving 20+ years as Founding Managing Director for Triad Stage with Founding Artistic Director Preston Lane ’96, I started my second act this September serving as the associate vice chancellor for Advancement at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. My first week on the job we publicly announced a $65 million campaign to raise funds for scholarships, faculty support, community engagement, and facility improvements. The private phase of the campaign secured $53.4 million so we are well on our way.” ● Ed Blunt ’99 continues to assist people and families around the world in building a residual income. “I consistently rely upon core tenets and

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Alumni Notes habits I cultivated while at YSD! Working from home, raising our kids, and empowering others to do the same is awesome! It’s great to see so many of our classmates creating, rising, and positively impacting the planet! Onward and upward!” ● Esther K. Chae ’99 was invited back to NBC’s World of Dance with JLo, Neyo and Derek, as the interpreter/consultant for all the competing dance teams from Korea. She writes: “It was fascinating to be part of a reality show production put together like a live Vegas stage, on a film set like The Hunger Games. I did voice-over work on Ali Wong’s Netflix film Always Be My Maybe and Treadstone, a Jason Bourne spin off TV show. I continue to teach at Emerson College LA (Advanced Acting for TV & Film), and also Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea.” ● Joanna Glushak ’99 started the year by working with Francesca Fernandez McKenzie ’18 and Liz Wisan ’10 on Gloria: A Life at The Daryl Roth Theatre and moving on to The Old Globe Theatre in The Underpants by Steve Martin, directed by Walter Bobbie. On to Madame Secretary and more in the coming year. “I have so enjoyed working with my fellow YSD grads as well as the NYU, Juilliard, and UCSD grads. It’s been great learning about the differences in their training and ours and all the great new additions to the acting program at YSD. Would love another 3 years!” ● Maria Matasar-Padilla ’99, DFA ’05 writes: “I’m happy to say that after a number of years away working in documentaries, public radio, and training as a lawyer, I’m back at ABC News as an executive editor in news practices. I collaborate with producers, writers, editors, and executives, reviewing long-form programming and podcasts and pitching in on breaking news, of which there is no shortage these days. The rest of my time is spent with my husband, Matt, chasing around our three kiddos. None of them seems to have the theater bug, but they all love watching plays, so we try and do that as much as possible!”

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2000s Marcus Doshi ’00 began his appointment as associate chair of the theatre department at Northwestern University in September. Recent and upcoming projects include Indecent at OSF, Linda Vista for Second Stage at the Hayes Theater, Lindiwe at Steppenwolf, and Les Mamelles de Tirésias at Palacio de las Artes Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain. ● Rachana Garg ’01 is a medical sales leader and design thinking facilitator, using play and thinking differently to solve challenges— bridging her creative and strategic strengths. Rachana writes: “I am leading cultural change within my company! On the home front, Rishi is CMO at Fairfax Hospital and my loves, Syan, Kamryn, and Milyn are 13, 10, and 8 years old. I am stage managing our life of work, sports, and all that comes with it!” Rachana just got her vinyasa yoga teacher training certification and is hoping to open her own studio in the next few years. ● Drew Lanzarotta ’01 is currently working as the production carpenter on The Book of Mormon on Broadway after having been promoted from assistant production carpenter on deck automation beginning in 2011. ● Edward O’Blenis ’01 writes: “Last spring, I performed in Red Bull Theater’s The White Devil at the Lucille Lortel. It’s a gory little Jacobean piece that is almost never performed, and I am grateful that I was a part of that company. Recently, my wife released a comedy web series called Big Smoke with Pun Bandhu ’01 and myself. It turned out great and has had an amazing response so far. I’m very happy to originate the role of Alvaro Santos in a world premiere by playwright Sharyn Rothstein called Right to Be Forgotten at Arena Stage. It’s a play that brilliantly takes on the issue of internet privacy rights and is also one of the best scripts I’ve read in a very long time.” ● O-Jin Kwon ’02 is moving to the UCLA Theatre Department. ● Derek Milman’s ’02 debut YA novel, Scream All Night, was published in 2018 by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins and received a starred

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72 Rachana Garg’s ’01 children (left to right) Milyn, Syan, and Kamryn. 73 Greg Felden ’03. Photo by Ty Graim. 74 The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy ’03. 75 Jedadiah Schultz ’05, Jordan Mahome ’05 and Jeff Barry ’05 enjoy a summer day working together on a project for Barry’s film company, Notice Pictures. ’05! 76 Greg Felden’s ’03 album, Made of Strings. Album Art by Hollie Chastain. 77 Susan Finque ’03 and Maria Martinez on Graduation Day. 78 Matthew Cornish ’09, DFA ’13 and son, August. Photo by Rachel Cornish ’08. 79 (left to right) Sunny Kil, Fitz Patton ’01, and Brad Ward ’05 at the Tony Awards. 80 Sarah K. (Bartlo) Chaplin ’04 and Questlove at the State Theatre New Jersey. Photo by Jeff Auger. 81 Christopher Geary ’15, Tony Manna ’04, and the cast of Kleptocracy by Kenneth Lin at Arena Stage. Photo by C. Stanley Photography. 82 Brian Swanson ’08, David Calica ’08, and Andrew Gitchel ’09 traveled to Estes Park, CO, to celebrate Janann Eldredge’s ’06 marriage to Stephen Kibler. 83 On the set of Erin C. Buckley’s ’06 CC Dances the Go-Go.

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87 90 84 Barret O’Brien’s ’09 Water Made to Rise at Willow-Witt Ranch in Oregon. 85 Chris Brown ’10 86 Introducing Macy Jocelyn Adrales Kisicki. 87 Andrew Garman and Kathleen McElfresh Scott ’06 in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Weston Playhouse. Photo by Hubert Schreibl. 15 6

88 David J. Roberts ’08 with 651 ARTS Creative Director Raelle MyrickHodges. Photo by Leo Jimenez. 89 Anna Jones Davall ’06, Jamel Davall ’08, and Otis Hero Langston Davall

91 Cast and Crew of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Triad Stage: (left to right) Krista Smith ’18, Tannis Boyajian ’17, Anya Klepikov ’08, Preston Lane ’96, Brandy Zarle ’97, Mickey Theis ’14. Photo by Janine Wochna.

90 Chekhov’s Three Sisters directed by Yana Ross ’06. Photo by D. Matvejev.

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Alumni Notes review from Publishers Weekly. The novel was optioned for TV by Hazy Mills/ Universal. Derek’s second YA novel, Swipe Right for Murder, was released in 2019 by Little, Brown/Jimmy Patterson. It received wide acclaim, including a starred review from Booklist. James Patterson wrote the foreword. ● Sallie Sanders ’02 is an arts and social justice advocate and fundraising consultant based in Brooklyn, NY. She is the treasurer of Flux Factory, a 25-year-old artist collective in Long Island City, that recently received city capital funding to buy its first permanent home. ● Greg Felden ’03 released his debut album, Made of Strings, in June 2019. Funded by New Neighborhood, the creative company of Rolin Jones ’04, the record has been garnering attention from The Bluegrass Situation, Folk Alley, and No Depression, among others. One critic says, “Greg Felden’s Made of Strings is such a deep and poignant album that it astounds that this is the Eugene, Oregon native’s first full-length release. There isn’t a weak cut on the 10-song album. With his stirring vocals and the backing of a fantastic group of musicians, Felden’s Made of Strings is an inspired and impressive introduction.” ● Susan Finque ’03 completed her PhD from University of Washington in 2017, which led her to a one-year teaching position at Hamilton College. At Hamilton, she created new curriculums for world theatre history by organizing her syllabus around the history of the fool—the clown. She taught a voice and speech class for non-theater students called “Outloud” that was the talk of the campus. She’s developing two new pieces in Seattle: one based on the conversations between Margaret Mead and James Baldwin, and the other a movement work based on her own physical disability called Left. She was published this year in A Companion to Early Modern Lima, contributing a chapter on theater history. She’s back in Seattle for this academic year living with her life partner, Maria, and raising their grandson, Tyler. ● Maulik Pancholy’s ’03 debut middle-grade novel, The Best at It, was published in 2019 by Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins. It was named a Junior

