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. 

The post “Songs for a New World” emboldens viewers to chase after bright, unknown futures appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Set in 1905 New York City, “Intimate Apparel” follows Esther Mills, a 35-year-old Black seamstress who dreams of opening a beauty salon for Black women. Living in a boarding house under Mrs. Dickson’s supervision, Esther finds companionship in her clients, including wealthy socialite Mrs. Van Buren and sex worker Mayme. One day, she receives a letter from George Armstrong, a laborer working on the Panama Canal. As this letter-fueled romance continues, she falls in love with the idea of him as her clients help her write these love letters. 

At the same time, Esther shares a forbidden, unspoken connection with Mr. Marks, a Jewish fabric seller. George eventually arrives in New York and marries Esther, but their relationship quickly deteriorates as he has an affair with Mayme. In the end, Esther is left alone yet undeterred, holding fast to her dreams.

Taking on the complex role of Esther was Elizabeth Swaine ’27, whose performance anchored the production with intensity and emotional depth. Swaine brought Esther’s inner world to life through subtle gestures, expressive silences and moments of raw vulnerability. 

Esther’s scenes with her confidants, Mrs. Dickson and Mayme, played by Gia George-Burgher ’26 and Asia Anderson ’28 respectively, brought warmth and emotional grounding to the production. Their interactions with Esther were viscerally real and felt as if we were watching friends have intimate conversations. 

George-Burgher infused Mrs. Dickson with humor and maternal pragmatism. Upon her first entrance to the stage, it was clear this was a character she had mastered. She embodied her character in every sense, with every word spoken and step taken. Every action seemed to be a calculated choice. Anderson was equally as intentional as George-Burgher, imbuing the character of Mayme with a mix of sultry charm and vulnerability. 

Together, their performances deepened the sense of community around Esther, making her moments of connection — and eventual betrayal — all the more poignant.

Wednesday’s audience responded enthusiastically to that night’s performance. Upon walking into the University Theater, they were met with a stage divided into five settings: Esther’s room, Mr. Mark’s fabric shop, Mrs. Van Buren’s room, Mayme’s parlor, and George’s staircase. 

Although completely separate, the stage still felt cohesive and immersed the audience into Esther’s world. 

As Esther moved through her life, so did the audience. They yearned alongside Esther, in her love for Mr. Marks, played by Lucas Oland ’26. Their chemistry was palpable, in the way only forbidden love can be. By the end of the play, when they finally touch, a wave of excitement and cheers rushed over the audience as hours of longing and restraint were released in a single, fleeting moment.

The excitement did not last long, as the audience continually observed her turbulent marriage. George, played by Richard George ’27, is charming yet complicated. Their first appearance painted them to be a doting and romantic lover with a striking accent. However, they morph into a manipulative and destructive spouse, garnering hatred from the audience, so much so that an audience member yelled out what all viewers were thinking and yelled “Stop!”

In a surprising turn of events, Mrs. Van Buren, played by the talented Chloe Bernardete ’28, kisses Esther. The emergence of this bewildering lesbian subplot resulted in gasps that rippled throughout the entire audience. 

To further immerse the audience in the world of “Intimate Apparel,” the production incorporated faint ragtime piano pieces — often looping softly beneath scenes — to evoke the atmosphere of early 20th-century New York City. At times, this music became somewhat redundant and did not always reflect the actions being done on stage. This distracted from the themes being shown on stage. 

One of the main challenges faced by the cast of “Intimate Apparel” was the accent work some of the characters incorporated. For actors like Bernardete, a trans-Atlantic accent lended itself very well to her character. However, for other actors, particular acting choices become muddied with inconsistencies or annunciation issues. Quieter lines of dialogue were lost due to what is assumed to be lower microphone volumes — an issue that has plagued the Dramat in recent years. Some emotional peaks were reached too early, resulting in a momentum with nowhere to go.

At times, the role of comedy was unclear and its execution appeared incomplete. Moments like quippy one liners or some of the situational circumstances, which garnered some laughs, were often rushed through. Lines were delivered while the audience was still reacting, which left  some audience members in a rush to catch up with the action on stage. It prompted viewers to wonder whether this moment was meant to be comedic at all.

