A note from the Producers: Thank you for joining the Rough Drafts Festival! You are entering a space of creation - a launch pad for artists in process to see what soars and what needs more work. You are invited to share that process and experience our artists’ triumphs as they take their work to the next level. The past year has been a rough draft for many of us, giving us time and space to consider how we might want to reenter the world after the pandemic, shedding what no longer serves us and nurturing other parts of ourselves we never before had time to cultivate. Now is an opportunity to push ourselves to produce our next hit and become our best version. Each piece in our festival is unique and moving. We applaud the bravery of these artists as they invite you to witness them honing their craft, and we encourage you to pay close attention. The potential in each piece is bursting at the screen. And today, we value process over product and people over productivity - in ourselves and in our work. Join us. -The RDF Producing Team Sarah Scafidi, Cameron Frostbaum, Eugenio Sáenz Flores, Safwon Farmer
A note from the CAB TEAM: Cab 53 has been the season of the rough draft in so many ways. As the ground shifts constantly beneath our feet, we adapt, evolve, and reemerge stronger than before. We’ve had to get comfortable being messy as we learn and relearn what theater can be. In The Parable of the Sower, author Octavia Butler wrote, “The only lasting truth is change.” We have certainly found that to be the case this year, and we are so honored to bring you this Rough Drafts Festival to honor the process of creative growth and transformation. We think it is so courageous for these artists to share their works in progress with us and to invite us into their process. Let’s cheer them on as we celebrate the joy of making together. After all, what better way to celebrate than a big ole’ Festival? Thank you for supporting new work and the artists who make it. We’re grateful you are here. -Cab 53 Leadership Team Maeli Goren, Jisun Kim, Nicole E. Lang, and Matthew Sonnenfeld
Rough Drafts Festival Team A Celebration of Works in Progress
Festival team Festival Co-Producers Line Producers Stage Manager Sound Consultant
Cameron Frostbaum & Sarah Scafidi Eugenio Sáenz Flores & Safwon Farmer Bekah Brown Bryn Scharenberg
Special Thanks: Anthony Brown, Rudi Goblen, Tavia Hunt, Patrick Falcon, Alexander Boyce, Joan McIntosh, Sola Fadiran, Josh Wilder, Alexis Macedo, Anne Erbe and the entire class of Impossible Theater, Sarah Ruhl and the entire class of Adaptation, Josh Wilder and all the members of the Playwright’s Workshop, Mr. Murray, Makeda, Nandi, EJ, Shamiyah & Ramiyah, Cynthia Santos-DeCure, Rachel Kent, Ronald Kent, The Girls of Cotham Vale, Point Park University Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Screen and Stage
Rough drafts gallery find more magic in progress at www.yalecabaret.org/RDFhub Featuring: multimedia performances, visual art, music, and production renderings! Contributions by: Writer/Performer Maal Imani West, Students at ATLAS Middle School, Student Designers from the Yale School of Drama, Composer Samantha Wolf, Vox Machina, Composer Edward Elgar, and more!x The Rough Drafts Festival Gallery is free and open to all. Check it out today!
Saturday Festival Lineup Show times in Eastern Daylight Time.
For more information, visit the Festival Hub at www.yalecabaret.org/rdfhub
The Death of Ophelia........................2pm an outdoor reading streamed online
Pre Show Appetizer: Solo Performance Q&A ....................7pm
of a new English translation by Lauren Dubowski
a conversation with Festival artists about the ins and outs of solo performance
c/o the Popcorn King........................4pm
Iris & Maggie.......................................8pm
a solo performance in progress
a new play by Rebecca Kent
created and performed by Rob Raffety
shared as a radio performance with images
The death of ophelia a new translation *Talkback to follow How well do you know Shakespeare’s Ophelia? In 1906, the Polish playwright Stanisław Wyspiański endowed her with her own monologue—in which she opens her heart to the earth and sky in order to grapple with her trauma. Join us for an outdoor reading of The Death of Ophelia, live streamed online, in a new English-language translation.
