David Geffen School of Drama consists of theater professionals and students working together in a conservatory setting. Training at the School includes classes and a range of production experiences, from readings to performances at the School, Yale Repertory Theatre, and Yale Cabaret. In our aspirational environment, different perspectives and interests are welcomed and given consideration in the creation and modification of policies designed to provide the broadest and most supportive frameworks for a community of more than four hundred individuals from diverse backgrounds, whose teamwork benefits from certain detailed and shared understandings.
The common goal of School policies is to foster an equitable community with cogent and—whenever possible—transparent procedures. Policies are designed to promote a collaborative environment, in anticipation of inevitable and normal tensions and conflicts. For instance, certain legal privacy rights regarding medical conditions, student records, and matters of employment, as well as other legitimate reasons for respectful confidentiality, will militate against absolute transparency. Similarly, autonomy and accountability are often in tension: the School’s job is to guide the community to reasonable pathways for individuals and teams to work together successfully in all spaces and activities.
The bulletin conveys major policies both of the School and of Yale University. David Geffen School of Drama policies are set by the deans in consultation with the chairs of programs in all disciplines, faculty, staff, and students; in a collaborative spirit, policies are subject to review at the end of each year based on feedback from the community. University policies are set by the Officers in consultation with faculty, staff, and students and are typically communicated by the Provost’s Office.
The contents of this bulletin are subject to change throughout the academic year. Updates will be sent via email and posted to the School’s website as applicable.
The Classroom
Students follow the curriculum of the particular program into which they were admitted. Each program in the School has a sequential series of requirements unique to its discipline and designed to develop an advanced understanding of the student’s course of study and the art of the theater.
Production Experience
Production activity is central to the training in all programs, featuring significant engagement opportunities at the School, Yale Repertory Theatre, and Yale Cabaret each season. These productions afford ample opportunities to present student work to internal and external audiences, complementing classroom instruction and allowing faculty to observe and offer feedback to students regarding their progress in training.
David Geffen School of Drama
David Geffen School of Drama typically presents six plays in productions for which tickets are sold to the general public. Three of these are selected in consultation with the Directing program; three are new plays from the Playwriting program, produced in rotating repertory at the end of the spring term. Additional productions within the School include the Shakespeare Repertory Projects, new plays from the Playwriting program, and projects selected by the chair of the Acting program.
Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre, the internationally celebrated professional theatre-in-residence at David Geffen School of Drama, is dedicated to the production of new plays and daring interpretations of classics that make immediate connections to contemporary audiences. Professional assignments at Yale Rep are integral to training at David Geffen School of Drama. Together, the School and Yale Rep advance leaders in the practice of every theatrical discipline. Students may be assigned work at Yale Rep within their own discipline as part of their curriculum. Students also may be assigned work-study positions at Yale Rep within or outside their discipline. Yale Repertory Theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actor’s Equity Association (AEA), the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Yale Rep also works with members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), and the Scenic, Costume, Lighting, and Sound Designers in LORT represented by United Artists Local USA-829, IATSE (USA).
Yale Rep’s artistic programs include a five-play subscription series; its new play program, the Binger Center for New Theatre, which supports the development and production of new plays and musicals at Yale Rep and nationwide; and two Youth Programs: WILL POWER! and the Dwight/Edgewood Project.
WILL POWER! is Yale Rep’s annual educational initiative, designed to offer middle and high school students access to live professional theater and provide educational resources to deepen their understanding of the production they will see. Since Yale Rep’s 2003–2004 season, WILL POWER! has served more than 29,730 Connecticut students and educators. The Dwight/Edgewood Project (D/EP) is a community engagement program of Yale Rep and David Geffen School of Drama, for middle school-aged students from Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School, a K–8 school located on the edge of the Dwight and Edgewood neighborhoods in New Haven. The program pairs sixth- and seventh-graders with mentors from David Geffen School of Drama to write their own plays. The month-long program begins in late May, culminating in fully produced plays performed by the Yale mentors and presented for the New Haven community in late June.
For more information about Yale’s Binger Center for New Theatre visit https://yalerep.org/productions-programs/binger-center-for-new-theatre. For more information about Yale Rep’s Youth programs visit https://yalerep.org/productions-programs/youth-programs.