Library Guild selection and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist. Maulik will also be seen this winter on Broadway in Bess Wohl’s ’02, ART ’98 Grand Horizons at the Helen Hayes Theater. ● Sarah K. (Bartlo) Chaplin ’04 writes: “Having completed my first year as president & CEO of State Theatre New Jersey, I am still amazed to find myself in New Jersey—and loving it! This is an amazing theater, with amazing staff, and—you guessed it— amazing shows. From Broadway touring to rock concerts to educational shows and everything in between, I am enjoying every day and honored to be part of a historic theater at the heart of its community.” ● Tony Manna ’04 appeared in the world premiere of Kleptocracy at Arena Stage, written by Kenneth Lin ’05, directed by Jackson Gay ’02, with costumes by Jessica Ford ’04, lights by Masha Tsimring ’13, sound and music by Daniel Baker and Broken Chord, projections by Nicholas Hussong ’14, and featuring Christopher Geary ’15 and Brontë England-Nelson ’17. Tony also appeared at the Alliance Theatre in Maira Kalman’s Max Makes a Million, adapted and directed by Liz Diamond (Faculty), with sets by Louisa Thompson ’98 and costumes by Fabian Fidel Aguilar ’16. In early 2020, Tony can be seen in the film Shirley, along with Edward O’Blenis ’01, and starring Elisabeth Moss and Michael Stuhlbarg. ● After over a decade spent as a portrait artist, Erin (Billings) Olson ’05 is happily back in theater as an actor, costume designer, and co-founder of the Reverie Theatre Company in Austin, TX. She costume/set designed and starred in Reverie’s Austin premiere of Outside Mullingar, which received numerous Austin theater award nominations. ● Christopher Carter Sanderson ’05 directed Josh Drimmer’s YC ’03 Story and Her for the Downtown Urban Arts Festival at The Wild Project in New York. Christopher’s play Eugenics, Oregon (since retitled The North Carol) received a developmental reading from Elephant Room Productions in Philadelphia. He also taught playwriting workshops at the Downtown Writers Center

in Syracuse, NY. ● Lee Savage ’05 (Former Faculty) accepted the position of head of set design at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. ● Brad Ward ’05 was the associate sound designer for Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney ’07 (Faculty) which won the Tony Award for best sound design for a play. Fitz Patton ’01 was the lead designer, Trip Cullman ’02 was the director. Brad’s design for The Brooklyn Gaze, a projection mapping project for the Brooklyn Public Library was selected as a featured design to represent the U.S. at the Prague Quadrennial. Brad was also the associate sound designer for The Rose Tattoo on Broadway—again with Fitz Patton as designer and Trip Cullman directing. In April 2020, Brad will be leading a panel on spatial/immersive sound at USITT which will bring together a panel of experts to dig into this extremely timely topic. ● May Adrales ’06 (Former Faculty) writes: “I gave birth to my first child, my daughter Macy Jocelyn Adrales Kisicki, on June 15th at 5:15am. At two months old, she sat through her first tech at Portland Center Stage for my fourth remount of In the Heights. Currently, I am the associate artistic director of Milwaukee Rep, but I will be back in NYC directing the world premiere of Qui Nguyen’s Poor Yella Rednecks at Manhattan Theatre Club in Spring 2020.” ● Erin C. Buckley ’06 recently completed her short film CC Dances the Go-Go; Roweena Mackay ’05 produced and Christina Lorraine Bullard ’07 designed. Erin’s play Sistren was part of the 25th Annual Playwrights’ Week at The Lark, and she will be a fellow at the MacDowell Colony. ● Anna Jones Davall ’06 writes: “Jamel Davall ’08 and I now have a lovely little boy called Otis Hero Langston Davall, born September 28, 2018, ‘looking up at the stars.’ As our midwife said—he’s a dreamer. Brian Tyree Henry ’07, who introduced us back at YSD, is Otis’s gorgeous godfather.” ● From 2019-2022, Yana Ross ’06 will be house director of the Schauspielhaus Zürich, Switzerland. Ross has been staging award winning-performances in Sweden, Norway, Poland, and Lithuania. The season will

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Alumni Notes open with Request Concert (presented at BAM in 2016) and her Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard. In the spring, she will direct Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation. ● Carrie (Van Deest) Van Hallgren ’06 just finished her fifth season as managing director of American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI. APT celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, and she welcomed several YSD friends over the summer including classmates Arthur Nacht ’06 and Liv Nilssen ’06, and fellow Shakespeare lover Stephen Brown-Fried ’05. Carrie regularly works with scenic designers Drew Boyce ’09 (Former Faculty) and Takeshi Kata ’01 and APT’s production manager Michael Broh ’00 on a daily basis. Michael just celebrated his 20th season with APT. ● Amy Altadonna ’07 is teaching sound design at UMass Amherst. She designed Joan and Eureka Day with Colt Coeur in NY, and several wonderful productions at Shakespeare & Company. She writes: “Getting to take a trip out to Ashland to design All’s Well for OSF was a wonderful opportunity to experience a new part of the country and meet new colleagues. Best of all is watching my YSD peers out there changing the world and making real impact.” ● This year, Rachel Myers ’07 directed for the Disney Channel and is a member of the Directors Guild of America. Currently, she is pursuing the Women Directing Mentorship that she won through a competition by SeriesFest and Shondaland. After her mentorship, she will direct an episode of a Shondaland original series. ● Naomi Okuyama ’07 writes: “I’ve recently transitioned to a position heading the public art program for the City of Santa Monica, after running artist residency programs there for several years. It’s great to be learning a new field while continuing to help foster creative work— just as the world of public art is exploring the possibilities of temporary projects and work created through social practice.” ● Yuri Cataldo ’08 co-wrote his first book, Be Left Behind: Discover Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Before Your Grandma Beats You to It.. He is also working with 808 Mafia to co-produce a new trap opera, 15 8

Soldier The Opera, which will be performed live at Art Basel in 2020. ● L M Feldman ’08 wrote a piece for The New York Times (published on September 2, 2019) about her Fresh Ground Pepper residency, where she worked on a first draft of her EST/Sloan commission about women pilots and spaceflight and what it takes to get off the ground. In the spring, she was a MacDowell Colony fellow and worked on a commission for the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s Kindness Project, adapting Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle into a play for young audiences about family separation and child refugees. She co-created and performed a queer, feminist, ensemble circus-theater show that toured the southeast; her play, Grace, or the Art of Climbing, received its Chicago premiere; and her play, Thrive, or What You Will, received a Kilroys List Honorable Mention. Her bilingual English/ASL play Another Kind of Silence will be part of the Colorado New Play Summit. ● Rachel Cornish ’08 reports that she and Matthew Cornish ’09, DFA ’13 are blissful out in Ohio with their two-year-old son, August. ● Drew Lichtenberg ’08, DFA ’18, literary manager at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC, served as dramaturg for Michael Kahn’s final season as artistic director, including productions of Carl Sternheim’s Scenes from the Heroic Lives of the Middle Class trilogy, adapted by David Ives ’84, a production of Richard III directed by David Muse ’03, YC ’96, and Ellen McLaughlin’s new adaptation of Aeschylus’s Oresteia with an all-star design team including Susan Hilferty ’80 and Jennifer Tipton (Faculty). He continues to teach at the Catholic University of America, and also to publish reviews. Drew and Rebecca welcomed their first child, Dylan Maxwell, into the world. ● David J. Roberts ’08 (Faculty) was named executive director of 651 ARTS in August. 651 ARTS is a Brooklyn-based presenter focused on the performing arts of the African Diaspora, and has a deep pool of YSD Theater Management alumni involved in the organization, including board chair Yvonne Joyner Levette ’90, board