Cast & CREATIVE TEAM Proposer & Translator Lauren Dubowski Director Bobbin Ramsey* Dramaturg Magda Kuźma* Ophelia Rebeca Robles* *indicates a Yale Cabaret Debut
Access Instructions: English closed captions available, image descriptions provided at the beginning Run Time: 40 minutes
C/O the popcorn king a solo performance in progress *Talkback to follow A middle-aged man revisits dated correspondence from his childhood pen pal, Orville Redenbacher, inspiring him to pursue his latent dream to launch a franchise of highly interactive brick and mortar popcorn themed restaurants. Join us online to experience excerpts from this solo performance-in-progress!
CREATIVE TEAM Proposer, Writer, Performer Rob Raffety* New Media (A/V) Gauben Lara* Creative/Digital Design Olivier Ballou* Videographer/Editor Travis Edwards* Voiceover Talent Caleb Brown* Dramaturgy Consultant Hannah Gellman *indicates a Yale Cabaret Debut
Access Instructions: English closed captions available Run Time: 30 minutes
Pre show appetizer:
Solo performance Q and a Ever wonder what it’s like to get up on the stage? Would you do it alone? Many of the Rough Drafts projects are being performed solo. Grab your favorite beverage or snack and join us as we sit down with actress Rebeca Robles (The Death of Ophelia & The Nobleman) and writer/ performer Rob Raffety (c/o The Popcorn King) to talk about the ins and outs of solo performance! We’ll delve into what goes into the creation of solo work as well as how to connect with an audience over Zoom. After some moderated questions, we’ll open the floor for a Q&A!
Iris and maggie a new audio play reading *Talkback to follow Maggie & Iris are twenty-one and best friends. When Maggie gets pregnant, she escapes to London and makes a life for herself in sex work as a new kind of Soho Madame. Iris becomes an English teacher back in Brighton. When Iris has her own baby, the women must confront how their diverging paths have shaped their values around sex, sex as a business, and women’s empowerment. visit the the rough drafts gallery to see costume and scenic renderings!
CREATIVE TEAM Rebecca Kent Kitty Cassetti Cat Raynor Henriëtte Rietveld
Proposer, Writer, Director Costume Design Set Design Dramaturg
CAST Violet Tyler Cruz Maggie Olivia Cygan Iris Madeline Seidman Abbey Karen Killeen* Paul Thomas Pang Freddy/Mark Mihir Kumar Jim/Man Patrick Falcón Sister Josephine/Kate Isuri Wijesundara Milly/ Rosie Tavia Hunt Stage Directions Rebecca Kent *indicates a Yale Cabaret Debut
Access Instructions: English closed captions Run Time: 90 minutes Content Advisory: Frank discussion of sex, sexuality, and sex work.
Mission and Values Yale Cabaret is an artistic community that invites students from the Yale School of Drama and our neighbors throughout greater Yale University and New Haven to imagine utopia. We artist-explorers join in spirit and space to make theater that manifests our wildest collaborative visions. Fueled by the values of symbiotic collaboration, neighborliness, accountability, and wonder, we discover how much we can make, experience, and imagine together. The state of Connecticut and Yale University occupy the ancestral lands of the Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Niantic, and Quinnipiac and other Algonquian speaking peoples. We honor and respect their stewardship of this land. Symbiotic Collaboration.
Neighborliness.
We approach each collaboration in pursuit of our utopian ideal- that every team member is fed and fulfilled artistically, intellectually, and spiritually. We will pursue new channels of collaboration and support artists in our community to develop sustainable and generative ways to work together, because that creates JOY.
The Cab is a space for learning, growth, and the joy of storytelling for current YSD students as well as for our neighbors at greater Yale and throughout New Haven. The stories and artistic approaches on our stage will be inclusive and accessible to all in our community.
Accountability. The Cab has a responsibility to foster open and direct communication between our leadership, artists, and the communities we serve. Each member of our community is empowered to contribute to its betterment, and every member makes a difference.
Wonder. The Cab will cultivate surprise and artistic innovation. We are explorers in search of “wow”. Pushing the boundaries of theatrical expression and innovation with a well-proportioned season of courageous new plays, reinventions of established plays, and devised and multidisciplinary works, design-driven explorations, and work that is non-text-driven, The Cab strives to ignite our community’s imagination.
