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Oh, the Drama!: Daily Summaries Delivered
by David Geffen School of Drama at Yale
David Geffen School of Drama at Yale celebrates its centennial with a ten-episode podcast exploring 100 years of the extraordinary productions, sensational student stories, triumphs, and challenges that have shaped the iconic institution we know today. Join host Courtney B. Vance as artists across all disciplines taught at the Geffen School show us what it takes to put on a show.
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- Jul 22, 202647 min
Curtain Call: “The Means to an End”
Past, present, and future…After diving deep into the eight unique disciplines that make up the David Geffen School of Drama, this final episode brings them all together to look to the next hundred years. What are the greatest challenges facing the Geffen School and the arts community writ large, and what is there to be hopeful about?This episode features a roundtable conversation between former dean Stan Wojewodski, Jr., outgoing dean James Bundy, and incoming dean Evan Yionoulis.***This episode features Shaminda Amarakoon (‘12, Faculty), James Bundy (‘95, Former Faculty), Erin Carney, Liz Diamond (Faculty), Anna Glover (Faculty), Riccardo Hernandez (‘92, Faculty), Christian Killada (‘25), Victoria McNaughton (‘26), Kay Perdue Meadows (‘09, Faculty), Chantal Rodriguez (Faculty), Sarah Ruhl (Faculty), Catherine Sheehy ('92, D.F.A. '99, Faculty), Jennifer Tipton (Former Faculty), Stan Wojewodski, Jr. (Former Faculty), Evan Yionoulis (Faculty), and Kim Zhou (‘24).***Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.Episode art by Kiki Gordon (‘26).Original music by James Harrison Monaco.Additional music from Uppbeat.***Recordings used from Scenes from Court Life; or the whipping boy and his prince by Sarah Ruhl (2016), Bellville (2011), The House Will Not Stand (2014), Fences (1985), and Indecent by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Destyne R. Miller, performed at the opening of A Century on Stage exhibit at the Haas Arts Library.
- Jul 15, 202656 min
Acting: “A Life On Stage”
Behind the glitz and glamor, the craft of acting requires intense vulnerability and connection. The embarrassment of an audition, the humiliation of clown class, the yielding to a character’s emotional landscape… actors fight through it all to get to the heart of human experience.Actors like HBO’s The Pitt star Patrick Ball, four-time Oscar-winner Frances McDormand, and Tony-nominated Juliana Canfield explain why it’s actually not about those awards and accolades – it’s about the story and the craft.***This episode features Patrick Ball (‘22), Juliana Canfield (‘17), Samuel Douglas (‘24), Frances McDormand (‘82), Francisco Morandi Zerpa (‘26), Liev Schrieber (‘92), Ron Van Lieu (Emeritus Faculty), and Tamilla Woodard (‘02, Faculty). ***Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.Episode art by Kiki Gordon (‘26).Original music by James Harrison Monaco.Additional music from Uppbeat.***August Wilson's Fences premiered at Yale Rep in 1985, directed by Lloyd Richards and starring Courtney B. Vance ('86) and James Earl Jones. Other shows referenced include The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov and directed by Joan MacIntosh (2016) and The Three Sisters directed by Joan MacIntosh again in 2025. The Play That Goes Wrong is currently running at New World Stages starring Sam Douglas (‘24) as Max.