Yale Cabaret
Yale Cabaret provides students a vital environment for exploration and student-selected training opportunities within a wider range of material than can be accommodated in classroom instruction. With its own student artistic and management leadership, reporting to a board of directors comprising students, faculty, staff, and New Haven community members, the Yale Cabaret presents work that is entirely student-produced. It is the only area of production at the School where students regularly move out of their primary discipline of study: actors direct, managers act, and playwrights sing.
During the summer, Yale Summer Cabaret is the exploratory theatrical home for David Geffen School of Drama students. Like Yale Cabaret, it is student-run and interdisciplinary. Each season, a new artistic and management team has the opportunity to shape the theater’s vision, while collaborating with an advisory board, local donors, and the greater New Haven community.
Work Periods
The School has five work periods scheduled during the academic year. (See academic calendar.) As these are scheduled while the School is still in session, all students are expected to be in attendance during work periods and to be engaged in production activity or other professional work at the School or Yale Repertory Theatre. Students with or without assignments should submit an absence request if they intend to be away from campus during these dates. Classes or other required academic sessions may not be scheduled during the April 24 through May 14 work period.
Resolution of Scheduling Conflicts
The community, and particularly the administration, attempt to avoid scheduling conflicts between the requirements of the various programs and activities, making judgments in keeping with the School’s mission and values. From time to time, such conflicts do occur. Should such a conflict arise, students are responsible for discussing the conflict with their program chair. In the event the conflict cannot be resolved by mutual agreement among the affected parties, activities shall be prioritized as follows and for the following reasons:
- Yale Repertory Theatre work, rehearsal, and performance calls as specifically detailed by production management, stage management, and/or the work-study supervisor. This scheduling priority is a gesture of respect to guest artists and an acknowledgment of our obligation to support with dignity the level of aspiration and dedication for which we have recruited them to Yale, as well as a sign of our commitment to engage the widest possible audience in the Greater New Haven community.
- David Geffen School of Drama classes, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. With limited exceptions as described above, in-person attendance at class and completion of assigned coursework is the most important consistent practice leading to students’ progress in training.
- Publicly performed productions of the School to which tickets are sold. Production is also a vital component of training: ambitious work requires our attention, and we all benefit from the exchange of spirit with audiences who are prepared to invest in shared experience.
- Other assigned production projects (acting projects, new plays, Shakespeare Repertory Projects, etc.). These shows have significant pedagogical value and also connect us to local audiences.
- Required work-study other than Yale Rep rehearsal and performance calls covered in 1. above. These calls support the mission of the School and Yale Rep, redounding to the benefit of the community as a whole.
- Yale Cabaret productions, which are extracurricular, while also engaging a public audience.
- Any formally approved outside work, affinity group meetings, events, or productions, and elective work-study.
A comprehensive production calendar is issued at the beginning of the academic year and is available for view year-round at https://dgsdinfo.yale.edu/students/calendars. Exceptions to the priorities do not set precedent. Work-study hours missed as a result of a resolution occurring outside of the priority order above are not eligible for conversion, should the student otherwise be qualified.
Attendance
Regular attendance at scheduled classes, production assignments, rehearsals, required work-study assignments, required workshops, and School meetings is a vital practice for students to remain in good standing. Responsible self-care is the starting point for wellness and learning. Particular consideration should be given to one’s own health and well-being. Unexcused absences and/or persistent unexcused lateness are behaviors subject to disciplinary action.
Clear and timely communication also supports the community’s well-being. Students whose health needs, including medical appointments, require them to miss or be late for class should alert their professors by email, copying their program’s chair and senior administrative assistant. Students will still be responsible for the work missed, on a schedule determined by the professor.
Requests for absences that will require students or technical interns to miss multiple classes and/or required work-study must be made in advance, using an electronic absence request form available at https://your.drama.yale.edu, listing all classes, professional assignment(s), and required work-study assignment(s) the student or technical intern would miss during the requested absence. The completed absence request is automatically transmitted to any affected supervisors or advisers. There are cases where requests cannot be accommodated. If work-study clearance is granted, then the program chair will determine whether or not to approve the absence. Requests for absences that would interfere with existing academic work or required work-study obligations will not be approved if suitable accommodation is not available. Work-study hours missed during a planned absence are not eligible for conversion, should the student otherwise be qualified.
Rehearsal and performance calls are posted each day. Lateness for these calls must be reported to the individual in charge as soon as possible, but no later than thirty minutes before the call. Students must report illnesses or doctor’s appointments to their program’s senior administrative assistant. Persistent lateness and/or unexcused absences are considered unprofessional behavior and may result in disciplinary action or dismissal from the School.