Please visit our website to see more about our advocacy work including our community spotlight and our features on Black Women and TGNBGNC playwrights www.yalecabaret.org
Leadership Team Co-Artistic Directors Maeli Goren Jisun Kim Nicole E. Lang
Managing Director Matthew Sonnenfeld
Staff Technical Supervisors Nic Benavides Cameron Waitkun
Cabaret Assistants Natalie King Jacob Santos
Graphic Design Mikayla Johnson
Website Design Camilla Tassi
Accessibility Assistant Whitney Andrews Accessibility Researcher Madeline Charne
Preshow Design John Horzen
Artistic Associates Collaborative Leadership Maeli Goren
Design- Lighting Graham Zellers
New Works Benjamin Benne
Communication Management Edmond O’Neal
Design- Projections Henry Rodriguez
Performance Tavia Hunt
Community Collaboration Madeline Charne Eliza Orleans
Design- Scenic Miguel Urbino
Producing Annabel Guevara
Design- Sound Bailey Trierweiler
Storytelling Faith Zamblé
Design- Costumes Phuong Nguyen
Imagination Manifestor Laura Copenhaver
Board of Directors Matthew Suttor, Chair Benjamin Benne Sami Cubias
Kelvin Dinkins, Jr. Anna Glover Reed Northrup Linda-Cristal Young
More to Explore Community Spotlight- Love Fed New Haven For our final Cab 53 Community Spotlight, we are proud to feature Love Fed New Haven, a project feeding communities with love and empowering people through food. Visit the spotlight page on our website to learn about their mission and check out our recent interview with Founder and Visionary Raven A. Blake. Visit www.yalecabaret.org/community-spotlight for more information!
Giving Levels Our Donors Make this virtual season possible! Make your donation today! Cabaret Season Sponsors $5000 • • •
Recognition in the footer of our website Recognition in all pre-show reels Plus, all the perks below
Cabaret Champions $2500 • • •
One Full Season Membership Dinner virtually with the Artistic Directors and Managing Director Plus, all the perks below
Cabaret Partners $1000 • •
Recognition in all pre-show reels Plus, all the perks below
Cabaret Show Sponsors $500 • •
Recognition during your show’s curtain speech & preshow reel Plus, all the perks below
Cabaret Enthusiasts $250 • •
Personalized thank you video from the Artistic Directors and Managing Director Plus, all the perks below
Cabaret Supporters $100 • •
Invitation to all Cabaret donor parties throughout the season Plus, all the perks below
Cabaret Friends $20 • •
Listing in the Cabaret progams Plus, all the perks below
Cabaret contributors <$20 •
Listing on the Cabaret website
**Corporate matching gifts are also a great way for you to double your contribution to Yale Cabaret. Check to see if your company has a gift matching program.
For more information, please visit our website, www.yalecabaret.org or call the Managing Director at 203-432-8338.
Our Donors Since its founding in 1968, the Yale Cabaret has been a place where Yale School of Drama students can experiment with new theatrical forms and develop our artistry outside of the classroom. With the generous support of our donors, we build on our rich legacy to make space for students and the greater New Haven community to grow together through self-expression and artistic exploration.