“Intimate Apparel” was directed by professional director Chesray Dolpha. Her touch is apparent; the whole show had an elevated sense to it that only an outstanding professional could bring. 

From the intentional pacing to the nuanced physicality of each scene, Dolpha’s direction created a world that felt both intimate and immersive. It breathed and flowed, allowing the silences to speak as powerfully as the dialogue.

Wednesday’s performance was met with an immediate standing ovation and thunderous applause. Audiences cheered emphatically as the cast took their bows. 

“Intimate Apparel” was filled with so much heart, an idea that exuded beyond the stage. Angelica Peruzzi, the producer, came out to address the audience at the conclusion of the show. Thanking the audience for attending, she mentioned how important it was for stories like that of Esther’s to be told.

“Intimate Apparel” is chock full of stellar acting performances and calculated artistic direction. Putting aside minor stylistic choices and the roughness that comes with emerging talent, the production left audiences with a compelling story that had never been seen in the University Theater before. 

The post REVIEW: Dramat’s spring mainstage “Intimate Apparel” masterfully stitched together themes of love and longing appeared first on Yale Daily News.

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.

The post Something wicked this way comes. Enter: “Macbeth” appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Tensions soar and relationships are tested as they decide who must “Fuck the Goat.” Tickets are available here. 

“It’s not about actually fucking a goat,” said Meridian Monthy ’25, the director. “It’s about sitting in a basement and looking at your peers and being like, ‘Are you in this with me too?’”

The play is the senior thesis and brainchild of Chap. While brainstorming ideas for this project, she came across an article about hazing scenarios of different universities, one of which involved a special relationship with a goat. 

What started out as a suggestive gag slowly morphed into a full fledged production.

“I really wanted to write something that felt really outside of myself,” said Chap. “One of my really close friends went to college and joined a frat. So I got some exposure to seeing that dynamic.”

Chap wanted to capture the reasons and motivations why a college student might want to join a fraternity. While there are no direct references to Yale’s Greek Life, Chap said that she incorporated humor and language that felt “pretty Yale.”

“I think a lot of the show is about when to speak up and in what places we feel comfortable speaking up,” Chap said. 

Taking inspiration from “Lord of the Flies,” she crafted four distinctly different characters that all find themselves in this animalistic conundrum. Playing the demure dummy Drew is Leo Levitt ’28. Shivraj Singh ’28 plays the emotionally intelligent Toby, while Harry Lowitz ’28 plays the zany and neurotic Harry. 

Playing the “alpha of the group” Michael is Wyatt Fishman ’27. “Fuck the Goat” is Fishman’s first foray into Yale theater, but will unlikely be his last, he said. 

“Michael is kind of the enemy,” said Fishman.“He wants to appear some way that maybe deep down he’s not. As emotions and backstories unravel, you find out he’s trying to hide something.” 

As the only cast member in a fraternity, Fishman said that he was able to connect to the material. However, the Sig Nu brother stressed, the audience members do not need to be a part of any brotherhood to enjoy the show. 

“The show is very grounded in the college experience and what freshmen may think of college when they first get here,” said Fishman. 

Despite the harrowing nature of bestiality, Fishman said the underlying subject matter of the play — navigating college and its unlikely friendships — is almost a universal truth across college campuses. At its heart, the show is an examination of relationships against the backdrop of a dingy college basement. 

“It’s about friendship, and the pain we’ll put ourselves through in order not to be lonely,” said Monthy. 

“Fuck the Goat” is Monthy’s directorial debut, although she is no stranger to the stage. After four years of performing, she wanted one last go at a Yale production — this time behind the curtain.

“Direction is ownership, it’s artistic, it’s managerial, it’s action. It’s all the things that felt out of my control as an actor, suddenly in my hands,” she said. 

For Monthy, directing has been a way of cementing her legacy. By working with a small cast of relatively new actors, she said that she has been able to pass on lessons she learned from her past directors. 

Monthy hopes to prepare the next generation of Yale actors to know what it means to find a character — even if that character is a douchey business major who, one way or another, is going to be initiated into the herd.  

“Even though nobody at Yale has experienced this specific situation, it feels very recognizable. Lots of people have experienced the crazy stuff you do to get into clubs,” she said. 

