In the Spring of 2021, Yale School of Drama offered a course “On Happiness and Well-Being for the Artist," convened by faculty Cynthia Santos-DeCure, Erica Fae, Joan MacIntosh, Jessica Wolf, and Grace Zandarski.

Isuri Wijesundara (’23, Acting) and Henriëtte Rietveld (’22, Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism) will explore some of the topics from this class in upcoming issues of The Prompter. This month, they share some of their favorite foods and current media obsessions.

Reading
Henriëtte recommends Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Isuri is reading Plastic Emotions, a novel based on the life story of Minnette de Silva, by Shiromi Pinto.

Streaming
Isuri is obsessed with the based-on-true-events thriller series The Serpent on Netflix, while Henriëtte is watching Veneno, a series based on the memoir by Valeria Vegas, on HBO Max.

Cooking
For comfort food, Isuri turns to rice, dhal, and coconut sambol or Thai Red Curry. Or fries. Henriëtte's recipe for delicious Dutch pancakes with Gouda or syrup can be found on our website.

We're looking forward to hearing more from them both!

It is easy to assume that most professionals working at a theater must, at some level, crave the limelight. But for Jennifer Gonsalves, Director of Facility Operations, and Nadir Balan, Operations Associate, this could not be further from the truth. “Not being noticed is a success for us,” said Balan. Gonsalves elaborated, “You may not hear from us very often, but if you don’t notice us, that means everything is working as it should. No news is good news!”

The Operations team is responsible for overseeing and maintaining all the buildings and physical assets of Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre. It is a monumental task that allows them to draw on their wealth of diverse experiences.

Read more about Jennifer and Nadir's work here!

Singer Laurie Beechman is best known for originating roles in the musicals Annie and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and for her powerful performances as Grizabella in Cats and Fantine in Les Misérables. Living with ovarian cancer for almost a decade, she remained positive and loyal to her music, saying it was “a kind of medicine.” Laurie Beechman died in 1998.

With a gift from her husband, Neil A. Mazzella (’78), the School created the Laurie Beechman Center for Theatrical Sound and Music, located at 205 Park Street. Rooms that had once been costume storage and a fraternity squash court became an international collection of instruments—including the Cristal Baschet sound sculptures—and recording studios. The Hartford Symphony offered a collection of orchestral instruments, which the School obtained with a gift. Each time a Yale Cabaret, Yale School of Drama, or Yale Rep production requires a unique instrument, the Beechman Center purchases and maintains that instrument in its Blue Room.

Matthew Suttor, Professor in the Practice of Sound Design and the Director of the Beechman Center, joined the School’s faculty in 2005 to oversee the collection and teach sound design and composition. Suttor has called the Center a sort of “Room of Requirement for sound designers and musicians.” He continued, “For us, the Laurie Beechman Center is a place to explore sound and music in all theatrical contexts, whether recorded or live, electronic or acoustic, virtual or physical—a fitting tribute to such a life and career.”

Learn more about Laurie on our Named Spaces page.

On May 13 at 7PM, Elm City Shakespeare presents Dándole Voz!: An Exploration of Shakespeare in Spanish.

Associate Dean Chantal Rodriguez moderates a conversation with Acting Department faculty members Cynthia Santos-DeCure and Daniela Varon and their students. The actors will share some of their scene work from Macbeth. The conversation will be primarily in English, the scenes in Spanish, and a Q&A in either or both languages.

Learn more and register for free.

Honored as Best Actress in 1997 and 2018 for her roles in Fargo and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, respectively, Frances McDormand (’82) received her third Academy Award in that category for her performance in Nomadland, and her fourth Oscar as producer of the Best Picture winner.

Chloé Zhao became the first woman of color to receive the Best Director Award for her work on the film, which incorporates the stories of real American wanderers into the story of a woman searching the heartland for herself after losing everything.

Nomadland is streaming on Hulu.

Thursday, May 6–Saturday, May 8 at 8PM and Saturday at 4PM

Kitchen of Truth: A Martha Stewart Special
Written and Proposed by
Madeline Seidman (’22)
Directed by Kimberly Golding

It’s 2004 and the mogul you love and adore (?) has been convicted. She’s got 30 minutes to convince you she’s a victim before she’s taken away to prison. So, what’s cooking in her kitchen? A roast of white privilege? CYOC (Cream Your Own Cupcakes).

the moment before…
Written and Proposed by
Matthew Elijah Webb (’22)
Directed by Alexandra Maurice (’22)

when people die they are escorted from this life to another. there is only one person who carefully guides that journey. he is death, and there’s so much that you don’t know about him.

Learn more and buy tickets.