Cabaret PartnerS Nina Adams & Moreson Kaplan Santino Blumetti Ann Judd & Bennett Pudlin Eric Nold & Ramond Curtis Matthew Suttor Yale Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration Cabaret Show Sponsors Asian Potluck Beyond Borders David Budries Wendy Davies^ Joan Channick & Ruth Hein Schmitt Betty & Josh Goldberg Molly & Matthew Goren Latiana “LT” Gourzong Armando Huipe Bill & Sharon Reynolds Sylvia Van Sinderen & James Sinclair Ken Sonnenfeld & Peg Brivanlou Paul Walsh Yale MacMillian Center Council on East Asian Studies ^ indicates the show sponsor(s) for this Live Production
Cabaret Enthusiasts Donald & Mary Brown Pamela C. Jordan Patrick T. Seaver Cabaret Supporters Liz Diamond Leon & Megan Doyon Andrea Graham Ellen Lange Lockheed Martin Amy Povich & David Agus Kevin P. Rogers Bob & Theresa Simon Anne Tofflemire & James Bundy
Our Donors Continued Cabaret Friends Monica Fennell Shawn Polizzi Jessica Armstrong Dianne Moira Hamilton Katherine Ann Profetta Joanie Banks-Hunt James Hannaham Oakton A. Reynolds James Ball Ethan Heard Andrew Scharenberg Christine Barker Colleen M. Hyche Bryn Scharenberg Laurie Beitz Danielle Karliner Rachel Shuey Martha O. Boateng Amy Marotta Katz Jennifer Sims Katherine & Chava Burgueño Jordan Katz Audrey Sostak John Carlson Benjamin Kent Evelyn Spann Gretchen Carvajal Maggie Lally R. Lee Stump Rhona Ceppos Ann Lobdell Carolee Walker Katie E. Chipungu Mary-Margaret McLeod Jenny Weiss Theodore M. Cruz Janet Miller Walton Wilson Lissa M. Drewniak Jim & Eileen Mydosh Marilyn G. Zieserl Hugh D. Farrell, Jr. Jenny Nelson Mary Zihal Cabaret Contributors Ryan Richard Petersburg Erica Adarkwa Thaihera LeSian Nurse Katherine Dymek David Porter Terrease Aiken Xuan Li Leong Jaylen De’Andre Eashmond Nora Proops Igor Akimushkin Andrew Lodynsky Elizabeth Emmanuel Suzanne Sherman Propp Amy Angelastro Samuel Lopez Christopher Ewell Nabil R Alexandra L. Anthony Petra Lord Cassie Fraser-Ball Maggie Ramseur Dani Barlow Erin MacDonnell Gordon C. Gaynor Gabi Rubenstein Chad S. Birmingham Joan MacIntosh Carlos Godoy Parejo Elizabeth Schell Elizabeth Bolster Hannah Marsh Emily Gordon Thomas Seller & Amy Boratko & Alex Speiser Christopher Gottschalk Amanda Martinez Gideon Lester Brian Boyd Gary Marx & Helen Haje Lois Shaukat Molly Boyle Donna Sonnenfeld Maurice L. Harris Nomè SiDone Nicole Brewer Giulia Mascali Laurie Heineman Laura Silvestri Ruth A. Brown Jacqueline Ann Mastrianni Sanelma Heinonen Robert Stubbs Sharon Brown Bryan Mcgill Robert Homer Annie Stutzman Edwin Buckingham Miranda Z. McGuireWinston Hovekamp Michael Tayag Bobby Burvant Schwartz Melanie Adele Hyche Ricarda Tomlin Paulo Cabral Vestak McIntyre Gabrielle Jackson Philip Toop Katina Calakos Jennifer McTiernan Maria Jiang Hannah Tran Yomi Calloway Daphne Milner Angeline Jones Suzanne Tucker Aaron Calrderon Stephanie Mitchell Beth A. Jones Elizabeth A. Tullis Carla E. Chappel Max Monnig Susan Kalt Brad Waters Rebecca Cramer Kenneth Morford Melissa A. Kaplan Michelle Welsh Carol Cui Walter Lynn Mosley Fran Karliner Noelle Wiggins Roze Czekala Vivien Ng Katherine A. Kay Sarah P. Wilson Janet E. Davidson Ellen Novack Rachel Kent Darron Leigh Wolf Jen DiBella Cleo M. O’Brien-Udry Karen A. Killeen Jessica Wolf Katherine M. DiGiulio Joshua Olin Irwin Krieger Chloe Zimmerman LaRaisha Dionne Rene Manuel Otero Ernest Kwarteng Scott Zotto Moira Donovan Andrew Paton Raphael Lecat Claire Dunnett Melissa Lemons Sarah Paoletti
Thank you for your generous contributions!
217 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06511 203-432-1566 www.yalecabaret.org