Rounding out the production team is co-director Noah Bradley ’25 and producer Victoria Mnatsakanyan ’27. 

Fear not, no goats were harmed in this production. Audiences can expect to leave with “a deeper sense of nuance about people, community and friendship,” said Monthy. 

Prepare for a night of bleats, beers and blurred lines as the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi test their newest pledge class.

The Crescent Underground is located between Morse and Stiles colleges.

The post Lace up your frat shoes and lay out the hay: “Fuck the Goat” to open this weekend appeared first on Yale Daily News.

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.

The post “Little White Lies,” a play about racial passing and family legacy, to premiere this week appeared first on Yale Daily News.

To open the concert, Japanese filmmaker and musical artist Mei Ehara — who previously featured on Webster’s 2021 album on the song “I Know I’m Funny Haha” — gave a serene rendition of selected songs, including her popular albums Ampersands and Sway. Ehara has accompanied Webster on other tour stops.

Shining under the lights of an intimate stage setting, Ehara’s performance was somewhat monotonous, yet therapeutic. She stood solo on the stage, strumming her guitar and singing entirely in Japanese.

After Ehara’s opening, the stage crew meticulously constructed the stage for the main performance. Behind the band hung a fantastically huge T-shirt cutout and racks of plainly-colored shirts, which staff hung one by one.

An expert instrumentalist, Webster and her team showed their prowess over features like stage design and lighting. In songs like “Right Side of My Neck” and “Kingston,” bubbles soared throughout the venue and glimmered in the rainbow strobe lights. 

Slower, more angst-filled songs like “Johnny” and “In A Good Way” were lit in a seductive red. 

Webster wasn’t afraid to experiment with the spatiality of her music, embedding the intimacy of her bedroom-pop acoustics or the familiarity of a retro laundromat into the stage. 

The stage captured just that, with futuristic laundry machines providing additional neon lighting, glowing past the blue clothes hanging just behind — a reference to the 2024 album cover of “Undressed at the Symphony.”

The most notable stage element, which stirred conversation even before the show began, was the comically large white t-shirt hanging on the back wall. Later on in the show, the drape-like surface was used as a projector, casting everything from minions to a Nintendo-style karaoke selection of Webster’s songs. 

Even without this set, Webster’s performance was enough to fill the venue, which seats approximately 2,000 people. Most seats were packed.

Webster’s repertoire exists within the dreamy genre of bedroom-pop. Yet, her setlist was anything but static. From her more-upbeat song “Lego Ring” to the delectably slow “In a Good Way,” Webster showed that softness can take dynamic, different forms. 

To non-fans, Webster’s twangy guitar and easy-going drums seem to blend into one another. But within these musical consistencies and motifs, Webster adds in accents here and there: tambourines, violins and trumpets. 

Throughout the setlist, Webster invited other players onto the stage. Solos from other band members were interspersed throughout the performance. Close to the end of the performance, drummer Charles LaMont delivered an expertly paced and invigoratingly climactic drum solo. 

In her second to last song, “Feeling Good Today,” she brought on her “best friend, Lulu.” 

The all-too-familiar and jazzy bedroom-pop canvas features splashes of Webster’s distinct, artistic color. 

The setlist integrated songs from her most recent album, “Underdressed at the Symphony,” which was released last year. From it, she selected “Thinking About You,” “But Not Kiss” and “Tttttime.” 

Don’t be tricked by Webster’s soft and ambient music; Webster showed that the small could be just as impactful and tantalizing as the big. 

Webster’s slightest movements were enough to captivate audiences. With her back entirely facing listeners, Webster dipped and swayed to the rhythm. Despite the smallness of these actions, the crowd fawned over her. 

Like the inimitable feeling of a “first kiss,” Webster carefully chose when to interact with the audience — and when to draw back. Only once during the concert did she point the mic away from the stage, in which the entire auditorium ruptured into a chorus singing “Lego Ring.” 

Not everyone in attendance was a devoted listener, but for a few verses, it seemed as if the lyrics were sung unanimously. While the melody might have been lost amongst the few diehard supporters who passionately sang amidst pitchless screams, this moment captured the raw emotion and vulnerability of Webster’s music. 

