On With the Show

I am getting ready for my Yale Drama Coalition retreat in New York City. The Coalition, or YDC, is the umbrella organization that oversees all theater performances at Yale, including Sudler Productions, the Yale Dramat, the Opera Theater and other shows.

The idea of umbrella makes me think of the acapella group, The Duke's Men, singing Rihanna's Umbrella:

I am having a good time participating in the board of this group. We intend to have a retreat in order to bond, plan the next year out and throw around new ideas for how we can improve theater at Yale. The reason Yale needs a YDC is that there are so many productions that go up each year that this group helps to coordinate everyone’s individual and group needs. We will run around Central Park, eat Thai food and swap favorite Broadway show anecdotes.

Like Forbidden Broadway:

The retreat is set for this Friday, where we would get on to the 5:30 train to the city. However, I found out this week that Stephen Schwartz is coming to Yale on Friday!!

The man who created Wicked, Pippin and Godspell is going to be sitting less than ten feet away from me talking about his work. Someone is going to have to hold me down I will be so excited. This talk is part of the Fridays at Five series sponsored by the Theater Studies department. I have talked to Sheldon Harnick and Alan Cumming (though I think that was hosted by the Yale Drama School). One component of the talk is a master class, where a select group gets to work with a professional on their acting. A group of Yale students will actually get to work with Stephen Schwartz. What!?! I told the retreat group I would be a little late.

A note about anyone who is thinking about participating or auditioning for theater: most of the auditions for shows for the whole semester occur in the first two weeks, around shopping period. It will be less easy to figure out audition dates than dance or singing auditions, because each show does not have a booth at the Fall Activities Fair. The first thing you should do is attend the open YDC meeting in September and hear about all the shows that go up. You will get to hear plot summaries and meet the production teams for each group. YDC will also be hosting a one-hour “What Not to Do at a Yale Audition” session as well. Auditions can be found on the 220 York Street door or at www.yaledramacoalition.org. Sign up quickly.

Segue into some photos from A Chorus Line, the show I directed last semester:

While I have sung and danced in a musical or two, I have found that I really enjoy directing and choreographing. Another thing I would like to advise you guys to think about is not to be afraid to push forward your own projects. It is definitely a good idea to think about assistant directing or stage managing to get to know the theater community and pick up techniques and tips. However, now that it is the end of my junior year, I really wish I had decided to direct by myself sophomore year. If you have a script you wrote in high school or feel comfortable collaborating with freshmen you meet in your building, I would encourage that. There is funding for shows, there are plenty of people who want to be in the shows, and Yale loves your creativity.