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treasurer Andrea E. Smith ’89, management and capital consultant Candace Jackson ’00, and Deneda “Shay” Wafer ’89. ● This fall, Jun Eo ’09 started teaching as an assistant professor in the drama school at Korea National University of Arts. ● Rebecca Phillips Epstein ’09 and her husband, Aaron Epstein, are so pleased to announce the arrival of their second child, Andrew Emmanuel Epstein, born December 14, 2019, in Los Angeles. His mom, dad, and big brother Sam (YSD 2040ish) are all thrilled to have him here (and even more thrilled that he doesn’t seem totally opposed to the concept of sleep). ● Timothy Mackabee ’09 has kept busy this year with the following productions: Seared (MCC Theater); Darling Grenadine (Roundabout Theatre Company); Angels in America, Parts 1 & 2 (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); The Luckiest (La Jolla Playhouse); True West (Seattle Rep); Little Shop of Horrors (Pittsburgh Public Theater); In the Heights (Portland Center Stage); Archduke (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley); The Humans, and Once (Geva Theatre). ● Barret O’Brien ’09 is traveling the country with Water Made to Rise, a work of physical theater dedicated to supporting the global movement to reverse climate change. Water Made to Rise is the story of three strangers trapped in a dive bar by the rising waters of a never-before-seen flood. Among the unorthodox locales the play has been performed: an abandoned bar in Montana, a disused military armory, and a 440-acre ranch in rural Oregon. In 2020, the piece has plans for travel to London, Berlin, Belfast, and Istanbul. ● Gonzalo Rodríguez Risco ’09 will open a new production of Gay Play first produced at the Yale Cabaret during his time at YSD, as well as a new play, Hijos de la República, and his fifth movie, Rómulo y Julita (based on Romeo and Juliet). ● The Orlando Repertory Theatre board of directors announced the appointment of Chris Brown ’10 as the new executive director of the nonprofit committed to creating quality experiences that enlighten, enrich, and entertain young audiences. Brown had served as production manager, general manager, and interim executive director at

Alumni Notes Orlando Rep. “My vision is to inspire young people, and for the community to embrace theater as a vital component of well-being and emotional intelligence,” writes Brown.

2010s In 2019, Sarah Bishop-Stone ’10 founded The Philadelphia Thing, an advocacy and producing structure dedicated to the support and promotion of independent performing artists in Philadelphia. Using an artist-centered practice, The Philadelphia Thing connects artists with performance development resources, producing consultation, and marketplace advocacy, inside and outside of Philadelphia. In June 2019, The Philadelphia Thing presented the inaugural Trade School, a festival and exchange platform celebrating the work of Philadelphia performing artists as well as creating connections with artist peers across the country. The next iteration of Trade School, a Philadelphia-Detroit exchange, is in the works for 2020. Sarah has been selected for the inaugural cohort of GENERATE, a British Council USA and Arts Council of England partnership. The program provides opportunities for US and UK theater, dance, live and performance art producers, presenters, and curators to develop a transatlantic network for collaborative work and long-term relationships. ● Amanda Haley ’10 and Stephen Henson ’11 welcomed their son Brayden on March 30, 2019. Amanda and Steve are enjoying working in theme park design for Disney and Universal, respectively; Brayden has already been to both parks, though we think he’ll enjoy them more in a few years. ● Christopher Mirto ’10 writes: “The big note is that I got married and there were a bunch of Yalies at the wedding and we took an awesome photo. I’m directing Wakey, Wakey by Will Eno at Dobama Theatre this fall and a world premiere opera, Wild Beasts of the Bungalow by Rachel Peters and Royce Vavrek, at Oberlin Conservatory where I am launching a new works commissioning program.” ● Michael Charles Mitnick’s ’10 Mysterious Circumstances, a play about obsession, premiered at The

92 Heartbeat Opera at Yale Club of Oregon. 93 Emika Abe ’16, SOM ’16. Photo by Kathleen Covington. 94 Shaunette Renée Wilson ’16 and Luke Harlan ’16 on the set of White Flags. Photo by Matthew Fischer.

95 Palmer Hefferan ’13 teching The Lifespan of a Fact at Studio 54. Photo by Tess Mayer.

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96 Amanda Haley ’10, Brayden, and Stephen Henson ’11 at Disneyland. 97 Laura J. Eckelman ’11. Photo by BLUE Photography.

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98 Jack Tamburri ’13 officiates the wedding ceremony of Christopher Mirto ’10 and Kevin Duchon featuring an arch designed by Adria Vitlar ’09. 99 YSD alums at the Mirto-Duchon wedding. (back row, left to right) Adria Vitlar ’09, Melissa Paolercio ’14, Heidi Leigh Hanson ’09, Michael Barker ’10, SOM ’10, Jack Tamburri ’13, Adrian Rooney ’09, Jesse Jou ’10, Laura J. Eckelman ’11, and Meghan Pressman ’10, SOM ’10. (front row, left to right) Rachel

Alumni Notes

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Spencer Hewitt ’10, Whitney Estrin ’10, Christopher Mirto ’10, Jen Wineman ’10, Sarah Bishop-Stone ’10, and Summer Jack ’11.

104 Production photo from Mysterious Circumstances by Michael Charles Mitnick ’10. Photo by Brett Banakis.

100 Meghan Pressman ’10, SOM ’10 with Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie and her fiancé, Josh Clapper.

105 The cast of Dog Man: The Musical at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

101 Beth Goldenberg, Oliver Wason ’14, Louisa Proske ’12, Reid Thompson ’14, and Ethan Heard ’13, YC ’07. 102 Marissa Neitling ’13 and Morgan Hollingsworth in Once at Broadway Rose Theatre Company, 2019. Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer.

106 A.Z. Kelsey ’11 and Stephanie Hayes ’11 with their children, Zada and Odaiah. 107 (left to right) Rasean Davonte Johnson ’16, Anna D. Shapiro ’93, and Pornchanok Kanchanabanca ’16 108 Emily Trask ’11

103 Seamus Mulcahy ’12 and Paul Cooper ’16 in Vilna.

Geffen. Scotland, PA, a musical, was staged at the Roundabout Theatre. ● Meghan Pressman ’10, SOM ’10 joined Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles as the managing director and CEO. She is the first woman to serve as managing director in the company’s 52-year history. Meghan had been at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in DC, where she was succeeded by friend and former Berkeley Rep colleague Emika Abe ’16, SOM ’16. ● Director and choreographer Jen Wineman ’10 recently reunited with frequent collaborators, scenic designer Timothy Mackabee ’09 and costume designer Heidi Leigh Hanson ’09, to create the world premiere production of Dog Man: The Musical by Kevin Del Aguila (book and lyrics) and Brad Alexander (music) at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. The off-Broadway run was a huge success. ● After six years of hard work as a junior faculty member at Washington College, Laura J. Eckelman ’11 was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor of theatre. In the same year, she launched a new interdisciplinary minor in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship (for which she is now the program director) and became chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. Her new kitchen is looking great—thanks in large part to the many YSD friends who cheered her on via Facebook. ● Last year, A.Z. Kelsey ’11 and Stephanie Hayes ’11 moved their home base to Malmö, Sweden, where the winters are long but the health care is free! They recently had their second child and have continued teaching and making live performance in all forms—including virtual reality. A.Z. is currently commuting back and forth to Chicago, where he will soon complete shooting on the final season of Fox’s Empire, despite his character already having died last year. ● Emily Trask ’11 will assume additional artistic duties, including season planning, managing playwright relationships, the development of new work, and producing an annual reading series at Pacific Conservatory Theatre as literary associate and Hurlbert Artistic Fellow. ● Bill DeMeritt ’12 writes: “I performed at Yale Rep in Carl Cofield’s Afro-Futurist Twelfth Night where I had the absolute pleasure of

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116 109 Michael F. Bergmann ’14 and Kristen Ferguson ’15 110 Lisa Birnbaum ’07 (right) in The White Devil directed by Louisa Proske ’12. 111 Director Jessica Holt ’15 and set designer Alexander Woodward ’16 at VA Stage.