Perhaps the most captivating and dramatic scene in Webster’s performance was the song “Jonny” and its reprise. Webster, who is both the composer and writer for the piece, displays her lyrical command: “Johnny, did you ever love me? Jonny, help me figure it out. Not that I’ve paid attention, but you haven’t said it out loud.”

When the crowd chanted for an encore, Webster did not disappoint. 

Curiously, Webster’s biggest hit, “Kingston,” made its appearance as the final song. But this itself seemed like an intentional choice. 

Beloved by both hardcore fans and casual listeners alike, Webster saved the best for last. At this concert, the climax appeared at the finale, titillating and jolting audiences alive before the final bow. 

Next, Faye Webster is set to perform on Feb. 28 in Portland, Oregon. 

The post REVIEW: Faye Webster’s groovy, bedroom-pop captivates College Street Music Hall appeared first on Yale Daily News.

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.

The post “Dance on My Grave”: an original play tells myth on death, fate and family appeared first on Yale Daily News.

“Miss Molly” is this year’s “FroShow” — an annual show acted, directed and produced entirely by first year students. The show explores queerness with grace and tongue-in-cheek humor in a backdrop — 1880s England — where gay men were criminalized and ostracized. 

“Miss Molly is a love letter to gay love and queer visibility,” said Kelaiah Bigby ’28, the director of this year’s FroShow.

The show follows Mr. Matthias Manley and Mr. Aloysious Thurston, two Victorian gentlemen, and their forbidden, velvet-cladden love affair. To dispel any rumors of their clandestine meetings, they hatch a plan to marry aristocratic sisters, Molly and Genevieve Housington. 

However, hot on their trails is the Viscountess Housington, a sensible woman whose wit is as sharp as her corset. The gentlemen must keep up their charade as she begins to unravel their farce. 

Making her Yale directorial debut, Bigby is taking on one of the largest stages the University has to offer. Striving to stay loyal to the script, her directorial process stresses the themes and messages playwright Christine Carmela is trying to convey.

“There’s a lot of emphasis on the words, the script and the conversations the characters are having with each other. They’re really important to the story,” said Bigby. 

Working alongside Bigby on production is a large, dedicated team of theater savants. Among them is stage manager Araiya Casriel ’28 and producer Maya Molina ’28. Equipped with a strong vision — and creative stage and costume designers — they aim to bring Victorian England to 222 York St. 

Bringing these debutantes and gilded gays to life is a talented cast of actors who embody characters cursed with wealth and an excess of emotions. 

Playing the conniving, love-stricken Mr. Matthias Manley and Mr. Aloysious Thurston are Chad Bowling ’28 and Gil Altman ’28. The Housington sisters are brought to life by Farah Kheder ’28 and Reeti Malhotra ’28. The Viscountess Petunia Housington, the girls’ discerning mother, is played by Hila Tor ’28. 

“It’s been wonderful playing Genevieve,” said Malhotra, who is also a staff reporter at the News. “She’s a goth, moody, self-assured, hot-tempered, compassionate, and well-read ‘slag’”

While these characters can easily fall into Victorian stereotypes, Bigby and her team of talented actors have worked tirelessly to bring out their “multidimensionality,” according to Malhotra. 

These efforts make the characters loveable, real and relatable to audiences today. Whether the characters are emphatically anti-patriarchal or overly anxious, the show strives to embrace both its preposterous yet sentimental nature. 

“It’s been fun, with someone who lives in such a different period in society as Matthias, finding those similarities to my own modern life,” said Bowling. 

To him, finding relatability in every character is essential to the acting process, no matter how different these characters are. 

“Miss Molly” invites audiences to witness a seemingly ludicrous tale of Victorian queer love. However, past the quippy zingers and nonsensical squabbles, Malhotra describes the show as one about “unconventional, but still loving, dear and profound” relationships.

“You’re going to see a weird mixture of relationship dynamics in this, between family members and lovers and friends. But one thing underpins them all: a mutual fondness, respect, and affection for one another,” Malhotra said. 

Filled with catastrophes, corsets and closets, “Miss Molly” is a campy uproar that will satiate any audience with a Bridgerton-sized hole in their hearts. 

The University Theater is located at 222 York St. 

