School Notes: David Geffen School of Drama
May/June 2017

New leadership for technical design and production

Shaminda Amarakoon ’12MFA has been appointed chair of the technical design and production department and director of production at Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre, for a three-year term effective July 1. He succeeds Bronislaw (Ben) Sammler ’74MFA, the Henry McCormick Professor Adjunct of Technical Design and Production, who will step down June 30 from his duties as chair (which he has held since 1980) and head of production. Sammler will continue on the faculty part time, teaching Structural Design for the Stage, and will also consult on plans for a new facility to house both the School of Drama and Yale Rep.

Works selected for 2017 Institute for Music Theatre

The Yale Institute for Music Theatre, under the artistic direction of Mark Brokaw ’86MFA, has selected two original book musicals for this year’s two-week summer lab: Cowboy Bob, created by Molly Beach Murphy, Jeanna Phillips, and Annie Tippe, with book by Molly Beach Murphy and music and lyrics by Jeanna Phillips; and Gumbo, music by Brett Macias and book and lyrics by Christina Quintana. The 2017 Institute, which runs June 10–25 at Yale School of Drama, will culminate with open rehearsal readings of each project, presented as part of the annual International Festival of Arts & Ideas, on June 23 and 24. In addition, Gordon Leary and Julia Meinwald, authors of Pregnancy Pact, which was developed in the 2011 edition of the Institute, are returning this year to work on their musical REB + VoDKa + ME as this year’s Alumni Residents.