This concert-style rendition of “Songs for a New World” explores the emotional nuances of the human experience through vignettes centered around characters facing a complex decision. Characters range from soulful ship captains to teenage basketball players. The introspective power of theater is demonstrated by the specificity of the characters, the complexity of their relationships and the audience’s ability to empathize with them. 

“A message that all the characters learn by the end, especially as they go through their often scary decisions, is this concept of ‘we’re going to get through it,’” said actor Leo Rael ’28.  “No matter what you’re facing, you can keep going with the help of your loved ones and the people around you.”

Since November 2024, the cast and crew have been working diligently to bring to life the high-stakes, musical scenes of “Songs for a New World.” Every number is a climactic moment in the life of the on-stage protagonist. 

While the storylines of the musical numbers are different, director Rena Kawasaki ’27 was intentional in pursuing a cohesive storytelling method. When a character is not singing, they either sit on the stairs or in the aisle. The goal is for the audience to feel as if they’re “watching a story being told around a campfire,” said Kawasaki.

Featuring distinct settings and nuanced relationships, the cast of four actors have the daunting task of developing complex characters within the five-minute life of a song. 

“Wherever you start the song is a different place than where you end it,” said actor Hannah Kurczeski ’26. “Figuring out the journey for each character is really exciting.”

However, the actors are not alone in their pursuit of verisimilitude. On an intentionally sparse stage that makes use of abstractism, the intricacies of each vignette are conveyed through technical choices. Lighting is adjusted to match tone, and costumes are changed to complement the time period.

Non-canonical methods are also employed to further immerse the audience in the story. Dancers use movement to weave the stories together, and musicians enter scenes to act as plot devices.

The highly collaborative nature of the musical has sprouted fruitful relationships between the cast and crew, said Rael. The passion and love for the show is demonstrated not only by the long hours spent working on the production, but also by the camaraderie of the team.

“She could understudy for any of the dancers in a second,” said Rael, about stage manager Amelia Shaw ’28. “It’s so awesome to see everyone so passionate about this.”

Passion is essential for a show of this nature. Featuring intense emotions and high stakes, the palpability of such abstract themes is only achieved through the actors’ passion for the material.

While the elements of the physical set are visually immersive, the music emotionally captivates the viewer. Beyond dialogue and lyrics, the melodies adapt to the tone of each story. Musical styles vary widely, encompassing the vivacity of pop and the sentimentality of gospel. 

“It’s such a powerful mode of storytelling, because I think brains are quicker to make different associations with it,” said Kurczeski. “I just really believe that music moves people and is a way to connect with them emotionally and burrow into their hearts and into their minds.”

The importance of music as a storytelling device is further emphasized by the staging. The crew melded emotionally and visually immersive elements by formatting the stage to offer a 360 degree view to the audience. In addition to a multi-angle perspective, designers also decided to keep the pit orchestra on stage for the entirety of the show. 

“The audience is going to see a pretty vibrant display of the orchestra and the ensemble,” said producer Alice Cui ’27.

According to Kawasaki, the production strived to make theater more accessible — to both veterans and newcomers to the stage. While some cast and crew members are pursuing theater and art academically, Kawasaki was intentional in recruiting people with passion rather than experience.

“College is a cool place to experiment with things you’ve never done before,” said Kawasaki. “I want people to watch this and not look at theater as something that is really scary but more fun.”

From the orchestra to the actors, members of the company pursued this project out of a love for theater.

Through immersive musical and visual elements, “Songs for a New World” offers audience members a glimpse into the determining moments of a person’s life. 

“Songs for a New World” was Jason Robert Brown’s first musical to be performed at New York City Center. 

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A centerpiece of the theatrical canon, “Macbeth” questions the limits of power and the morality of its pursuit. The cautionary tale follows Scottish general Macbeth, who begins a bloody hunt for the crown after three witches prophesy his ascent to the throne. What ensues are supernatural encounters, paranoid outbursts and devolutions into insanity. 

“The show is notorious for themes of fate, destiny and playing with the metaphysical forces that alter your life,” said actor Sophia Schwaner ’26, who plays Lady Macbeth. “It’s ultimately two people who are quite terrified, experiencing passion, lust for power and lust for each other.”

Guerra, according to Ryan Chao ’28, is a Shakespearean “fanatic.” Guerra’s interpretation of the piece spotlights the sophistication of the literature and condenses the play to its most emotionally significant moments. 