Recess Periods and Recess Pay
The School’s academic calendar includes four recess periods (see academic calendar) when classes are not in session but some production and administrative work may need to continue. Whenever a student is required to work during all or part of a School recess, including summer recess, because of an assignment for either a School or Yale Repertory Theatre production, or another professional work assignment (PWA), the student is eligible to be paid up to eight hours of Recess Pay for each recess day the student is required to be working. Compensation for such work is set at the prevailing hourly work-study rate. Recess Pay is only applicable for days a student is called to work, not for days off before, after, or between scheduled work days.
Should the assignment not require eight hours of work per day or for the entire recess period, as determined by the program chair for program assignments and by the work-study supervisor for work-study assignments, the student may be assigned additional work by the student labor supervisor.
Given that Recess Pay is meant to compensate students and technical interns for a full day’s work, the maximum someone can earn per day is eight hours. Assigned and elective work is signed out first and then the number of hours for Recess Pay is calculated in response. If a student earns eight hours or more in a given day because of assigned or elective work, they would not be eligible for Recess Pay for that day.
As only students and technical interns required to stay over a recess period are eligible for Recess Pay, those hours are considered assigned work-study for the purposes of conversion requests. Further detail and direction for this policy and practice are available in the Work-Study Handbook.
Religious Observance
David Geffen School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre, like most professional theaters, must operate on a number of religious holidays, including some holidays on which the rest of the university is closed.
Students whose religious beliefs impose restrictions on their availability for work, either on religious holidays or at other times, must notify their program chair and Student Labor Supervisor C. Nikki Mills (nikki.mills@yale.edu) at the start of the academic year, so that their religious needs can be considered in making production assignments, professional work assignments, and required work-study assignments.
Requests for absences for religious reasons should be submitted using the online absence request form available at https://your.drama.yale.edu.
Program Assignments
Each program assigns its students responsibilities in productions at the School and Yale Repertory Theatre. Program faculty may change or eliminate assignments for individual students depending upon their needs and the needs of the program. All students with program assignments on School productions and projects are obligated to strike the show and are assigned work-study for that call.
Assignments are considered carefully by the faculty and are made with the goal of providing students in every discipline with a range of challenges and opportunities. Students are expected to embrace every assignment as an opportunity to practice professionalism: the diligent fulfillment of their responsibilities and, especially, attention to their impact on collaborators and the learning goals of the project.
In rare instances, students may present to their program chair a compelling reason to decline or withdraw from an assignment; either must be approved by the chair and the Assistant Dean for Student Life, Nancy Yao. It is important that students recognize that the School cannot guarantee a replacement assignment and that declining or withdrawing from an assignment may negatively affect the student’s progress toward a degree or certificate.
The School also reserves the right to remove any student from a production assignment for persistent or egregious unprofessionalism. Students removed from assignments are also not guaranteed replacement assignments and removal may also negatively affect the student’s progress toward a degree or certificate.
Collaboration and Conflict Resolution
It is normal for collaborators in theater production to agree and to disagree, to experience both harmony and conflict, and so it is imperative to work to resolve conflict constructively. Art-making is, by definition, a process involving subjective taste and judgment, and collaborators do not always agree on how to solve a particular artistic problem. The requirement of any artist engaged in the highly collaborative art that is theatre is to navigate such moments with care for the people involved and to keep the focus on artistic problem solving, not on simply prevailing. The School’s expectation is that all students are equipped to work respectfully toward clarity about their areas of responsibility, creative synthesis, and compromise, when necessary. Students will be held accountable for these tasks in evaluation of their progress. Every student is expected to manage conflict as a matter of course; while faculty may advise students or, more rarely, mediate in a conflict, students are responsible for resolutions and should not expect that faculty or staff will serve as referees unless there is a significant issue of personal safety or professional negligence.