The post This year’s FroShow, “Miss Molly: A Marital Deceit of Honest Intentions,” takes viewers on a gay romp in Victorian England appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Kimberly Dixon-Mays ’92 could tell by Ngwenya’s demeanor that this group would be a collaborative and creative force, she told the News, 37 years later — so she decided to join.

Many followed suit and contacted Ngwenya. Soon after, a co-ed group of eight students began singing music of the African diaspora in one another’s dorms. Eventually, this group would migrate to the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale.

The group wanted to sing music that reminded them of their upbringing, home and culture, members said. They aimed to create “the most authentic performance of this music,” Ngwenya said. With that, the Shades of Gray – later the Shades of Yale — were born.

“We didn’t see what we wanted within the a cappella scene,” said Ngwenya ’92. “No other group was doing Black music the way we had grown up with, seen, performed and loved. It came naturally for us to do music that we grew up with.”

The name was eventually shortened to Shades, as members felt that the Shades of Gray didn’t reflect the energy and passion of their music. Additionally, the founding members decided that all could join, regardless of musical experience or racial identity.

Eventually, the group joined the Singing Group Council and began tapping new members in the fall of 1989.

While it was incredibly fulfilling work, Ngwenya said, it was also difficult to start a new group from scratch. The group only had eight members at its founding and had a more alto-heavy composition.

The group also had to build a repertoire from scratch and spent much time selecting and arranging the songs they would perform. In doing so, they drew from different musical groups, such as Sweet Honey in the Rock and Take Six.

A lot of these songs continue to be performed today. For instance, the group always begins their fall concert with Sweet Honey in the Rock’s “More Than A Paycheck.” The performance features various movements — clapping, cradling, picking — and was choreographed by Kimberly Dixon-Mays ’92, Shades’ first choreography.

“It seemed odd to not move while singing,” said Dixon-Mays. “I loved to dance and move, and choreographed some things in high school, so it all came naturally. It was one of thousands of examples of how the organization started with the ideas of its members.”

Unlike other a cappella groups on campus, Shades is mission-based. According to the group’s website, it aims to provide a “unique, musically excellent, and spiritually enriching performance experience at Yale University and beyond.”

The members felt called to this mission due to the lack of representation of Black music on Yale campus.

“The mission evolved from us just wanting to make a space to do Black music that we loved in community,” said Ngwenya. “We’ve always performed in spaces that were not your traditional spaces for acapella groups.”

Throughout different iterations and across the years, members have interpreted this mission in various ways. For instance, in January 2025, Shades performed at Yale’s annual MLK Commemoration. In recent decades, Shades has been called to perform “uplifting, inspiring and unifying” songs at protests and social justice events.

At the time of the group’s formation, the group included Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika to advocate against South African apartheid and promote solidarity with Black people still affected by apartheid.

In 2007, Shades toured New Orleans following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The group sang at schools and churches throughout the city and interacted with residents.

In one year, the group raised money to perform at different schools in New Haven. Shades continues to host workshops and perform at schools.

“I remember one woman, a teacher, at a school we visited, who said, ‘Thank you for remembering that we’re here,’” wrote Olga Pagan ’10. “That meant so much to me, and speaks to the mission work that Shades has always done and will continue to do.”

In December 2013, the group performed in front of the Obamas at the White House Christmas Party. In August 2003, the a cappella group was invited to perform at the coronation of King Leruo Molotlegi, in front of Nelson Mandela.

Many Shades members were inspired to audition for the group by seeing the group perform. According to Ngwenya, some members were even motivated to attend Yale, as opposed to other schools, out of a desire to audition for Shades of Yale.

“Shades had a different feel about it and I could see myself in it,” said Shades alumni coordinator Aman Fikre ’26. “I wanted to be a part of a group that was musically excellent and I resonated with in its entirety.”

Across different compositions of the group, one thing hasn’t changed, said members. According to Fikre, Shades has continuously been a family and safe haven for those of the group. The group has always been a space where members could have conversations about everything, including politics, race and ethnicity, Ngwenya said.

For many, this community exists well after members leave the group and graduate from Yale. Ngwenya said that her fellow members encouraged her to be “vulnerable” and “leave everything on the stage.”