In part, abridging the text was a strategy to accommodate for the smaller cast. Large banquets or courtroom scenes were not feasible with an ensemble of only six actors. 

However, a cut script didn’t do much to lessen the work of the actors. The process of embodying a character involved more than rote memorization, said Chao. 

“You have to find a way of presenting [the text] to the audience so they can understand,” said Chao. “But the actors need to understand it first.”

According to the actors, they explored both the emotional significance and the literal meaning of the literature. The cast wanted the audience members to comprehend the action and feel the energy, even if they didn’t literally understand the words. 

Guerra’s production places great emphasis on dialogue. While the actors are bedecked in Elizabethan fashion, the set is modest in its design. 

What stands out, however, is the throne that sits dramatically on stage for the length of the play. Its powerful presence serves as a constant reminder of what is at stake.

“The set pieces are almost like poetic metaphors,” said Schwaner. “Our director has picked the most salient parts of the story and preserved some of the realism of this time period through the costumes.”

Historical accuracy is often a major point of contention regarding interpretations of Shakespearean texts. Critics slandered the most recent adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” for “treating Shakespeare’s text violently.”

While Guerra’s revival might not be “modern” in terms of costumes or set, some might argue that the “genderbending” of several characters imposes 21st-century social attitudes onto the text. How does the story of Macbeth change when he is played by a woman?

Notably, the original pronouns in the text remain the same. When approaching the challenge of playing Macbeth, Rose Hansen ’25 said that she attempted to reflect Macbeth’s masculinity into her acting.  

“There are ways that I try to embody [Macbeth’s] version of masculinity,” said Hansen. “No one’s going to forget that I’m a woman. It’s not about tricking the audience, it’s about the physical cues that I can use to indicate to the audience to read this character as a very powerful, privileged and demanding man.”

The notion of genderbending characters is often seen as a radical change in terms of literary interpretation. However, the Bard was notorious for playing with gender and joking about sex. 

Sixteenth century Shakespeare productions were performed entirely by men, including the female characters — leading scholars of drama to argue that queer interpretations of Shakespeare’s work come closer to embodying the original productions as opposed to “traditional” ones. 

Ultimately, the focus is on the text.

“There is an interesting layer that it brings to the production,” said Hansen. “We’re used to this very strong male figure saying these lines. Hearing those words in my person gives you a little bit to chew on.” 

“Macbeth” will run in the Davenport-Pierson Auditorium April 4 and 5.

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For Esther, a talented but lonely seamstress, stitching together silk and lace is a breeze compared to the challenge of stitching together her hopes of love, stability and belonging. The Spring Mainstage will run from April 2 to 5 in the University Theater. Tickets are available here. 

“It’s a story of friendship. It’s a story of struggle. And it’s a story about a woman learning to love herself,” said producer Angelica Peruzzi ’27. 

“Intimate Apparel” follows Esther, as she navigates a series of complex relationships in her ultimate pursuit of opening up a beauty parlor for Black women and finding the love of her life. For now, however, she is a seamstress who makes exquisite lingerie for her clients, who range from wealthy women to prostitutes. 

The show is a delicate exploration of race, gender, class and the quiet strength of a woman pursuing dignity and love. 

“It’s called ‘Intimate Apparel’ for a reason,” said Peruzzi. “We really want to make sure the audiences feel like they’re interacting with Esther as they get such a special little view into her life.” 

Esther is played by Elizabeth Swaine ’27. Finally returning to the Dramat Stage after her performance in last year’s FroShow “Dance Nation,” she said that she was excited to portray such a nuanced character. 

“Esther is hardworking and very driven, and I think that for me, it was about trying to balance those characteristics with tenderness and desire for love,” she said.

To Swaine, Esther believes that it is “never too late to create the life that you want for yourself.” Even though things do not always work out, Esther continues to dream — a mantra that deeply resonates with Swaine. 

Rounding out the small cast is a talented array of Yale actors. Playing the no-nonsense, pragmatic landlady Mrs. Dickinson is Gia George-Burgher ’26, while Richard George ’27 plays the charming yet complex George.

Mr. Marks, the shy, soft-spoken Romanian-Jewish fabric seller is played by Lucas Oland ’26. Additional actors include Asia Anderson ’28 as Mayme and Chloe Benardete ’28 as Mrs. Van Buren. 

“The characters have a lot of heart,” Swaine said. “In different ways, they are longing for a connection. I think that that’s something that a lot of people can relate to.”