- Jul 8, 202648 min
Dramaturgy & Dramatic Criticism: “Think Like a Critic”
Critics can get a bad rap amongst artists. But imagine having a critic with savvy research skills and extensive knowledge of theater history at your side throughout production to help make your show the best it can be.Learn how Oscar-winning actor Frances McDormand, HBO showrunner Rolin Jones, and Bad Robot Productions executive Rachel Rusch Rich have each been influenced by dramaturgs, and how dramaturgs’ keen analytical abilities sometimes lead to incredible discoveries...***This episode features Marcus Gardley (‘04, Faculty), Eric Glover (Faculty), Rolin Jones (‘04), James Magruder ('88, D.F.A. '92), Thando Mangcu (‘27), Nia Robinson (‘27), Rachel Rusch Rich (‘05, D.F.A. ‘08), and Catherine Sheehy ('92, D.F.A. '99).***Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.Episode art by Kiki Gordon (‘26).Original music by James Harrison Monaco.Additional music from Uppbeat.***Clip used from the Columbia Masterworks recording of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (1957), directed by Herbert Berghof.Recordings: Paul Walsh at the meet and greet for Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of Hedda Gabler (2026) directed by James Bundy; and backstage of King Lear (La Noche Llegará), a Shakespeare Repertory Project production adapted by Héctor Flores Komatsu and Thando Mangcu and directed by Héctor Flores Komatsu.Other shows referenced include the Yale Repertory Theatre production of Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk (2025), the 2024 David Geffen School of Drama production of Jordan Cooper’s play Ain’t No Mo directed by Kemar Jewel (‘25), and Berkeley Rep’s production of Macbeth (2016) directed by Daniel Sullivan.
- Jul 1, 202649 min
Technical Design & Production: “...Made Possible”
Ideas are one thing. Reality is another. It takes tools, materials, and feats of engineering for clever people to translate those ideas into 3D reality on stage.TD&P students confront ever-changing technologies and unchanging laws of physics. They translate artistic concepts into tangible production elements, keeping teams safe onstage and backstage as they do.***This episode features Shaminda Amarakoon (Faculty), David Budries (Former Faculty), Shannon Dodson (‘26), Ella Egan (‘28), Anna Glover (Faculty), Jennifer McClure (Faculty), Jon Reed (‘07, Faculty), Anthony Robles (‘26), Meredith Wilcox (‘27), and Jennifer Yuqing Cao (‘26). ***Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.Episode art by Kiki Gordon (‘26).Original music by James Harrison Monaco.Additional music from Uppbeat.***Learn more from Jen McClure by reading her book Bloody Brilliant: How to Develop, Execute, and Clean Up Blood Effects for Live Performance. Recordings featured from Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of Furlough’s Paradise (2026) directed by abigail jean-baptiste.Other shows referenced include Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of Arcadia (2014) directed by James Bundy and the 2017 David Geffen School of Drama production of Death of Yazdgerd directed by Shadi Ghaheri (‘17).
- Jun 24, 20261h 2m
Design: "The Impossible..."
Sets. Lighting. Costumes. Sound. Projections. Designers create everything you see and everything you hear at the theater. What goes into bringing impossible worlds to life on stage? And what happens when there is no stage?***This episode features Oana Botez (Faculty), Jill BC Du Boff (Faculty), Wendall K. Harrington (Faculty), Riccardo Hernández (‘92), Donald Holder (‘86, Faculty), Camilla Tassi (‘22), Jennifer Tipton (Former Faculty), Michael Yeargan (‘72, Faculty), and Jennifer Yuqing Cao (‘26).***Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.Episode art by Kiki Gordon (‘26).Original music by James Harrison Monaco.Additional music from Uppbeat.- Recordings featured from Yale Repertory Theatre’s productions of Battle of Black and Dogs (2010) and Rhinoceros (2026).
- Jun 10, 202646 min
Stage Management: "All the Wheel's a Stage"
The show must go on! Or must it…?After the director and the designers all leave and the house lights go down, the theater is the stage manager’s domain. They’re an air traffic controller and flight attendant in one. And without them, a production can quickly go south.When glass shatters on stage, when the stage floor must stay a spotless white night after night, when the director is re-blocking the show all the way up to opening night, how does the stage manager keep the plane in the air? ***This episode features Narda E. Alcorn (‘95, Faculty), Payton Gunner (‘27), A.K. Howard (‘13), Taylor Oliva (‘28), and Ben Pfister (‘17, Faculty).***Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.Episode art by Kiki Gordon (‘26).Original music by James Harrison Monaco.Additional music from Uppbeat:- Recordings from backstage of King Lear (La Noche Llegará), a Shakespeare Repertory Project production adapted by Héctor Flores Komatsu and Thando Mangcu and directed by Héctor Flores Komatsu.Other shows referenced include the 2025 David Geffen School of Drama production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, directed by Destyne R. Miller, and the 2026 Yale Repertory Theatre production of Hedda Gabler, directed by James Bundy.