116 At the wedding of Will Rucker ’15 and Ryan Koss in Dorset, Vermont (left to right) Dustin Wills ’14, Ian Scott, Seth Bodie ’14, Martin Schnellinger ’13, Kim Beaty YC ’77, Ryan Koss, Will Rucker ’15, Tyler Kieffer ’15, Anita Shastri ’15, Carolynn Richer ’14, Joey More ’15, Janet Cunningham (Staff), Herin Kaputkin ’19, Emily Zemba ’15, Alex Barnett, Kelly Kerwin ’15, and Edward Morris ’13.

112 Bill DeMeritt ’12 and his fiancé, Cassandra Lopez. 113 Yellow Inn translated by Kee-Yoon Nahm ’12, DFA ’16 at Illinois State University, 2019. Photo by Kayla Sanders. 114 (left to right) Jennifer Tipton (Faculty), Krista Smith ’18, and Barbara Tan-Tiongco ’13 115 Alexander Woodward ’16 on set at Studio 54. Photo by Gabe Firestone.

working with Abubakr Ali ’19, Moses Ingram ’19, Ilia Paulino ’20, Manu Kumasi ’20, Jakeem Dante Powell ’19, and Erron Crawford ’19, and a truly stellar production and design team: Mika Eubanks ’19, Brittany Bland ’19, Zach Bailey ’20, Molly FitzMaurice ’19, Abi Gandy ’19, Fred Kennedy ’18, Sam Kwan Chi Chan ’19, Beth McGuire (Faculty), and Riw Rakkulchon ’19 (the best baker/designer ever). It was a more joyful homecoming than I ever could have imagined. I’m especially grateful to Chris Bayes (Faculty) and the class of 2020 for letting me impose myself on their clown class as much as I did. I’m currently at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival performing in Shana Cooper’s ’09 production of Paula Vogel’s (Former Faculty) Indecent. From Oregon, I’ll be heading back to NYC—the wedding is in Brooklyn this November! I proposed to Cassandra on stage at the OSF last year. The YSD alum-led theater company Old Sound Room is looking to produce my one-man show, Origin Story, in New York sometime in the Spring. I’m trying to plan for my first-ever pilot season in Los Angeles. ● Seamus Mulcahy ’12 along with Paul Cooper ’16 appeared off-Broadway in Vilna at the Theater at St. Clement’s. ● Kee-Yoon Nahm ’12, DFA ’16 translated and adapted the contemporary South Korean play Yellow Inn by Lee Kang-baek for its English-language premiere at Illinois State University, where he teaches theatre studies and dramaturgy. Yellow Inn is a dark comedy about economic inequality and generational conflict. ● Louisa Proske ’12 directed the twisted Jacobean revenge drama The White Devil Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel (a New York Times Critic’s Pick) backed by lots of YSD design and acting power: actor Lisa Birnbaum ’07, designers Kate Noll ’14, Yana Biryukova ’17 and Wlad Woyno ’18, Jiyoun Chang ’08, and Rick Sordelet (Faculty). Louisa was tapped to lead a historic collaboration between the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Museum, and Juilliard Opera, directing Gertrude Stein’s The Mother of Us All, an opera about Susan B. Anthony. The production falls on the 100th anniversary of

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Alumni Notes the 19th amendment, the 2020 election year, and will be set in the Met Museum’s Engelhard Court. Louisa and Ethan Heard ’13, YC ’07 continue to lead Heartbeat Opera, now in its sixth season, to audience and critics’ accolades. Louisa’s Don Giovanni remounted in Portland, Oregon, at the Chamber Music North West Festival, and Ethan’s Fidelio returned to New York for two special performances. ● Heartbeat Opera made its debut at the Kennedy Center and BAM with its co-production of Stradella’s La Susanna, featuring designs by Reid Thompson ’14 and Oliver Wason ’14. ● In the 2018-19 season, Palmer Hefferan ’13 was a member of the first all-female design team on Broadway, designing The Lifespan of a Fact along with Mimi Lien YC ’97, Jen Schriever, Linda Cho ’98, and Lucy MacKinnon. In February 2019, she collaborated with Lileana Blain-Cruz ’12 (Faculty) on Jackie Sibblies Drury’s YC ’03 (Faculty) Marys Seacole at Lincoln Center, which also included Mariana Sanchez Hernandez ’15 as set designer. Palmer was honored to receive a 2019 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Sound Design. ● Ballet Philippines and the Asian Cultural Council invited Jennifer Tipton (Faculty) to conduct a lighting design master class at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in August 2019. Tipton was assisted by Barbara Tan-Tiongco ’13 (TD&P) and Krista Smith ’18 (Lighting Design). Practitioners from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Hong Kong participated. Jennifer Tipton’s lighting of Ballet Philippines’ production of Swan Lake concluded the weeklong master class. ● In December of 2018, Kristen Ferguson ’15 and Michael F Bergmann ’14 eloped in a small ceremony on the stage of the Ryerson Theatre in Toronto, Canada. They are proud to be considered a few of the first projection design students at YSD. They are living in Toronto where Michael is an assistant professor at the Ryerson School of Performance. ● Whitney Dibo ’14 is the director of Theatrical Acquisitions for Anonymous Content, a production company with offices in New York and L.A. She develops new material 16 4

and scouts writers from the theater for the company’s TV/film slate. And after 10 years together, she and her husband, Josh, are expecting a baby girl in January. ● Carly Zien ’14, YC ’08 has spent the last year studying to be an intimacy coordinator with Intimacy Directors International. She has hosted workshops at William Esper Studio, Maggie Flanagan Studio, City College, and Shrill Collective. In 2020 she will be relocating to Los Angeles to pursue intimacy coordination. ● Shannon Gaughf ’15 moved to Monterey, CA, in 2017 to work in alumnae engagement at Santa Catalina School. She continues to work in their beautiful 502-seat performing arts center as a venue manager on occasion. She remains a proud member of AEA and is close to her YSD classmates. ● Jessica Holt ’15 directed Fun Home at Virginia Stage Company in January 2019 and was delighted to reunite with set designer Reid Thompson ’14. She directed the workshop of the new musical The Code by The Kilbanes at A.C.T’s New Strands Festival in May 2019 and is in development with Bill Cain on his play, The Last White Man. Jessica directed the world premiere of The Daughters by Patricia Cotter at SF Playhouse, and she will direct Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Sense & Sensibility at Virginia Stage Company with set design by Alexander Woodward ’16 in 2020. ● After four years as associate managing director at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Sarah Williams ’15 recently accepted the position of managing director at California Shakespeare Theatre where she will partner with Artistic Director Eric Ting. ● Emika Abe ’16, SOM ’16 was named managing director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in DC. ● White Flags is a short film directed by Luke Harlan ’16, written by and starring Shaunette Renée Wilson ’16 and Sean Patrick Higgins ’16, featuring Jenelle Chu ’16. Production design by Claire DeLiso ’17, sound design by Matthew Fischer ’16, intimacy coaching by Carly Zien ’14, and music composition by Kate Marvin ’16. ● Alexander Woodward ’16 designed the scenery for The Sound Inside this fall at Studio 54, marking his Broadway scenic

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design debut. ● Sarah B. Mantell’s ’17 play Everything That Never Happened (originally Carlotta Festival 2017) will go to Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 2020. Additional 1970s Alumni Note: • Margaret Gruen ’70 writes: “I am pleased to share with you the website I created to honor and remember Muriel Sharon who was the Chairperson of the Children’s Drama Department of the 92nd Street YM-YWHA for 27 years and was a seminal influence in children’s theatre in America: https://murielsharonremembered.com/”

Alumni Notes Yale School of Drama Legacy Partners We invite you to join fellow alumni and friends who have included YSD in their estate plans or made other planned gifts to the School. Through Yale School of Drama Legacy Partners you can directly influence the future of Yale. You are eligible for membership if you have named YSD as a beneficiary of your will, trust, life-income gifts, IRA or other retirement plan, life insurance policy, or other planned gift. To learn more about making a planned gift to Yale School of Drama, please contact Deborah S. Berman, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs, at 203 432 2890 or deborah.berman@yale.edu.