The Dramat’s Mainstages are always directed by professional directors. This Spring show will be directed by New York-based director Chesray Dolpha. 

She has a rich directorial history, including working with the Theater Development Fund, St. Ann’s Warehouse and The Dream Center in Harlem. 

“She cares so much about making sure that everyone’s well-being is always prioritized and that everyone finds the experience fulfilling,” said Peruzzi. 

According to Peruzzi, Dolpha came into the process with a clear dogma: “process over production over perfection.” 

She wanted to create a space that encouraged actors to reach their full potential without over-exerting them. 

“She’s brought valuable experience to this project,” said Alex Shadman ’27, the stage manager. 

Dolpha’s experience and expertise is invaluable to Shadman. He said that working alongside her will undoubtedly contribute to his “future work here at Yale.”

Swaine echoed these feelings, describing the whole experience as filled with “kind individuals” that have made the whole experience worthwhile. 

“Intimate Apparel” welcomes audiences with its promise of tender romance and quiet beauty, but leaves them with a deeper meditation on resilience, self-worth and the enduring strength of connection.

“I encourage people to learn from Esther’s perseverance,” said Swaine. 

As the producer, Peruzzi has been preparing for these performances since last spring. Now that the time has finally arrived, she is excited to finally share this important story. 

“A lot of times we refrain from telling our stories because we think that no one’s gonna care about our individual experience,” she said. 

“What’s inspiring to me,” she continued, “is to think that this is one woman’s story — one woman’s life, one woman’s experience — and should empower other women to understand that the uniqueness of your life is what actually makes it important for you to tell the story. Your individual experience matters.”

“Intimate Apparel” is a beautiful quilt of experiences that, when woven together, create an inspiring story of resilience in the face of adversity. 

The play was written by Lynn Nottage in 2003 and debuted at Center Stage Baltimore the same year.

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In 1920s Harlem, motivated by the chance for love, Ella Robinson makes the life-changing decision to “pass” as a white woman. Not only does this decision to conceal her Blackness come at the cost of a name change, from Ella to Eleanor, it also mars her relationship with her family.

Fast-forward to the 21st century. In pursuit of fame and success in Hollywood, Brooklyn Robinson uses her racial ambiguity to pass as a white woman. Under her new identity as Brooke, she achieves her wildest dreams and makes it big. Unbeknownst to Brooke, she is set to repeat the history of her great-great-grandmother, Ella.

“It’s ultimately a story about family legacy,” said Brown. “We have to face our histories head on, or we will continue to make mistakes.”

A triple threat, Brown wrote the book, lyrics and music of this piece of musical historical fiction. “Little White Lies” is a senior thesis in music, acting and choreography for Brown, Victoria Pekel ’25 and Camille Lawson ’25, respectively. 

Grounded in the history of racial passing, a process in which people of color are perceived as white in the United States, “Little White Lies” takes on the challenge of sharing a story little told. 

The 1920s United States was a racially polarized environment, with intense public scrutiny on racial boundaries. The notion of racial passing moved to the forefront of public discourse. 

While historical scholarship on the topic is abundant, personal testimonies of those who racially pass are sparse. 

Imaginative storytelling comes into play within this gap between known history and individual narratives. Popular works such as Langston Hughes’ poem and Nella Larsen’s novel, both titled “Passing,” are examples of fiction that fill in these historical gaps.

The latter novel, in fact, was the inspiration for Brown’s musical.

“I was in my junior year of high school writing a paper on Black feminism in the Harlem Renaissance, and I read Nella Larsen’s book ‘Passing,’ ” Brown said. “I thought, ‘This idea feels very theatrical.’ So, I wrote a song about this woman in the 1920s named Ella, who marries a white man and passes for white.”

The song was left to germinate and, in the summer after her sophomore year, blossomed into “Little White Lies.”

There were moments throughout the editing and writing process where Brown was forced to “kill [her] darlings.” Yet, Brown said that she overcame this challenge by focusing on the heart of the story and the messages she wanted to convey.

“Natalie genuinely has the ability to craft beautiful and emotive musical compositions,” said Alika Osadolor Hernandez ’25, invited to view the dress rehearsal as an audience member. “I cannot wait for audiences to witness this, including those beyond Yale.” 

Rather than making moral judgment, the musical focuses on the desires and motivations of the characters, said Pekel. Though the leading women are morally gray, one can’t help but want the best for them, she continued. 

