Student playwrights seek to produce work
Over the weekend, Yalies wanting to see a campus production could choose between the Freshman Show, “Laughing Stock,” and two student-written shows, “An Animorphs Musical” and “With Kings in the Back.” From script to stage, student playwrights can be involved in every aspect of a production. Staff reporter Vivian Yee investigates.
Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in J.D. Salinger’s 1951 novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” never found out what was the matter with old Jane Gallagher, a girl he got close to “necking” one summer in Maine. Half a century later, Tessa Williams ’10...
I have to say, I've been really impressed lately when I come back to Yale with the level of talent and the amount of activity from student writers and composers. When I was at Yale, there was much less activity.
I do take issue with the notion expressed in the article that it is risky for college students to perform student written work! I encountered that bias when I was at Yale too, and found it frustrating.
What exactly is this risk? Compared with commercial theater, where investors hope for a return, there's really no monetary risk at all.
Or is it an artistic risk? The risk of artistic failure -- of spending time on a show that isn't great? There are many benefits and lessons to be learned from participating in the creative process of a flawed new work which you don't get from working on a classic show.
Robert Lopez JE '97
Kudos to Kyle Wallack for really being the glue that is helping this team stick together and get it done!