Yale Dramatic Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Yale Dramatic Association, also known as the "Dramat," is one of the oldest college theater companies in the country. Founded in 1900 by undergraduates at Yale University, the Dramat has been putting up student productions for over a century. The Dramat has produced a wide variety of shows over the years, including classics by the likes of Shakespeare and Sophocles and original works by now famous writers like Thornton Wilder and Cole Porter.
The Dramat is run by a nine undergraduate member executive board which oversees the daily business of the Dramat, which includes selecting repertoire for performance and choosing or hiring directors for its productions. The Dramat's membership includes around 100 Yale undergraduates as well as many honorary and life-time members.
The Dramat played an essential part in the founding of the Yale School of Drama and the constructions of its main venue, the University Theater (also known as the UT). The Dramat and the School of Drama thus have a long tradition of collaboration and cooperation.
The Dramat was the first company to perform Thornton Wilder's one act play, The Long Christmas Dinner.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Sam Waterston, actor famous for the role of Jack McCoy on Law & Order
- Cole Porter, renowned composer of musicals
- Nikos Psacharopoulos, stage director and founder of the Williamstown Theatre Festival
- Jodie Foster, actress
- Bronson Pinchot, actor
- Stephen Vincent Benét, writer
- Thornton Wilder, writer
- Richard Maltby, Jr., Tony Award-winning director and lyricist.
- Jefferson Mays, Tony Award-winning actor
- Edward Norton, actor
- Paul Giamatti, actor
- Ron Livingston, actor
- James Whitmore, actor