Pekel, who plays both Ella and Brooke, connected with these characters through her conversations with family members. She shared the story of her great-grandmother, who told her that her own grandmother, an enslaved woman, considered passing as white. 

“That kind of juxtaposition is born out of societal expectations and the world that we live in, but it’s also an individual choice,” said Pekel of Eleanor and Brooke’s decisions. “She still makes choices that hurt her friends and family, even while she thinks ‘I didn’t create this world — it’s not my fault that it’s working out.’” 

While Brooke’s choice to change her racial identity may appear extreme, the play contextualizes and complicates this decision. 

Brooke’s decision to assimilate into whiteness to succeed in the entertainment industry is not entirely fictional. Actors such as Chloe Bennet and Mindy Kaling have said that their name changes were motivated to be deemed more palatable for the public. 

“[Passing] leads into this modern day conversation about casting and representation in the arts,” said Pekel. “The United States biracial population has grown in insane ways, and I still don’t think ‘the arts’ know what to do … Do you cast them as Black, or white or both?” 

The 1920s scenery in the musical is made to appear as if the audience is looking at an old photograph. Sepia-toned lights, lovingly-worn furniture and period-piece clothing meld to create a vintage style.

The 21st-century setting is more vibrant in comparison, referencing modern fixtures such as social media. The performance space — the black box at 53 Wall St. — was designed to immerse audience members on all sides of the theater. 

The themes of identity and legacy had profound impacts on viewers who saw the show at the invited dress rehearsal, they said.

“It is a heartfelt and genuine story that is clearly written with care and creativity,” said Casia Provencal ’26. 

While tickets online are sold out, Brown encourages students to stay on the waitlist, as odds of getting off the waitlist are quite high.

Performances of “Little White Lies” will span over four shows, from Feb. 27 to March 1.

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The story follows the cons and hijinks of a town rife with corruption, as its citizens attempt to hide their questionable activities from a visiting government inspector. These attempts don’t fully succeed, and when true intentions are revealed, the town is plunged into chaos. According to Kordonsky, his adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s play strives to remain true to the play’s original themes while still being relatable for a modern audience. 

“We all watch the same news and read the same papers, and that collective sense shouldn’t be ignored,” Kordonsky said. “So in that regard, the parts that excite me most will be the parts that will [stay true to the original]. A lot of it is driven by hunch and by an emotional, intellectual and philosophical connection with the text.”

Kordonsky said that working on the Yale Repertory Theatre’s adaptation felt similarly to working on a new play. The text acts as a starting point, said Kordonsky, and the rehearsal room becomes a space of creation and experimentation. 

According to actress Annelise Lawson DRA ’16, the ensemble’s connection with each other and Kordonsky facilitated the experimental nature of Kordonsky’s creative processes. The cast members are all graduates of the David Geffen School of Drama. Lawson elaborated that this shared educational background gave the actors a “common language” that contributed to a comfortable and exploratory environment.

According to Lawson, Kordonsky’s expertise as a director also played a significant role in the development of community within the ensemble. 

“He’s sensitive and insightful and playful and irreverent in his vision,” Lawson said. “He’s a really lovely person, and he trusts his collaborators to know how to do their work and is curious about what they have to offer.” 

The resulting vision, according to castmates, is a satirical and nuanced story of corruption, community and the pursuit of happiness. Despite being written over 200 years ago, the work has continued to be a theatrical favorite for its representation of the absurdity of human nature. 

The comedic elements of the play don’t detract from the serious consequences of corruption, which the play centers on. Are repercussions limited to the individuals involved, or do its  negative influences permeate all crevices of society?

To actor Brandon E. Burton ART ’20, the answer is the latter.

“It’s the people that suffer. Even if the people in power are in some way punished, the long term effects of corruption affect the people,” said Burton. 

Burton finds this production to be deeply relevant, considering the modern political climate of the United States. However, the connections are not explicit, said Burton, and it remains the audience’s decision to see ties between the happenings on stage and their current social landscape. 

While some members of the production find hope and a morbid sense of humor in the show’s continued relevance, some said that they felt disappointed in the fact that these issues are still pertinent and unresolved today. 

Despite this, the play does not establish moral superiority. Within the morally gray actions of the characters, empathy is cultivated. For better or for worse, the actors said that they hope audience members will be able to empathize and identify with the characters. 