2019–20 YSD Legacy Partners Cynthia Kellogg Barrington*

Dwight Richard Odle ’66*

Donald I. Cairns ’63

Joan Pape ’68

Raymond Carver ’61

Mary B. Reynold ’55*

Elizabeth S. Clark ’41*

Mark Richard ’57*

David M. Conte ’72

Barbara Richter ’60*

Converse Converse YC ’57

William Rothwell, Jr. ’53*

Sue Anne Converse ’55*

Forrest E. Sears ’58

Charles Dillingham ’69, YC ’65

Eugene Shewmaker ’49*

Eldon J. Elder ’58*

G. Erwin Steward ’60

Peter Entin ’71

Edward Trach ’58

Joseph Gantman ’53*

Carol Waaser ’70

Albert R. Gurney ’58*

Phyllis C. Warfel ’55*

Robert L. Hurtgen*

William B. Warfel ’57, YC ’55*

Joseph E. Kleno*

Wendy Wasserstein ’76*

Frances E. Kumin ’77 Richard G. Mason ’53*

Elmon Webb ’64 and Virginia Webb ’65

H. Thomas Moore ’68

Zelma H. Weisfeld ’56*

Tad Mosel ’50*

Edwin Wilson ’57, DFA ’58

Arthur F. Nacht ’06

Albert J. Zuckerman ’61, DFA ’62

George E. Nichols III ’41, YC ’38*

Stay in Touch Please remember to send us your current email to ensure you receive invitations to alumni events as well as our e-newsletter. Contact the Development and Alumni Affairs office at ysd.alumni@yale.edu or 203 432 1559. Join our YSD Alumni Facebook group at: www.facebook.com/groups/50117355074/

Kenneth J. Stein ’59

Visit drama.yale.edu/alumni to read past issues. To make a gift to YSD, visit www.yale.edu/givedrama.

* deceased

G.C. Niemeyer ’42*

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Donors JULY 2019–MARC H 2020

1940s

Lawrence Amick ’49 Robert Ellis ’44 Patricia Gilchrist ’44 Joan Kron ’48 Eugene Shewmaker ’49*

1950s

Robert Barr ’52 Ezekial Berlin ’53 Warwick Brown ’53 William Bohnert ’58 Ian Cadenhead ’58 Joy Carlin ’54 Sami Casler ’59 Carl Clark ’58 Forrest Compton ’53* John Cunningham ’59 Robert Goldsby ’53 Bigelow Green ’59 Marian Hampton ’59 Evelyn Huffman ’57 Geoffrey Johnson ’55 Donald Jones ’56 Amnon Kabatchnik ’57 Jay Keene ’55 Roger L. Kenvin ’59, DFA ’61 Margaret J. Linney ’58 Jane B. Lyman ’51 Marvin March ’55 David McNutt ’59 Ellen Moore ’52 Marion V. Myrick ’54 Franklin M. Nash ’59 Kendric T. Packer ’52 Gladys Powers ’57 Raymond Sader ’58 Forrest Sears ’58 James Smith ’59 Kenneth Stein ’59 Edward Trach ’58 Ann Watson ’53

1960s

David Ackroyd ’68 Dale F. Amlund ’64 Rita Aron ’69 Mary Ellen O’Brien Atkins ’65 Thomas R. Atkins ’64 John Badham ’63, YC ’61 James Bakkom ’64 Philip J. Barrons ’65 Barbara Bartlett ’61

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Warren F. Bass ’67 Jody Locker Berger ’66 Jeffrey Bleckner ’68 Arvin Brown ’67 Oscar Brownstein ’60 Jim Burrows ’65 Lonnie D. Carter ’69 Patricia S. Cochrane ’62 Edward Cornell ’68 Stephen C. Coy ’63, DFA ’69* F. Mitchell Dana ’67 Michael David ’68 Mary Lucille DeBerry ’66 Ramon L. Delgado ’67 John A. Duran ’74 Robert H. Einenkel ’69 Bernard Engel ’60 David Epstein ’68 Leslie Epstein DFA ’67, YC ’60 Jerry N. Evans ’62 John D. Ezell ’60 Ann Farris ’63 Richard A. Feleppa ’60 William Firestone ’69 Hugh Fortmiller ’61 David Freeman ’68 Richard Fuhrman ’64 Bernard Galm ’63 John Guare ’63 Jerome R. Hanley ’60* Ann Hanley ’61 Stephen J. Hendrickson ’67 Elizabeth Holloway ’66 Susan Horowitz ’69 Linda Gulder Huett ’69 Derek Hunt ’62 Peter H. Hunt ’63, YC ’61* Laura Jackson ’68 John W. Jacobsen ’69, YC ’67 Asaad Kelada ’64 Abby Kenigsberg ’63 Carol Soucek King ’64 Raymond Klausen ’67 Richard H. Klein ’67 Robert W. Lawler ’67 Peter J. Leach ’61 Irene Lewis ’66 Bradford Lewis ’69 Fredric Lindauer ’66 Everett Lunning ’69, YC ’67 Richard E. Maltby, Jr. ’62, YC ’59 Sandra Manley ’68 Frederick Marker DFA ’67* Patricia D. McAdams ’61 B. Robert McCaw ’66 Margaret T. McCaw ’66 Donald Michaelis ’69 Tom Moore ’68

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Carol Murray-Negron ’64 Gayther Myers, Jr. ’65 Ruth Hunt Newman ’62 Janet Oetinger ’69 Richard Olson ’69 Sara Ormond ’66 Joan D. Pape ’68 Howard Pflanzer ’68 Michael Posnick ’69 Barbara Reid ’62 Carolyn L. Ross ’69 Clarence Salzer, Jr. ’60, YC ’55 Donald Sanders ’69 Georg Schreiber ’64 Susan H. Schulman ’67 Talia Shire Schwartzman ’69 Suzanne Sessions ’66 Paul R. Shortt ’68 E. Gray Smith, Jr. ’65 Helen Sokoloff ’60 James Steerman ’62, DFA ’69 Louise Stein ’66 John Wright Stevens ’66 Douglas C. Taylor ’66 John Henry Thomas, III ’62 David F. Toser ’64 Paul Trent ’65 Russell L. Treyz ’65 Richard B. Trousdell ’67, DFA ’74 Joan van Ark ’64 Stephen Van Benschoten ’69 Donald Walker ’69 Ruth Wallman ’67 Steven I. Waxler ’68 Charles Werner ’67 George C. White ’61, YC ’57 Peter White ’62 Helen Yalof ’60 Albert Zuckerman ’61, DFA ’62

1970s

Sarah Albertson ’71, ART ’75 Donna Alexander ’74 Michael L. Annand ’75 Anne Averbuck ’70 Richard C. Beacham ’72, DFA ’73, YC ’68 John Lee Beatty ’73 Christopher Brown ’74 Mark Buckholz ’76 Michael Cadden ’76, DFA ’79, YC ’71 Ian Calderon ’73 Victor P. Capecce ’75 H. Lloyd Carbaugh ’78 Lisa Carling ’72