- Jun 3, 202646 min
Directing: "It's Alive!"
What makes a good director? Bringing a play to life from the page to the stage is the spiritual work of a lifetime. Follow Yale directors as they unearth life in a text, inspire and guide actors’ performances, and translate visions from imagination to reality. Plus, hear the story of a subversive take on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew starring a young Lupita Nyong'o (‘12). ***This episode features Lileana Blain-Cruz (‘12, Former Faculty), Jasmine Brooks (‘26), Tess Cruz (‘28), Liz Diamond (Faculty), Ethan Heard (‘13, YC ‘07, Former Faculty), and incoming dean Evan Yionoulis.***Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.Episode art by Kiki Gordon.Original music by James Harrison Monaco.Additional music from Uppbeat.Live recordings from the Yale Repertory Theatre productions of Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk (2025) and Jasmine Brooks's Directors’ Thesis Production of Aleshea Harris’s Is God Is (2026).
- May 27, 202644 min
Theater Management: "The People Industry"
Art shapes culture, so theater managers are often at the forefront of change. That’s because the business of theater is the business of people, from the cast and crew to the audience. At DGSD, students craft AI policy, uphold institutional promises of anti-racism, and shape the theater landscape.In this episode, Carmen Morgan gets a call from Dean James Bundy. DGSD was about to change.***This episode features Josh Borenstein (‘02, Faculty), Raekwon Fuller (‘27), Chloe Knight (’24), Reynaldi Lindner Lolong (‘13), Shaunda Miles McDill (‘04), Carmen Morgan (Faculty), and Maya Simon (‘28). Read about Carmen’s organization Arts Equity and learn more about Phamaly, the Denver-based theater where Raekwon did his fellowship.***Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.Episode art by Kiki Gordon (‘27).Original music by James Harrison Monaco.Additional music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/surf-turfLicense code: YOO2VOFWQZI7VRY8https://uppbeat.io/t/giulio-fazio/dancing-in-kotorLicense code: E3IOIDD2YQMHPGW9https://uppbeat.io/t/giulio-fazio/dancing-in-kotorLicense code: E3IOIDD2YQMHPGW9https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/gossipLicense code: ZKFGQMFJTV7FHCHDhttps://uppbeat.io/t/future-forests/tidesLicense code: UOPWWXASTQK15FAHhttps://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/to-valhallaLicense code: DYHO2ZI4VF8ZEHO7https://uppbeat.io/t/vocalista/spread-the-lightLicense code: FJFZJAPL7ZXZOMGNhttps://uppbeat.io/t/vocalista/mind-mapsLicense code: GWNDNDHJBGBW5REKhttps://uppbeat.io/t/anthem-falls/polaroid-memoirsLicense code: OBRD3QUMOE3QYVNShttps://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/magical-playgroundLicense code: ZLXGS49T5QNSP1JWhttps://uppbeat.io/t/the-magical-egg/creeping-around-absurdlyLicense code: MT0JZARJNTR4OKTMhttps://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/marshmallowLicense code: 18FE7SJWRGBWVFHL
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About Oh, the Drama!
David Geffen School of Drama at Yale celebrates its centennial with a ten-episode podcast exploring 100 years of the extraordinary productions, sensational student stories, triumphs, and challenges that have shaped the iconic institution we know today. Join host Courtney B. Vance as artists across all disciplines taught at the Geffen School show us what it takes to put on a show.
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