“[The characters] are just making a moment to moment decision that seems best for them,” said Lawson. “These people are scared and sometimes stupid and hopeful and aspiring for a good life. Sometimes good things happen when people move that way, and sometimes bad things happen.”

From the postmaster secretly peeking at people’s mails to a government official taking bribes, every character’s motivations are fleshed out and, to a certain degree, understandable. 

But while corruption is essential to human nature, so is the desire for love and community, the play argues.  

“Society is being destroyed constantly by corruption and lack of morals, but then there is this countering force of love and hope for a better life,” said Kordonsky.

A timeless piece, Kordonsky’s adaptation of “The Inspector” will be performed at the Yale Repertory Theatre March 7-29.

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When Richie dies before his granddaughter is born, he decides to remain on Earth as a spirit to haunt his niece Plum. They encounter a myriad of characters — ghostly and living — from a skeletal cat to an immortal postman. Together, Richie and Plum must figure out how to move forward in their respective lives. Or, in Richie’s case, death.

“We consider death when we’re alive, right?” said Chang. “In this situation, Plum is forced to think about life from the perspective of the dead.”

Chang wrote the piece in Deb Margolin’s course, “Production Seminar: Playwriting.” 

Despite the class name, Chang had never written a play before. As an English major, her previous work has mainly involved essay writing. However, prompted by Margolin’s encouragement, she decided to take the class.

During this course, Chang was inspired by the Chinese notion of Yuen Fen, or serendipity. Chang describes Yuen Fen as a magical, fateful energy that connects two people together. However, this energy is not without its constraints, said Chang. It is still at the mercy of time and death. 

Chang began to ponder the Yuen Fen that exists only in fractions, between parent and child, who only know each other for half of their lives. Chang further divided this notion, thinking about the quarter Yuen Fen between grandparent and grandchild. 

In this interstice, the story of Richie was born. 

“He misses this Yuen Fen that he should have had, and he can’t let go of that,” said Chang. “In the Chinese underworld, there’s a state of limbo. You have to drink the soup of forgetfulness, let go of everything in the current life, to cross over to the afterlife and reincarnate. He doesn’t drink the soup, and he comes back to earth as a ghost.”

Chang’s interpretation of life and death draws from her Chinese culture. To her, the two are cyclical. Contrary to Western ideas of death being a destination, she said, this play describes death as one step of a continuous journey.

Throughout the show, life and death are both present on stage. Differentiated by lights, color, and mesh drapery, the two are distinct yet coexisting forces. 

However, the show’s premiere last spring was without a set, costumes, or props. Selected for last year’s Yale Playwrights Festival, “Dance on My Grave” was performed simply with actors under the mentorship of a Yale faculty member and professional writer.  

It was after the reading that Chang decided to do a full production of the play. 

“Getting the chance to debut an original play and work so closely with the playwright has been a wonderful experience,” said director Tomás Fuchs-Lynch ’26. “The script has changed and developed organically through the rehearsal process as we work to translate Yuen Ning’s incredible script to the stage.”

Every little detail in the live production is carefully thought out, according to Chang. From the tea etiquette to the joss paper offerings directly from Hong Kong, the cultural features of the show are seamlessly integrated into the setting. 

The result is an immersive experience with verisimilitude.   

Chang was dedicated not only to the visual presentation of the show but also to the actors’ connection to their roles. She worked with the actors to gain insight on how they bring their own experiences into their interpretations of the characters.

“Our cast is wonderful and has really put their hearts into their characters,” said Joy Liu, ’26, assistant director.  

Tickets for the show sold out within five hours of release, but students still eager to see the show are encouraged to come to the theater for waitlist seats to open up.

“Dance on My Grave” will play in the Crescent Underground from Feb. 20 to 22.

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Yale’s Spring Fling Committee started “Tiny Dorms” in 2022, hoping to give student musicians the chance to showcase their talents in an intimate environment. Filmed in a custom-decorated “dorm” room in Jonathan Edwards College, the Spring Fling Committee “Yale”-ified NPR’s beloved concept. 

“There is unique added value in being able to see the emotions on their face, up close and personal,” said Reese Weiden ’27. “I think that comes out in a video in a way that it can’t quite arise in a live performance.”

The project was started by Renée Theodore ’24 during her time on the Spring Fling committee, where she served as creative director and co-chair for one year. Since her graduation, the Tiny Dorms project has been passed down to Weiden, who has been a member of the Spring Fling Committee since 2024. 

