School Notes: David Geffen School of Drama
November/December 2016

Celebrating 50 years of Yale Rep

Yale Repertory Theatre, the internationally celebrated professional theater in residence at Yale School of Drama, is celebrating its 50th anniversary season this year with a series of special free public events on the Yale campus, in New Haven, and in New York City.

Three exhibitions sharing the title Yale Rep at 50: Daring Artists, Bold Choices help to tell the theater’s story. The first, at the Study at Yale hotel in New Haven this fall, featured 19 iconic images from Yale Rep productions. On view from January 10 to April 8 at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is a collection of more than 70 production photographs featuring some of the American theater’s most distinguished actors on the Yale Rep stage. And an exhibit of ephemera—programs, advertising materials, props lists, prompt books, and more—will provide some historical context to the photography exhibits, and will be mounted at Yale’s Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library from January 12 through March 31.

On October 7 Yale Rep hosted a panel discussion entitled “50 Years of Yale Rep: A Conversation with Theatre Makers Present at the Creation, Along the Way, and Today.” Panelists included founding artistic director and former dean Robert Brustein; current artistic director and dean James Bundy ’95MFA; original Yale Rep company member Carmen de Lavallade; multiple Emmy- and Golden Globe–nominated actor Jane Kaczmarek ’82MFA; two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl (faculty); Tony Award–nominated actor Kimberly Scott ’87MFA; Resident dramaturg Catherine Sheehy ’92, ’99DFA; former artistic director Stan Wojewodski Jr.; and Tony Award–winning resident set designer Michael Yeargan ’73MFA, chair of design. The event was moderated by playwright and novelist James Magruder ’88, ’92DFA.

Since 1966 Yale Repertory Theatre has produced well over 100 premieres—including two Pulitzer Prize winners and four other nominated finalists—by emerging and established playwrights. Twelve Yale Rep productions have advanced to Broadway, garnering more than 40 Tony Award nominations and eight Tony Awards. Yale Rep is also the recipient of the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.