I’m just a junior, so I haven’t applied anywhere yet. I do, though, really like Yale. Thus far, I’ve decided not to pursue acting as a career, but I like theatre and the caliber of Yale’s drama programs. I’m just wondering if it is possible to be involved onstage at Yale if it isn’t your major?
My son is a freshman, and theater is what he loves most! There are many productions, and good chances for everyone to find their place.
I don’t know anything specific about Theater, but you don’t declare a major for a couple of years, …
Absolutely! See: http://dramat.org
Plus, look at this: http://yaledramacoalition.org/
There are dozens of shows put up every semester, all run entirely by students. There is funding for costumes and sets. There are multiple theater spaces, with lights already installed. There are many roles available, and lots of the actors are not drama majors. I just observed this firsthand, because my kids were involved with a show that was put on a couple of weeks ago–it was really excellent. A couple of the performers want to be professional actors, and they were very, very good, but other lead actors were physics and computer science majors. They were also very good. Two of the main characters were played by freshmen. There is also a freshman show in the spring–a couple of years ago we saw the freshman production of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, and it was amazingly professional.
Yale’s theater offerings for non-theater majors probably ranks among the top (if not the top) among colleges in the US. The qty& quality of productions every year, the numbers of orgs that sponsor and fund student-productions, the proximity to Yale Drama school and the other amazing theater in New Haven – it’s an amazing nexus. In my four years, I saw tons of great (and not so great) stuff.
Several of my classmates went into theater/cinema/TV. Paul Giamatti was a classmate, majoring in English.
My wife roomed with Tony-winner Victoria Clark.
I don’t know exactly how long it is since Yale started offering a theater major, but in olden times there was no such thing. Yale’s amazing, rich tradition of undergraduate theater was built entirely by non-majors, and the introduction of a (very small) major has not changed that significantly at all.
Back when giants walked the earth (i.e., when JHS and I were at Yale), the residential colleges had their own “dramats” (or dramatic clubs), and you had to build a stage and rent and rig lights in the dining hall for productions. Now there are all these little theaters with lights already in place, and a more centralized process for getting space (and money) to do shows. It’s really great.
@Hunt - Victoria Clark was my classmate - Class of 82!! I love following her career.
She’s performing in Gigi in New York right now.
Yale has a theater studies major. However, a ton of kids do theater who are not majoring in theater. Agree with dramat and dramacoalition. DD was involved in 6 productions during her frosh year, on the production side.