Casting
All casting of student actors in productions at the School or at Yale Repertory Theatre, including understudy casting, is assigned by the chair of Acting and approved by the dean, based on the developmental needs of each student and on the needs of the project. The student director on a project or production prepares a cast breakdown, which is reviewed by the appropriate directing adviser before submission to the Acting chair. Student directors—or, in the case of the Carlotta Festival or Langston Hughes Festival new play projects, the playwright, director, and dramaturg team—then meet to discuss the world of the play and share their production ideas with the Acting chair. The casting pool for School productions and projects consists of those acting students who have demonstrated proficiency in collaboration, professional discipline, and reliability. A student’s inability to maintain or display these practices in class, project, or production circumstances may result in the removal of that actor from the casting pool in order to provide them with an opportunity to reacquire, strengthen, or expand these skills. Once cast in a role, the student is required to fulfill that casting obligation.
Understudy Responsibilities
Understudy assignments at Yale Repertory Theatre and the School are treated seriously because they create a humane environment for actors who are ill or have family emergencies while also advancing artistry and training in the community: learning how to prepare, go on, and support someone who is going on, are key preparations for professional life. Understudies are expected to be available, and in reasonable proximity to the performance venue, for any performance at a moment’s notice. Unless at home or at another posted rehearsal, understudies must inform the stage manager of their location prior to the performance and be reachable by phone. Failure to be available to perform as an understudy is treated as a grave breach of professionalism and may be grounds for dismissal.
Rehearsals
Yale Repertory Theatre and David Geffen School of Drama maintain an open rehearsal policy, so that students, interns, faculty, and staff may benefit from observing artistic processes. Nonetheless, a reasonable number of Yale Rep rehearsals may be closed due to the needs of any particular company. Similarly, some School rehearsals may be closed, with the permission of the chair of Stage Management—whenever possible—and with notice posted in the daily call online and at the rehearsal hall. Therefore, the best practice for visitors is to reach out in advance to stage management of any production one wishes to visit: such courtesy also reduces the risk of arriving at a rehearsal that has been closed.
Rehearsals are normally scheduled from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, with earlier start times possible on Saturdays and during technical rehearsals. Sunday is normally the day off. With advance notice and approval of the dean, directors of major productions at the School may change the day off from Sunday to Saturday. Mondays may be used for fittings and other matters related to production, including technical rehearsals.
The number of rehearsal hours for any given project is set by the Acting and Directing programs. Actors are ordinarily called no more than six hours in one day for rehearsal of a School production. Actors who are double cast cannot participate in Yale Cabaret productions. A director may ordinarily rehearse a major School production no more than six hours in one day. Directors and stage managers should cooperate with each other to ensure that actors have reasonable breaks. The final week before the opening of a production may contain exceptions to these rules.
Assigned and Elective Work-Study
David Geffen School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre together maintain an ambitious academic and production calendar. The combination of pedagogical aspiration and significant scope in production creates vital opportunities for training, both in a student’s own discipline and across disciplines. Such opportunities are made possible, in part, by students’ sharing responsibility for the varieties of work that support the classroom and production experience for all.
Work-study reinforces the School’s values by giving all students paid responsibility for participation in artistic, production, and administrative work in accordance with the mission of the School and Yale Repertory Theatre.
Therefore, every student and technical intern in the School (except for D.F.A. students, special students and visiting research fellows) is required to fulfill a minimum number of work-study hours. For the 2025–2026 year, we expect all students and interns will work a minimum of 200 assigned work-study hours. The deans, in consultation with the work-study committee and program chairs, set the number of hours devoted to required work-study jobs according to the needs of the community. The student labor supervisor makes all required work-study assignments in consultation with each program chair.
Occasionally, based on the needs of the School and Yale Rep, some students may be assigned more than 200 hours of work-study. Required assignments are communicated to the student by the student labor supervisor via the assignments tab at https://your.drama.yale.edu, and a record of the student’s earnings are accessible there via the work history tab.
In addition to assigned work-study, elective work-study opportunities are available at the School, Yale Repertory Theatre, and Yale Cabaret. Elective work-study hours cannot be substituted for assigned work-study hours without prior discussion with the student labor supervisor.
Students must be appropriately dressed for the work-study tasks at hand including required personal protective equipment (PPE) such as steel-toed work shoes, as communicated by the work-study supervisor. Failure to complete assigned work-study, outside of excused absences, is considered a breach of professionalism and may lead to academic warning or dismissal. Work-study hours missed from an absence, tardiness, delay of I-9 completion, or conflict resolution outside of the prioritized list are not eligible for conversion, should a student otherwise be qualified.
For financial aid implications of the work-study requirement, please refer to the chapter Financial Aid Policy.