Cosmo A. Catalano, Jr. ’79 Lani Click ’73 Bill Conner ’79 Joseph M. Costa ’74 Jim Crabtree ’71 Alma Cuervo ’76 Dennis L. Dorn ’72 Christopher Durang ’74 Nancy Reeder El Bouhali ’70 Peter Entin ’71 Dirk Epperson ’74 Christine Estabrook ’76 Heidi Ettinger ’76 Femi Euba ’73 Marc Flanagan ’70 Lewis A. Folden ’77 Reynold F. Frutkin ’72, DFA ’73 Robert Gainer ’73 Marian A. Godfrey ’75 Jess Goldstein ’78 David Marshall Grant ’78 Joe Grifasi ’75 Michael E. Gross ’73 William B. Halbert ’70 Charlene Harrington ’74 Barbara B. Hauptman ’73 Jane C. Head ’79 Robert Heller ’78 Jennifer Hershey ’77 Nicholas A. Hormann ’73 Barnet K. Kellman ’72 Walter Klappert ’79 William E. Kleb ’66, DFA ’70, YC ’61 Fredrica Klemm ’76 Daniel Koetting ’74 David Kranes DFA ’71 Andrew J. Kufta ’77 Frances E. Kumin ’77 Mitchell L. Kurtz ’75 Stephen R. Lawson ’76 Charles E. Letts ’76 Martha Lidji Lazar ’77 George N. Lindsay, Jr. ’74 Jennifer K. Lindstrom ’72 Adrianne Lobel ’79 Robert Hamilton Long II ’76 William Ludel ’73 Lizbeth P. Mackay ’75 Alan Mokler MacVey ’77 Brian R. Mann ’79 Jonathan E. Marks ’72, DFA ’84, YC ’68 Peggy Marks ’75, YC ’71 Craig T. Martin ’71 Neil Mazzella ’78 John McAndrew ’72

Donors JULY 2019–MARC H 2020

Caroline A. McGee ’78 Kate McGregor-Stewart ’74 Patricia McMahon ’72 Ph.D. Jonathan Seth Miller ’75 Lawrence S. Mirkin ’72, YC ’69 Patricia C. Norcia ’78 Richard Ostreicher ’79 Jeffrey Pavek ’71 William Peters ’79 Joel Polis ’76 William Purves ’71 Pamela Rank ’78 Jeff Rank ’79 Ralph Redpath ’75 William J. Reynolds ’77 Peter S. Roberts ’75 Steven I. Robman ’73 Howard J. Rogut ’71 Robert E. Rooy ’75 Robin Pearson Rose ’73 John Rothman ’75 Robert Sandberg ’77 Suzanne M. Sato ’79 Joel R. Schechter ’72, DFA ’73 John Victor Shea III ’73 Michael Sheehan ’76 Richard R. Silvestro ’76 Benjamin Slotznick ’73, YC ’70 Jeremy T. Smith ’76 Charles N. Steckler ’71 Meryl Streep ’75, HON ’83 Jaroslaw Strzemien ’75 Russell Vandenbroucke ’77, DFA ’78 Edith R. Tarbescu ’76 Carol M. Waaser ’70 David J. Ward ’75 Eugene D. Warner ’71 Michael R. Whaley ’77 Carolyn Seely Wiener ’72 Stanley E. Wiklinski ’70 Stephen E. Zuckerman ’74

1980s

Christopher Akerlind ’89 Michael G. Albano ’82 Amy Aquino ’86 William Armstrong ’80 Dylan Baker ’85 Robert Barnett ’89 Michael Baumgarten ’81 James Bender ’85 Todd Berling ’89 Mark Bly ’80 Anders P. Bolang ’87

Katherine Borowitz ’81, YC ’76 Michael E. Boyle ’85 Claudia M. Brown ’85 Bill Buck ’84 Kate Burton ’82 Richard W. Butler ’88 Jon Carlson ’88 Lawrence Casey ’80 Joan Channick ’89 Melissa Cochran ’81 Geoffrey Cohen ’83 Thomas J. Conlan ’81 Donato D’Albis ’88 Campbell Dalglish ’86 Gail Dartez ’88 Richard Davis ’83, DFA ’03 Kathleen K. Dimmick ’85 Terrence Dwyer ’88 Anne D’Zmura ’89 Sasha Emerson ’84 Michael Fain ’82 Jon Farley ’83 Terry Fitzpatrick ’83 Joel C. Fontaine ’83 Anthony M. Forman ’83 Walter M. Frankenberger III ’88 Meredith Freeman ’88 Randy R. Fullerton ’82 James Gage ’80 Judy Gailen ’89 J. Ellen Gainor ’83 James T. Gardner ’84 Steven J. Gefroh ’85 Michael J. Giannitti ’87 Carol A. Gibson-Prugh ’89 Dana Graham ’82, YC ’79 Charles F. Grammer ’86 Rob Greenberg ’89 John Harnagel ’83 Babo Harrison ’89 Allan Havis ’80 James W. Hazen ’83 Sara Hedgepeth ’87 Susan Hilferty ’80 Donald S. Holder ’86 Cathy MacNeil Hollinger ’86 Kathleen Houle ’88 Charles R. Hughes ’83 David Henry Hwang ’83 Chris P. Jaehnig ’85 Michael D. James ’89 Jane Kaczmarek ’82 Jonathan Kalb ’85 Carol Kaplan ’89 Bruce Katzman ’88 Edward Kaye ’86

Rik Kaye ’80 David K. Kriebs ’82 Eugene C. Leitermann ’82 Max H. Leventhal ’86 Kenneth Lewis ’86 Peter Lewis ’87 Andi Lyons ’80 Wendy MacLeod ’87 James Magruder ’88, DFA ’92, YC ’85 Judianna Makovsky ’80 Patrick Markle ’89 Thomas McGowan ’88 Derek McLane ’84 Isabell Monk-O’Connor ’81 Patrick Murphy ’88 David E. Moore ’87 Thomas Neville ’86 Regina Neville ’88 Arthur E. Oliner ’86 Erik Onate ’89 Carol Ostrow ’80 Russell Parkman ’88 Geoffrey M. Pierson ’80 Robert J. Provenza ’86 Joumana Rizk ’87 Joan E. Robbins ’86, DFA ’91 Laila V. Robins ’84 Lori Robishaw ’88 Constance Romero ’88 Russ Rosensweig ’83 Cecilia M. Rubino ’82 Steven A. Saklad ’81 James D. Sandefur ’85 Frank Sarmiento ’81 Kenneth Schlesinger ’84 James Schuette ’89 Kimberly Scott ’87 Alec Scribner ’80 Tony Shalhoub ’80 Deborah Simon ’81 William P. Skipper ’83 Neal Stephens ’80 Nausica C. Stergiou ’85 Mark Stevens ’89 Mark L. Sullivan ’83 Bernard J. Sundstedt ’81 Jane Savitt Tennen ’80 John M. Turturro ’83 Courtney B. Vance ’86 Adam N. Versenyi ’86, DFA ’90, YC ’80 Craig F. Volk ’88 Clifford L. Warner ’87 Darryl S. Waskow ’86 Rosa Vega Weissman ’80 Susan West ’87

Robert M. Wierzel ’84 Robert M. Wildman ’83 Alexandra R. Witchel ’82 Terrence Witter ’85 Steven A. Wolff ’81 Evan Yionoulis ’85, YC ’82 David York ’80 Don Youngberg ’83

