David Geffen School of Drama at Yale

"Oh, the Drama!" Episode 6 is now streaming wherever you listen to podcasts!

Design: ‘The Impossible…’: elucidates the artistry of theater design across all five disciplines taught at the School of Drama: lighting, projection, sound, costume, and scenic. Designers from each craft will illustrate how they approach adapting a playwright’s words and a director’s vision onto their chosen canvas, creating whole worlds in the process.

Guests include Oana Botez, Jill BC Du Boff, Jennifer Yuqing Cao, Wendall Harrington, Riccardo Hernández, Don Holder, Camilla Tassi, and Jennifer Tipton.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans and honors the resilience, achievements, and contributions of Black communities across generations.

As a community that gathers to create, learn, and engage with one another, we celebrate the impact of Black artists, scholars, students, educators, and leaders whose voices continue to shape our field. We recognize Juneteenth as a time for reflection, celebration, and a renewed commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging.

"Oh, the Drama!" Episode 5 is now streaming
wherever you listen to podcasts!

Stage Management: ‘All the Wheel’s a Stage’: After the director and the designers all leave and the house lights go down, the theater is the stage manager’s domain. They’re an air traffic controller and flight attendant in one, the center of a spoked wheel. And without them, a production can quickly go south. This episode will explain the critical artistic role a stage manager plays in making it possible for every member of the cast and crew to do their best work.

Guests the week include Narda E. Alcorn, Ben Pfister, Taylor Oliva, Payton Gunner, and AK Howard.

"Oh, the Drama!" Episode 4 is now streaming wherever you listen to podcaats!

Directing: ‘It’s Alive!’: The director’s job is vast and difficult to define. It’s also spiritual, bringing “life in all of its facets” from the page to the stage. We’ll follow along as Yale directors unearth the life in a text, inspire and guide actors’ performances, and translate visions from imagination to reality.

Guests the week include Lileana Blain-Cruz, Jasmine Brooks, Tess Cruz, Liz Diamond, Ethan Heard, and Evan Yionoulis.

PRIDE

The month of June invites us to celebrate the many ways LGBTQIA+ communities continue to shape art, culture, scholarship, and collective life. Rooted in resistance and sustained through community, Pride is both a recognition of history and an affirmation of the right to live, create, and gather authentically.
We honor the q***r and trans artists, students, faculty, staff, and advocates whose work expands the stories we tell and strengthens the communities we build together.

Oh, the Drama! Episode 3, Theater Management: "The People Industry" is now available wherever you get your podcasts!

On paper, a theater management degree looks a lot like an MBA. But theater managers are in the business of people, not only balancing budgets, but also creating a culture where artists can do their best work. They’re also at the forefront of change, crafting policies and tackling challenges ranging from artificial intelligence to institutional racism.

Guests include Josh Borenstein, Raekwon Fuller, Chloe Knight, Reynaldi Lindner Lolong, Shaunda McDill, Carmen Morgan, and Maya Simon.

MEMORIAL DAY

Today we pause to remember and honor those who gave their lives in service to this country, including those in our community who carry memories of loved ones who served.

As we gather with family, friends, and community this weekend, we extend our gratitude to all who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Oh, the Drama!

Episode 2: 'Playwriting: A Work in Progress’ is now available wherever you get your podcasts.

Playwriting is far from the solitary art many picture. In this episode, we learn how Yale playwrights use workshopping and collaboration to sharpen their scripts and hone their artistic voices.

Guests include Marcus Gardley, Emily Breeze, Sarah Ruhl, Nia Robinson, and Rolin Jones.

"Oh, the Drama!" Episode 1, Opening Night: ‘Revolution Is Always in the Air’ is out now!

This is the story of how the drama school came to be. We hear how “restless student artists” have helped make the drama school, with its remarkable pantheon of alumni, what it was and is - over the past hundred years and beyond. Guests include Irene Lewis, James Magruder, and Catherine Sheehy.

Listen, like, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Fasten your seatbelts, like, and subscribe! 🫖☕️

"Oh, the Drama!," a ten-episode podcast celebrating the centennial of David Geffen School of Drama, debuts Wednesday, May 13.

Tony and Emmy Award winner Courtney B. Vance ('86) is your host as we explore 100 years of extraordinary productions, sensational student stories, triumphs, and challenges that have shaped the School we know today.

Listen to the trailer now wherever you get your podcasts!