A NOTE FROM THE CAB LEADERSHIP
As theater-makers and theatre-goers, familiarity with Shakespeare’s texts is often a given. But how often are we provided a chance to change the course of the story to make it more relevant to the world we live in today. Romeo & You-liet invites you to be part of the players steering the course of the play. It has been a joy to watch the players, designers, and artistic team pull apart the text to get to the core of the story while setting the stage for live Improv each night. We’re excited to welcome Red Hot Poker (Yale’s premiere sketch group) into the space for this one-of-a-kind collaboration! We hope you continue to come back and join us as we build a season of exploration, experimentation, and pushing boundaries at Yale Cabaret. Out of the box and into our Sandbox! — Doaa, Kyle, & Annabel
A NOTE FROM THE LEAD ARTISTS
In this interactive retelling, members of the audience step directly into the age-old feud between the Capulets and Montagues, holding the power to guide the decisions and actions of the ill-fated lovers. While the foundation is distinctly Shakespearean, every choice leads to a narrative that is simultaneously recognizable and uniquely tailored to that particular performance. Drawing inspiration from the Infinite Wrench model by the Neo Futurists, Romeo & You-liet elevates the theatrical experience from passive observation to active participation. The Infinite Wrench model, famed for its ability to generate a mosaic of micro-plays in response to the everchanging cultural landscape, finds a kindred spirit in this adaptation. The format enables an expansive realm of possibilities, ensuring that no two performances are ever the same. The decision to adapt Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s tale focused on the emotions and choices of its young protagonists, stems from its masterful depiction of the consequences and illusion of choice. The balance between fate and free will, a dominant theme in the play, resonates perfectly with an interactive format. Just as Romeo and Juliet grapple with the weight of their choices amidst external pressures, so, too, does the audience face decisions that could lead to love’s triumphant survival or its tragic demise. Here, the audience isn’t limited to being mere spectators; they become performers, designers, collaborators, and influencers. Romeo and You-liet is not just a retelling; it’s a re-experiencing. It brings together the magic of Shakespeare’s words with the innovative spirit of the devising company and Red Hot Poker, one of Yale College’s premiere sketch comedy groups, inviting audiences to not just witness, but to live the joys, the passions, and the tragedies of one of the greatest love stories ever told. — Claudia and Andrew Maya Louise Shed Anooj Bhandari
SPECIAL THANKS Ida Cuttler Alejandro Rodriguez
Kyle Stamm David DeCarolis
ROMEO & YOU-LIET
Devised by The Company, in Collaboration with Red Hot Poker (Yale’s Premiere Sketch Comedy Troupe)
PRODUCTION TEAM Lead Artist/Director
Claudia Campos
Lead Artist/Dramaturg
Lead Artist/Deviser
Victoria McNaughton* Andrew Aaron Valdez
Red Hot Poker Lead Artist
Red Hot Poker Lead Artist
Chesed Chap*
Prentiss Patrick-Carter*
Associate Director
Costume Designer
Iyanna Huffington-Whitney Scenic Designer
Anthony Robles* Assoc. Tech Director
Leo Surach
Scenic Artist
Abraham E.S. Rebollo-Trujillo*
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Technical Director
Asst. Tech Director
Larry Ortiz*
Joyce Ciesil*
Issac Lau*
Constanza Etchechury López*
Allyse Corbin*
Red Hot Poker Writer
Meridian Monthy*
Red Hot Poker Writer
Ben Jenkins*
Red Hot Poker Writer
Maxwell Fisher*
Red Hot Poker Writer
Nicolas Maynulet*
CAST Allyse Corbin* Millie Liao*
Devika Kothari*
Karen Loewy Movilla*
Andrew Aaron Valdez
Taylor Ybarra*
Nina Grigg*
SHOW SPONSORS Bennett Pudlin and Ann Judd & Bill and Sharon Reynolds *Yale Cabaret Debut
MISSION STATEMENT
Sandbox by definition, is “a shallow box in the ground partly filled with sand for children to play in”. We hope to create a similar sense of curiosity and playfulness, allowing artists to access creativity only possible when given the opportunity to dig and unearth treasures within themselves. Our season will focus on performance arts as a whole, not just script-based plays or musicals, it’s open to ALL. We aim to look at collaborators as they are, without limiting them to the role they hold within the DGSD community. We believe in a theater without labels, where artists are not limited by the hats they wear, but by the experience they bring into the room with them. As a collective, we will create theater that continues to reshape our ever-changing view on the world.
OUR SANDBOX IS... A Celebration of Ideas: A place where no ideas are bad ideas Experimental: A space to try, fail, learn, and grow as a community A Resource: A pool of combined knowledge and artistry An Outlet: Magnifying unheard voices and underrepresented stories A Continuum: An application of skills learned Our Sandbox is a place where you can make your wildest dreams come true.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT The state of Connecticut and Yale University occupy the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Niantic, Quinnipiac, and other Algonquian speaking peoples. We honor and respect their continued relationship with and stewardship of this land, and we acknowledge that Yale University, Yale Cabaret, and those affiliated have benefited from the oppression of these Nations.
LABOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Yale University does not exist independently from the centuries of forced labor and economic extraction of enslaved people, primarily of African descent, on which this country was built. We are indebted to their labor and their unwilling sacrifice, and we must acknowledge the ongoing violence inflicted on Black and brown people and the resulting impact and generational trauma still felt today.
LEADERSHIP TEAM Co-Artistic Director
Co-Artistic Director
Doaa Ouf
Managing Director
Kyle Stamm
Annabel Guevara
COLLABORATORS Assoc. Managing Director
Anne Ciarlone
Graphic Designer
Cab Assistant
Claudia Campos
Production Manager
Michelle Foley
Twaha Abdul Majeed
Restaurant Partner
The Anchor Spa
ADVISORY BOARD Acting
Costume Design
Directing
Grayson Richmond
Caroline Tyson
Alexis Kulani Woodard
Dramaturgy
Lighting Design
Playwriting
Karoline Vielmeyer
David DeCarolis
Doug Robinson
Projection Design
Scenic Design
Kim Zhou
Sound Design
Joe Krempetz
Stage Managment
Technical Design
Theatre Management
John Horzen
Colleen Rooney
Leo Surach
Natalie King
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair
Wendy Davies Eric M. Glover
L.T. Gourzong
Linda-Cristal Young
Samanta Cubias
Gabrielle Hoyt
LAW
ABOUT THE CAB
In 1968, David Geffen School of Drama at Yale students established a basement performance venue in the former home of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at 217 Park Street. Envisioned as an alternative outlet for drama school students’ creativity and experimentation, Yale Cabaret became a forum for our expanded New Haven communities, whom we invite to gather around food, drink, conversation, fellowship, and artistry. Since its founding, the Cabaret has remained in continuous operation, including pivoting to virtual performance during the 2020/21 season. The Cab has produced hundreds of plays, old and new, alongside musicals and musical revues, comedy shows, dance, performance art, and genre-defying performance. Our supporters have made this storied history happen. With their partnership, we continue this tradition into 2024 and beyond.
JOIN US FOR DINNER The Anchor Spa at Yale Cabaret will be offering a dinner service for our 8pm Thursday through Saturday performances accepting orders from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
at Yale Cabaret
The Anchor Spa boasts a pan-Caribbean menu and an outstanding cocktail program that represents a voyage around the world, including some unique international spirits rarely sampled in the U.S. From picking herbs a la minute from their garden to brewing up syrups and roasting their designer garnishes, The Anchor Spa applies the highest level of craft bartending principles in the pursuit of fun like no one else.
Chef Kendall Thigpen welcomes you back!
JOIN US AT THE BAR Yale Cabaret will have a bar open 30 minutes before all performances including at intermission and after the show. You can find a range of alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and snacks for sale at the bar!
OUR SUPPORTERS
Yale Cabaret is DGSD’s student-run theater and operates with the support of our generous donors. Your donation goes a long way to support the many artists that work in our theater. Please consider making a donation today and help us create in our Sandbox! Champion ($2,500 - $4,999)
Wendy Davies
Show Sponsor ($500 - $999)
L.T. Gourzong The Mooney Basile Family Bill & Sharon Reynolds Paul Walsh
Supporter ($100 - $249)
Donald & Mary Brown Jerry Lodynsky Christine E Wall
Partner ($1,000 - $2,499)
Nina Adams & Moreson Kaplan Joan Channick Lynn Doucette-Stamm Bennett Pudlin & Ann Judd Enthusiast ($250 - $499)
James Bundy and Anne Tofflemire Ramiro Daniel Diaz Pamela Jordan Chantal Rodriguez Florie Seery Josh Taylor Advocate ($50 - $99)
Alicia Guevara Carla L. Jackson In Honor of Edgar Melgar
DONATE NOW!
THANKS TO OUR TECH WEEK SPONSORS
WHAT’S NEXT! MOONIE
October 26th - October 28th
Solo Piece Written and Performed By: Stefani Kuo Directed By: Jisun Kim Moonie is 30 and has decided to go on dates with 100 men this year. TODAY, SHE IS GOING ON HER 88TH! Will Moonie find love on the 88th date? Will her mother finally stop asking why she’s still single? And most importantly, will she be able to preserve her entire family line?
SEASON 56 FESTIVAL November 30th - December 2nd
Coming Soon!
GET YOUR SEASON PASS TODAY!
Flex passes can be used throughout the season to attend any Cabaret Season 56 production (excluding CAB 5 & CAB 9). See our website for more information.
GUIDE FOR ENGAGEMENT AT TODAY’S SHOW 1. You’re ready for a wrist-taking performance if you’re wearing a pink bracelet. 2. We only have 45 minutes to get through this tale! You can decide the order of our story by yelling one of the letters on the stage. 3. You may be asked to write some lines of text for us. 4. You may be asked to join the players on stage for some scenes or engage in a conversation from your seat. 5. You may be asked to help us build the world by engaging with our props. 6. We respect boundaries. You can say no at any point! You can do this by saying, “no” or biting your thumb at us. YALE CABARET 217 PARK STREET | 203.432.1566 YALECABARET.ORG