Weiden’s approach to the Tiny Dorms videos involves imbuing the content with as much intimacy and personality as possible. She achieves this by speaking to artists about their  aesthetic inspirations and their musical journey to create a “cohesive visual direction,” said Weiden.

However, the love and passion for Tiny Dorms largely comes from the artists themselves. Weiden’s passion for the project is inspired both by a desire to democratize access to musical resources for Yale students and showcase the diversity of student talent. 

When selecting artists to showcase, the committee focuses on the music itself, rather than the technical aspects involved in their music-making. The Tiny Dorms selection committee recognizes that musical acts can vary in access to equipment: some musical groups might have recording equipment and backing bands; others might only have themselves and a guitar. 

Because of the varying experience and technical resources of the artists, the team focuses on  “raw talent,” said Weiden. The result is an array of talented artists excited to showcase their music.

Marin Korenaga ’27, who performs as Marin Clarisse, said that she decided to apply to be a part of Tiny Dorms after seeing the committee’s open call to songwriters. Korenaga was particularly excited about the project because she had never done a live recorded session before. Along with a cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please,” she chose “Baby Like Me” and “Desert Blue” — two songs set to feature on her upcoming EP. 

After selecting the songs, she assembled a band composed of drummer Mandy Buster ’25, pianist Gaeun Lee ’26, bassist Gina Jung ’27 and guitarist Grace Halak ’26.

Korenaga added that walking into the decorated dorm on recording day was “truly a surprise.” The room was filled with album covers, stickers, vinyls and trinkets.

“Having everything come together at the end was really inspiring,” said Korenaga, expressing her gratitude for her band’s supportiveness. Describing the applause that came after her set ended, she said that she “felt like we were really celebrating what everybody on the team had accomplished.”

For another performer, Lula Talenfeld ’25 — who performs as Lula Pilar — the Tiny Dorms experience provided her the opportunity to go solo. Talenfeld chose three of her own songs that she felt were thematically connected but diverse in genre. 

Talenfeld has often performed with campus band ‘ABC’— comprising five members, in total — but she wanted to prove to herself that she could also perform alone.

“It was entirely nerve-racking to walk into the ‘dorm room’ and have nothing to rely on but myself,” she said, “but hitting the last chord on the last song and hearing the cheers of the SF committee was a huge sigh of relief.”

Truth Templeton ’26 echoed Talenfeld’s feelings about sharing personal creations with an audience. He said that music-making and performing were open and vulnerable processes for him, so he was nervous to share his work despite the supportive environment.

He said a call with his bandmate Thara Joseph ’26, who reminded him to “have a little faith,” eased his apprehension. Templeton added that participating in Tiny Dorms has inspired him to start writing, producing and committing more time to music.

Talenfeld said that the committee’s version of Tiny Desks had “the same sort of intimacy that makes NPR’s concert series so magical.” She noted that its stripped-down format allowed for the artists’ lyricism and storytelling to shine.

Tiny Dorms is a separate entity from Spring Fling’s “Battle of the Bands” and other subsequent Spring Fling activities.

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Set in San Juan Hill, Manhattan, during the 1920s, “Eden” follows the tumultuous and forbidden love story between Eustace and Annetta. Carter’s provoking romance occurs in the backdrop of political and cultural differences between Black American and Caribbean communities. 

“It absolutely is a classic play,” said director Brandon J. Dirden, “because I think the writing is rich enough that it should be a part of our ethos as an American theater.” 

The play was brought to the Yale Rep by dramaturg Tia Smith DRA ’26. Smith was introduced to “Eden” by her sister, who deemed it as a “Black ‘Romeo and Juliet.’” When it was time for Smith to write her undergraduate thesis in theater studies, she decided to look further into “Eden.” 

What Smith found was a complex tale of culture that reflected her own experiences as the daughter of a Black-American father and a Nigerian mother. Smith soon encountered the rich history of Carter and the Negro Ensemble Company — NEC.

Carter was a proud member of the NEC, working as the director of the ‘Playwright’s Workshop’ from 1968 to 1981. In addition to his role as director, Carter took on any odd job that needed to be done around the theater: taking tickets, designing set designs and operating the elevator. 

While not all of his works made it to the stage before his 2020 death, he still remains a revered playwright. His talent was recognized in 2001 when he won the Living Legend Award at the National Black Theater Festival.