Participation in Yale Cabaret
Students in all programs are encouraged to involve themselves in the Yale Cabaret, and while doing so, must avoid the creation of conflicts with any other responsibilities outlined in the section Resolution of Scheduling Conflicts in this chapter. Conflicts with these priorities will not be resolved in favor of the cabaret. Therefore, students are responsible for consulting closely with the cabaret leadership to ensure the scope of their commitment is without such conflicts: failure to do so may result in academic warning or dismissal. Given the complexity of student schedules, approval from the chairs of the following academic programs is required in advance before a student commits to participation in the Yale Cabaret: Directing and Acting. To further ensure conflict does not occur, interested participants are encouraged to confirm their assignments with student labor supervisor C. Nikki Mills before committing to a cabaret project. No student on academic warning in any program may participate in the cabaret.
Outside Employment
David Geffen School of Drama is a mission-driven collaborative community that depends for its highest aims and best outcomes on students’ attendance both to their own progress and to that of their colleagues. Therefore, the School discourages students from pursuing outside paid or unpaid professional work at the expense of their obligations to the community. All programs require preparation for and attendance at classes, rehearsals, work calls, and other significant events. Students in good standing who are considering outside job offers should consult with their program chair and must receive written approval from their program chair and the dean before committing to any outside work. If approved, written confirmation of approval and the details of the commitment will be shared with the student labor supervisor. Work-study hours missed for participation in an outside commitment (paid or non-paid) are not eligible for conversion, should a student otherwise be qualified. Professionally meaningful and limited plans for outside work that are communicated to the program chair and dean with timeliness and transparency are occasionally approved. Accepting and performing outside work without required approval is regarded as a conflict of interest and may lead to academic warning or dismissal.
Registration
Students must register prior to the beginning of classes in the fall. Students who cannot attend the scheduled fall-term registration must receive written permission from their program chair and notify the registrar in advance. All international students are required to complete a nonacademic registration with the Office of International Students and Scholars prior to the beginning of classes, in addition to the School’s registration.
All students must submit their course schedules to the registrar within one week of the first day of classes of each term and are responsible for notifying the registrar of any subsequent changes in their schedules.
Theater History Requirement
Solid grounding in theater history is a foundation for lasting creativity. Therefore, all Certificate in Drama and Master of Fine Arts candidates in the School are required to fulfill their program’s designated two terms of theater history. Information about individual program requirements is available in the section for each discipline in this bulletin. Failure to complete these courses successfully will prevent students from meeting the requirements for graduation. Students in need of course accommodations must contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at 203.432.2324 or https://sas.yale.edu to make an appointment. Reasonable accommodations are established in advance through an interactive process between the student, the course instructor, and SAS.
Anti-Racist Theater Practice Requirement
Given the complicated social and theatrical history of the United States, the development of anti-racist, anti-oppressive theater practice in a North American context is vital to the mission of the School and Yale Rep. Therefore, each academic program requires coursework in anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice. Additionally an elective, introductory course led by faculty member Carmen Morgan and facilitators from artEquity is offered to students, faculty, and staff annually. The course is titled Everyday Justice: Anti-Racism as Daily Practice and serves as an introduction to key analytical frameworks and strategies for the development of anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice and is offered annually. Failure to attend each program’s anti-racist theater practice requirement will prevent students from meeting the requirements for graduation. Information about individual program requirements in anti-racist theater practice is available in the section for each discipline in this bulletin.
Critical Response Process Requirement
Developing methods for giving and receiving feedback on works in progress is central to the curriculum of the School. Therefore, all first-year students and technical interns in their first year participate in the Critical Response Process® (CRP) course. Devised by choreographer Liz Lerman in 1990, CRP is a structured process for getting feedback on works in progress as well as a source of tools for general communication and collaboration. Applicable for all art forms, CRP is in broad use throughout North America and Europe. In a course facilitated by faculty members Liz Lerman and Paloma McGregor that combines conversation, demonstration, and participation, students and technical interns will reflect on their experiences as givers and receivers of feedback and consider the role of critique in various aspects of their work. The course provides an opportunity to practice CRP’s four steps and the ways it puts such values as meaning, agency, inquiry, and consent into action while also considering the implications of those values for our work on stage, in rehearsal halls, and in making for more just institutions. The course will be scheduled by the School over two days during the spring term. Failure to successfully complete CRP will prevent students from meeting the requirements for graduation.