1990s

Narda E. Alcorn ’95 Indigo M. Aloha ’95 (Sanaa Lathan) Bruce Altman ’90 Angelina Avallone ’94 Patricia Bennett ’90 Daniel Blinkoff ’96 Edward L. Blunt ’90 Debra Booth ’99 Leslie Brauman ’91 Tom Broecker ’92 James Bundy ’95 Katherine Burgueño ’90 Kathryn A. Calnan ’99 Robert Campbell ’90 Vincent Cardinal ’90 Juliette A. Carrillo ’91 Robert Coleman ’98 Magaly Colimon-Christopher ’98 Sean James Cullen ’90 Sean P. Cullen ’94 Scott T. Cummings ’85, DFA ’94 Sheldon Deckelbaum ’92 Stephen Derosa ’95 Martin Desjardins ’94 Michael Diamond ’90 Alexander Dodge ’99 Fran Egler ’95 Connie Evans ’93 Glen Fasman ’92 David Gainey ’93 Stephen Godchaux ’93 Richard M. Gold ’91 Naomi S. Grabel ’91 Constance Grappo ’95 Regina Guggenheim ’93 Susan Hamburger ’97 Alexander Hammond ’96 Scott Hansen ’99 Douglas Harvey ’95 Riccardo Hernandez ’92 Jeffrey C. Herrmann ’99 Christopher B. Higgins ’90 John C. Huntington ’90 Clark Jackson Jr. ’97 Suzanne Jackson ’90

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Donors JULY 2019–MARC H 2020

Kristin Johnsen-Neshati ’92, DFA ’02 Elizabeth A. Kaiden ’96 Samuel Kelley ’90 Ashley Kennedy ’90 James Kleinmann ’92 David Koppel ’98 L. Azan Kung ’91 Suttirat Larlarb ’97 Cheng Heng Lee ’99 Malia Lewis ’97 Chih-Lung Liu ’94 Sarah Long ’92, YC ’85 Suzanne Cryer Luke ’95, YC ’88 Laura Brown MacKinnon ’93 Elizabeth Margid ’91, YC ’82 Maria Matasar-Padilla ’99, DFA ’05 Craig P. Mathers ’93 Marya Mazor ’92 Tom McCarthy ’95 William F. McGuire ’91 Bruce Miller ’99 Richard R. Mone ’91 Ricardo Morris ’97 Daniel Mufson ’95, DFA ’99 Anna Novden-Dolan ’94 Lori Ott ’92 Dw Phineas Perkins ’90 Lisa Porter ’95 Amy Povich ’92 Jeffry Provost ’95 James Quinn ’94 Sarah Rafferty ’96 Jean Randich ’94 Lance Reddick ’94 Douglas Rogers ’96 Melina Root ’90, YC ’83 Peggy Sasso ’99 Liev Schreiber ’92 Jennifer Schwartz ’97 Paul Selfa ’92 Thomas W. Sellar ’97, DFA ’03 Jane M. Shaw ’98 Vladimir Shpitalnik ’92 Jeremy V. Stein ’94 Erich Stratmann ’94, YC ’93 Michael Strickland ’95 David Sword ’90 Janet Takami ’96 Paul Tigue ’99 Deborah L. Trout ’94 Erik Walstad ’95 Mark Weaver ’97 Lisa Wilde ’91, DFA ’95 Marshall Williams ’95

16 8

Paul Wong ’99 Robert Zoland ’95

2000s Paola Allais Acree ’08, SOM ’08 Alexander Bagnall ’00 Pun Bandhu ’01 Sarah K. (Bartlo) Chaplin ’04 Camille Benda ’02 Ashley Bishop ’02 Frances Black ’09 Mark Blankenship ’05 Joshua Borenstein ’02 Mattie Brickman ’09 Erin Buckley ’06 Christina Bullard ’07 Jonathan Busky ’02, SOM ’02, YC ’94 David Byrd ’06 David Calica ’08 Joseph Cermatori ’08 James Chen ’08 Sara Clement ’05 Aurélia F. Cohen ’09 Shoshana Cooper ’09 Courtney DiBello ’02 Derek DiGregorio ’07 Michael Donahue ’08 Janann Eldredge ’06 Alixandra Englund ’06 Miriam Epstein ’02 Dustin Eshenroder ’07 Marcus Dean Fuller ’04 Jacob Gallagher-Ross ’09, DFA ’14 Jackson Gay ’02 Hannah Grannemann ’08, SOM ’08 Marion Grinwis ’04 John J. Hanlon ’04 Heidi Leigh Hanson ’09 Caitlin Hevner ’07 Amy S. Holzapfel ’01, DFA ’06 James Guerry Hood ’05 Melissa Huber ’01 Rolin Jones ’04 Peter Young Hoon Kim ’04 Drew Lichtenberg ’08 Lisa Loen ’10 Peter Macon ’03 Jennifer Moeller ’06 Elizabeth Morrison ’05 Matthew Moses ’09 Neil Mulligan ’01 David Muse ’03, YC ’96 Rachel Myers ’07 Arthur Nacht ’06

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Mark Novom ’00 Adam O’Byrne ’04, YC ’01 Phillip Owen ’09 Jacob G. Padrón ’08 Gamal Palmer ’08 Maulik Pancholy ’03 Michael Parrella ’00 Sarah Pickett ’08 Jonathan Reed ’08 Kevin Rich ’04 Brian Robinson ’00 Rebecca Rugg ’00 Sallie Dorsett Sanders ’02 Christopher Sanderson ’05 Kathleen McElfresh Scott ’06 Shawn Senavinin ’06 V. Jane Suttell ’03 Sarah Treem ’05, YC ’02 Shira Beckerman Turner ’06 Carrie Van Hallgren ’06 Bradlee Ward ’05 Amanda Wallace Woods ’03 Dawn Helsing Wolters ’01 Stephanie Ybarra ’08

2010s

Emika Abe ’16, SOM ’16 Shaminda Amarakoon ’12 Trent Anderson ’19, SOM ’19 Haydee Antunano ’17 Michael Barker ’10, SOM ’10 Dani Barlow ’20 Molly Bernard ’13 Matt Biagini ’11 Shawn E. Boyle ’15 Juliana Canfield ’16, YC ’14 Byongsok Chon ’10 Brett Dalton ’11 Matt Davis ’18 Katherine Day ’10 Laura Eckelman ’11 Adam Frank ’18, SOM ’18 Shannon L. Gaughf ’15 Christopher Geary ’15 Eric Gershman ’15, SOM ’15 Chris Ghaffari ’16 Shaina Graboyes ’12 Amanda Haley ’10 Miranda Hall ’17 Catie Hannon 14, SOM ’14 Ethan Heard ’13, YC ’07 Mariana Sanchez Hernandez ’15 Ashton S. Heyl ’14 Jireh Holder ’16 Slate Holmgren ’10

Maura Hooper ’15 Kevin Hourigan ’17 Shane D. Hudson ’14 Martha Jurczak ’11 Pornchanok Kanchanabanca ’13 Kelly E. Kerwin ’15 Chiara B. Klein ’17, SOM ’17 Andrew M. Knauff ’15 Steven Koernig ’17, SOM ’17 Bona Lee ’11 Katie Liberman ’13, SOM ’13 Eric Lin ’12 Sam Linden ’19, SOM ’19 Lisa Loen ’10 Aaron Mastin ’11 Krystin Matsumoto ’16 Belina Mizrahi ’10, YC ’02 Josef Moro ’15 Leora Morris ’16 Seamus Mulcahy ’12 Jason Najjoum ’18, SOM ’18 Mariko A. Nakasone ’14 Fisher Kirby Neal ’12 Jennifer Harrison Newman ’11 Dan O’Brien ’14 Kelly Pursley ’18 Ravi (Riw) Rakkulchon ’19 Emily Reeder ’17 Nathan Roberts ’10 Stephanie Rolland ’15 Melissa Rose ’18 Devon Smith ’10, SOM ’10 Rachel Shuey ’18 Alyssa Simmons ’14, YC ’09 Ying Song ’10 Rebecca Terpenning ’18 Caitlin Volz ’20 Sophie von Haselberg ’14, YC ’08 Jonathan Wemette ’13 Sarah Williams ’15 Gretchen T. Wright ’17, SOM ’17

friends of ysd and yrt (Gifts of $500 and above)