Written in the 1970s and premiering at the NEC, “Eden” is considered one of Carter’s most celebrated works. In particular, Carter’s characters embody the complicated and dynamic ideas amongst Black Americans and Caribbean immigrants during this time period. 

Central to the story is Garveyism, a racial and political ideology founded by Marcus Garvey, which advocates for the emigration of Black people and the formation of independent Black nations in Africa. 

While some characters strongly believe in Garveyism, Carter does not necessarily assign the principle as good or bad; rather, the play emphasizes that human universality can be found even amidst dogmatic clashes. 

“We’re not grappling with ideas as much as we are grappling with being a human being in relationship to other human beings and wanting to have a particular identity be valued,” said actor Russell G. Jones, who plays the Garveyite character Mr. Joseph Barton. “Rather than it being didactic or preachy, it’s really universal.”

While the play takes place nearly a hundred years ago, society is still grappling with the issues presented in “Eden” today, said Jones. 

While the social intricacies of the 20th century are integral parts of the story, dramaturg Smith does not want audiences to fixate on the extent of their historical knowledge. Rather, she encourages audiences to “maintain [their] curiosity” and “trust the play.”

Director Dirden’s own belief in and reverence for Carter’s work is demonstrated in his directorial method. 

Dirden draws on his experiences acting in this show as a college student. He uses Carter’s script as a map to guide the live presentation. He encourages actors to care about the future of their characters, despite knowing that ultimately they might not attain what they desire. 

Dirden explained his interpretation of the title’s relevance. He said that the characters are in pursuit of their own paradise, their own Eden. 

As the characters go on their individual journey to find paradise, Dirden hopes audiences will be inspired by the bravery found in the story and integrate it into their own life.

“I hope audiences walk out feeling just a little bit bigger, standing bigger in their capacity to see something that they would have taken for granted before,” said Dirden. “That’s the goal when I do theater — how can we stretch you? How can we expand this idea of what it is to be a human?”

The theater will also host a special affinity night performance on Jan. 24, followed by a discussion afterward. 

Steve Carter passed away in 2020 at the age of 87.

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The play follows our protagonists Dr. Shoelace and Zi You, who are trapped inside “Zhuangzi,” the eponymous text. As they begin to understand their existence as written characters, they grapple with their conceptualization of free will. The play blurs the line between author and character, as the protagonist seeks freedom from a prewritten and predestined story. 

“It’s about the heightened sense of your own story,” said Shao. “Is there really anyone writing our story? [I hope] this makes people feel curious about what Zhuangzi is saying … But what does it really mean to let go?”

Zhaungzi was a philosopher active during the Song Dynasty. Known for his humoristic and ironic parables, his texts invite readers to wander and question societal dichotomies.

Sophia Schwaner ’26 takes on the role of the Chinese philosopher. According to Schwaner, Zhuangzi’s work is refreshing due to its divergence from popular Western philosophy. 

“The way that this text is written is very artistic and it reads as poetry sometimes,” said Schwaner. “The brevity of this piece is beautiful. It’s presenting philosophical thought in a very artistic and moving way … you feel affected by the text.”

Dr. Shoelace and Zi You conflict in their beliefs towards human fate. Dr. Shoelace demonstrates a more deterministic approach to their situation. The young Zi You, on the other hand, believes in free will rather than destiny. 

Thus, Zi You sets out on a journey through the Zhuangzi text to find the freedom she thinks eludes her. Her quest symbolizes the act of writing your own story.

Throughout her story she encounters various personalities, obstacles and ideas that are featured in the original Zhuangzi text, from an interaction with Confucius to a debate on whether one can truly infer the happiness of a fish. 

For Shao, this project began as a translation assignment of the original Chinese Zhuangzi text. From there, the assignment became more of a creative pursuit as Shao developed the story. However, as with the original text on hand, there are certain ideas or meanings that may be lost in translation.

“There definitely is a lot of that very packaged ambiguity that’s lost,” said Shao. “My priority is to preserve that ambiguity while still making it make sense, but not logical sense.”

While this might sound counterintuitive, this logical ambiguity is integral in the experience of reading the Zhuangzi text. Even centuries later, there are aspects of the philosopher’s ideas that experts don’t understand. 

In bringing this philosophical text to a general audience, actors hoped to celebrate the complexities of “Zhuangzi” rather than shy away from it.