“I met some of my best friends through Shades. A lot of Shades people I plan to be friends with for the rest of my life,” wrote Dzidedi Azumah ’23. “Also, having a constant creative outlet with some of the best musicians I know did a lot for my soul when I was feeling down.”

In October 2023, Shades celebrated its 35th anniversary.

At the anniversary event, Tony Melson ’00, alongside other musical directors of different years, came up with the first-ever “Generations Jam” — in which different cohorts of the group came together and sang songs from their time.

“ I was surprised to see how emotional it was. They tapped us in and it was one of those instances where you didn’t realize it would be so meaningful,” said Dixon-Mays. “We wanted Shades to exist past our four years, but for it to exist 35 years later, it was really amazing.”

Since its inception, the group has grown to have more than 200 alumni — speaking to the longevity of the group and the power of music, said Ngwenya.

Shades’ final concert of the 2024-25 school year, Spring Jam, will be held in April 2025.

The post 36 years and counting: A history of the Shades of Yale appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Tickets go on sale Jan. 31 and are available here.

“‘Pippin’ is very fantastical and pushes the boundaries between what’s real and what’s not,” said Elsie Harrington ’25.

The upcoming production is the senior directing and acting theses of Clara Yuste-Golob ’25 and Harrington, respectively. This production is unlike any of its predecessors. 

In a gender-bending reimagination, the show takes on new, deeper meanings of finding oneself. 

“Pippin is originally this white, straight, ingénue man and that’s possibly the most boring thing in theater,” said Harrington.

The musical centers around Pippin, a young prince searching for meaning and fulfillment in his life. The show is framed around a traveling theater troupe, led by the mystifying Leading Player who guides Pippin through a series of grandiose adventures in his quest for an extraordinary existence. 

With Harrington in the titular role of Pippin and under the careful direction of Yuste-Golob, the show challenges traditional gender norms, shifting the narrative to a woman wrestling with ambition, self-worth and fulfillment. 

The two said that musical theater is often led and centered around men. Grand, existential coming-of-age stories, especially those that hail from the 70s, are reserved for male protagonists. 

“Many musicals don’t offer complex roles for women, and we wanted to change that,” said Yuste-Golob. 

The production’s reimagining extends beyond just its lead role. With a female Pippin, other dynamics of the story naturally shift, particularly the element of romance, which now takes on a queer dimension. 

Yuste-Golob finds this “particularly exciting” as musical theater has typically shied away from queer, female relationships. 

Assisting Yuste-Golob on the production team is stage manager Sita Kottilil ’25, as well as producers Emily Patrick ’26 and Thomas Kannam ’26. Nneka Moweta ’27 choreographs a talented ensemble while Yoshimi Kimura ’27 serves as music director. 

Rounding out the cast is a collection of seasoned players who are no strangers to the stage. Salma Laraki ’26 plays the elegant, hopeless-romantic Catherine while Stellan Min ’27 plays the eccentric, war-mongering Charlemagne. 

Maya Franz ’25 tackles the role of Leading Player, the main catalyst for all of Pippin’s adventures.

“It’s kind of a dual role: I lead the troupe but I’m also the narrator, making sure the audience knows what’s happening,” says Franz. They liken their character to a puppet master, controlling the show and leading Pippin as he embarks on his quest. 

“Pippin explores all these different paths in life, and I think that it’s very relatable to a lot of people in college,” they said. 

This new version of “Pippin” offers audiences a chance to see a familiar story through a new and compelling lens. According to Harrington, the cast and crew is excited to show off fast-paced choreography, comedic timing, beautiful costumes and the amazing music. 

“I think people will enjoy the communal experience — there might even be some sing-a-longs,” said Yuste-Golob.

At its core, Pippin is a hero’s journey. This fresh interpretation not only challenges long-standing theater conventions, but also enriches the themes of the musical and makes the forty-year old show relevant to contemporary audiences. 

For plots that bring disaster, humor handled by masters, and sex presented pastorally in a story you will never forget, join the cast and crew of “Pippin” next weekend. 

The Black Box Theater is located at 53 Wall St. 

The post Filled with foibles and fables, “Pippin” leads you to your own corner of the sky appeared first on Yale Daily News.