Actors’ Equity Foundation Nina Adams GRD ’69, NUR ’77 and Moreson Kaplan Emily Altman Americana Arts Foundation Anonymous Deborah Applegate GRD ’98 and Bruce Tulgan Paula Armbruster GRD ’64

Donors JULY 2019–MARC H 2020

Alice GRD ’72, Ph.D.’74 and Richard Baxter GRD ’72 The Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation Inc. John Beinecke YC ’69 Sonja Berggren and Patrick Seaver YC ’72 Deborah and Bruce Berman LAW ’79 Carmine Boccuzzi YC ’90, LAW ’94 and Bernard Lumpkin YC ’91 Lynne and Roger Bolton Clare and Sterling Brinkley Cyndi Brown Donald and Mary Brown James T. Brown David Budries Alexandra Cadena YC ’17 Anne and Guido Calabresi YC ’53, LAW ’58, HON ’62 Dana Cesnik and Brandon Doyle Lois Chiles and Richard Gilder YC ’54, HON ’07 Nicholas Ciriello YC ’59 Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Audrey Conrad Daniel Cooperman MAH ’14 and Marial Harris William H. Cowles Foundation Bob and Priscilla Dannies HON ’90 Catherine and Elwood Davis Robert Dealy Scott Delman YC ’82 Kelvin Dinkins, Jr. The Educational Foundation of America Roberta Enoch and Steven Canner Lily Fan YC ’01, LAW ’04 Susan and Fred Finkelstein YC ’63 Barbara and Richard Franke YC ’53, HON ’87, HON ’01 Burry Fredrik Foundation Deborah Freedman YC ’82 and Ben Ledbetter Anita Pamintuan Fusco YC ’90 and Dino Fusco YC ’88 Jeff Glans and Louise Perkins Donald Granger YC ’85 Mabel Burchard Fischer Grant Foundation Betty and Joshua Goldberg The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Jerome L. Greene Foundation

Claudia and Dr. Eduardo Groisman MAH ’11 Drs. Lorence and Sharon Gutterman Wendy Haskell F. Lane Heard III YC ’73, LAW ’78 and Margaret Bauer ’86, ART ’91 Stephen Hoffman YC ’64 Mark Hollinger LAW ’85 Sally Horchow YC ’92 Betsy and Reed Hundt YC ’69, LAW ’74 Mary and Arthur Hunt Peter Hunt Sarah and William Hyman YC ’80 Ellen Iseman YC ’76 Jana Foundation Charles B. Johnson YC ’54 David G. Johnson YC ’78 David H. Johnson YC ’69 Pamela Jordan Ann Judd and Bennett Pudlin LAW ’78 Helen Kauder and Barry Nalebuff HON ’89 Dr. Harvey Kliman and Sandra Stein Hedda and Gary Kopf HON ’91 Richard Lalli MUS ’80, DMA ’86 and Michael Rigsby MED ’88 The Ethel and Abe Lapides Foundation The Frederick Loewe Foundation Charles H. Long George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation Linda Lorimer LAW ’77 & Charles Ellis YC ’59, HON ’97 Lucille Lortel Foundation Robert Lyons Maine Community Foundation Wendy and Peter McCabe Drew McCoy Deborah McGraw Susan Medak and Greg Murphy David and Leni Moore Family Foundation James Munson YC ’66 Merle Nacht National Endowment for the Arts NewAlliance Foundation Victoria Nolan and Clark Crolius Barbara and William Nordhaus YC ’63, MAH ’73 F. Richard Pappas YC ’76 James Perakis James Perlotto YC ’78 and

Thomas Masse MUS ’91, Artist Diploma ’92 Jim Phills Point Harbor Fund of the Maine Community Foundation Alan Poul YC ’76 Kathy and George Priest YC ’69, HON ’82 The Prospect Hill Foundation Faye and Asghar Rastegar HON ’88 David and Barbara Reif Sharon Reynolds Robina Foundation Abigail Roth YC ’90, LAW ’94 and R. Lee Stump Deborah Rovner Ruderman Family Foundation Helen Sacks Robin Sauerteig GRD ’96 Ruth Hein Schmitt Dr. Mark Schoenfeld Seedlings Foundation Tracy Chutorian Semler YC ’86 Sandra Shaner The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund The Shubert Foundation, Inc. The Gary and Barbara Siegler Foundation The Carol Sirot Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Dennis D. Spencer Ted Stein Shepard and Marlene Stone Dr. Matthew Suttor and Dr. Semih Gork Arlene Szczarba Stephen Timbers YC ’66 Andrew and Nesrin Tisdale Trust for Mutual Understanding Esme Usdan YC ’77 Sylvia Van Sinderen and James Sinclair Paul Walsh Donald Ware YC ’71 Shana C. Waterman YC ’94, LAW ’99 Robert Wechsler and Emily Aber Vera F. Wells YC ’71 Walton Wilson

in kind

Frances Black ’09 Lynne Bolton Michael Diamond ’90 David Johnson YC ’78 Brian Mann ’79

jess goldstein and jane greenwood scholarship funds Angelina Avallone ’94 Kate Baker James Bundy ’95 John Lee Beatty ’73 Emily Jean Beck ’95 Camille Benda ’02 Walter Bobbie Elivia A. Bovenzi ’14 Claudia M. Brown ’85 Luke Brown ’09 David Budries Christina Bullard ’07 Richard W. Butler ’88 Wilson W. Chin ’03 Linda Cho ’98 Sophia Choi ’18 Catherine Keyjung Chung ’96 Elizabeth H. Clancy ’91 Moria Clinton ’09 An-lin Dauber Stephano Deangelo Michael Diamond ’90 Leslie Shaw Dickert III ’97 Leon Dobkowski ’11 Alexander Dodge ’99 Lora Lavon Dole ’99 Thomas F. Dunn ’00 Benjamin Ehrenreich ’14 Alixandra Englund ’06 Quina Fonseca ’84 Jessica Ford ’04 Mary Louise Geiger ’85 John Glover Soule Golden ’15 Rodney Gordon David L. Gropman ’77 Katherine Noland ’01 Heidi Leigh Hanson ’09 Luke Harlan ’16 Wendall Harrington Susan Hilferty ’80 Robin Hirsch Andrew Jackness ’79 Jane Kaczmarek ’82 Hunter Kaczorowski ’14 Peter Kaczorowski Bryan Keller ’05

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Donors JULY 2019–MARC H 2020

Jean Kim ’16 Anya K. Klepikov ’08 Wade Laboissonniere ’03 Naomi Lamoreaux ’10 MAH Junghyun Georgia Lee ’01 Betsy Lee and Ming Cho Lee Adrianne Lobel ’79 Timothy Mackabee ’09 Judianna Makovsky ’80 Cole McCarty ’18 Derek McLane ’84 Melissa Mizell ’08 Jennifer Moeller ’06 John Moreno ’18 Margaret Morgan Josef P. Moro ’15 Gregory Mosher Sarah Nietfeld ’18 Victoria Nolan Anna Oliver ’92 Deb O ’07 Brian Fitz Patton ’01 Gianantonio Pezzullo Gordon M. Rogoff YC ’52 Mickey Rolfe Kenneth Sause Steven Rotramel ’15 James Schuette ’89 Dennita Sewell ’92 Teresa L. Snider-Stein ’88 Christine Szczepanski Jennifer Tipton Jonathan Tolins Katherine Touart ’18 Deborah Trout ’94 Daniel Urlie ’02 Eric Winterling Anita Yavich ’95 Michae Yeargan ’73 Jane S. Zatlin * Deceased

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ANNUAL MAGAZINE YALE SCHOOL OF DRAMA P.O. BOX 208244 NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06520

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEW HAVEN, CT PERMIT NO. 167