“The adaptation of the play is very intentional,” said Jonas Howard ’26, who plays Dr. Shoelace. “It’s not supposed to proselytize, but rather, it’s supposed to reflect the confusion and convolution of the text into a play that is also very convoluted and complex.” 

Howard doesn’t expect viewers to understand everything going on. And that, he said, is perfectly okay.

According to Shao, the production came to life on stage thanks to capable and trustworthy team members, such as director Anna Zhao ’25 and producer Crystal Liu ’26. Liu, she said, was instrumental in securing support from the AACC to fund the show.

As she prepares to hand off her work to the cast and production, Shao is not anxious. Rather, she has found joy in it. 

“I’m really happy to see how people take this into their own body and perform it in their own way,” Shao said. “Because I do believe that this shouldn’t be about me. Yes, the script is written by me, but I want it to be for everybody.”

The production will have three shows in the Crescent Theater, once on Friday and twice on Saturday.

The post Written by Xinning Shao ’25, “A Play Called Zhuangzi” to premiere this weekend. appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Written and performed by OBIE Award winner Whitney White, this musical features Lady Macbeth, the leading character of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” as its protagonist. White, who plays Lady Macbeth, will stand on stage alongside a live band to put a new, feminist twist on the Shakespeare classic.  

“The project is like resurrecting [Lady Macbeth],” said White. “The idea of the strong woman, the power woman, the evil boss lady, the over-ambitious woman — that archetype is coming from this character.”

White was introduced to Shakespeare in high school when her class took a trip to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. However, she didn’t truly fall in love with the author until she was a graduate student at Brown University, Trinity Repertory’s MFA program. 

As she interacted more with Shakespeare’s work, she began to question: For whom was the work written? Shakespeare originally wrote and performed his works for local, often lower-class audiences; his plays tended to poke fun at the bourgeoisie of the Elizabethan era. Today, however, the plays represent an air of prestige and inaccessibility. 

To White, this was something that she wanted to change. 

“If you don’t have access to all this learning and understanding, all of a sudden Shakespeare doesn’t feel like it’s for the people, and that’s a problem,” she said. 

White’s interest in Shakespeare lies in his examination of the day-to-day. Our “greatest writer,” she said, was a kind of “undercover activist.” He wrote of kings and creatures, religion and mythology, men and women.

In “Macbeth in Stride,” White explores various modern female archetypes, such as the “ambitious woman” and “boss lady” through a literary lens, communicating these ideas using songs, sonnets and speeches. 

Directors Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky lift the language of the text and prompt the audience to question the importance of performing Shakespeare today. They found the best way to do this was to lean into the show’s “rock music aesthetic.”

“It might seem like that’s a simple thing,” said Dobrowsky, “but it actually took us a little while to crack it and learn that we leaned into the rock concert aesthetic as opposed to leaning into more of the theater.”

Within the aesthetic of a rock concert, White strips Shakespeare down to its bare text, even removing the names of the characters. Rather than titles, actors are referred to only as Woman, Man, and Witches 1, 2 and 3. 

While names are removed, some aspects of identity are maintained, such as race and gender –– tools that are intentionally used by White. 

Their shared gender and race unites Woman and the Witches under a kind of sisterhood. They embody the rivalry, camaraderie and everything in between that accompany female friendships. According to White, she wrote the Woman and the Witches to reflect her experiences as a Black woman.

While race and gender are unifying factors for the Witches, they become forces of juxtaposition through the characters of Woman and Man.

“It felt key to interrogate our assumptions of who Macbeth and Lady Macbeth should be versus who I am and who the witches are,” said White. “It was very purposeful, and I think there’s a lot of humor in it and also a lot of deep kind of questioning about our relationship as a white man and a black woman.”

The title of the show — “Macbeth in Stride” — was written to flip the narrative of a woman chasing a man. Instead, the play’s Lady Macbeth is a character audiences race to keep up with, as she leads the audience through her story. 

White has more Shakespeare adaptations in the works, which will similarly change traditional narratives to center and empower female protagonists. She hopes that audiences will walk away with a curiosity towards Shakespeare, a questioning of traditional narratives and a desire to return to the theater.

“[Macbeth in Stride] is a space for people to question all the white English literature they’ve received, [and to] really look at the play from Whitney as Lady Macbeth’s perspective,” said Magar. “It teaches you to ask questions, not from any particular point of view, except — how do I make space for myself and others inside perceived literature standard?”

Macbeth was first performed by the Yale Rep in 1971.

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