05 James Magruder ’88, DFA ’92, MA ’84, at Yale in 1983.
07 Pun Bandhu ’01 08 Linda Cho ’98
06 Reggie Montgomery and Michael Potts ’92 in The America Play (1994) by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Liz Diamond (Faculty). Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
09 Nico Lang ’05
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Nico Lang ’05 Theater Manager
Pun Bandhu ’01 Actor The best tool we can give graduates is the experience of interacting with and learning from people who are different from them. When I was a student, the administration did a good job of making a conscious effort to increase diversity among its students. In my acting class, we had three Asian actors, which was previously unheard of. However, very little of that diversity was on display at the Rep. The focus on classics left few opportunities for “ethnic plays.” This, as many of my playwright friends of color are familiar with, is still the harsh reality at many regional theatres: the one ethnic slot that every playwright of color competes for. In School shows, casting was colorblind. But the subtle message, reflected at the Rep, was that colorblind casting was not how things worked in the “real” world. Race is not part of the story being told in most cases, but there are those who still feel that an actor’s race changes the story. We need to get beyond this mentality.
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Linda Cho ’98 Costume Designer I remember questioning our faculty about why we didn’t do more plays written by women or minorities. Their response was that they teach a survey of the Western canon of plays. In my mind I equate this with appreciating a good abstract painting—learning about the derivative legacy of a work makes the experience of looking at the painting richer. I also remember asking Ming Cho Lee (Faculty): “Don’t we have a responsibility as Asian Americans to give voice to our heritage in our work?” His response was that doing strong work in your field as an artist is in itself cultural advocacy. I think the role of Yale School of Drama is to produce great theatre-artists. Beyond the obvious step of assembling a diverse student body, I think we can ultimately do what we have always done: teach students to tell their stories in a compelling way through invention, curiosity, and empathy.
I was one of the first students with dwarfism to attend YSD. I don’t recall any conversations ahead of arriving about necessary accommodations. It wasn’t until well into my second semester that I realized all the lowered handles on every blessed door in the UT had been put there for my benefit. And so, if I had to sum up my experience I would have to start with two words: Bill Reynolds (Staff). My ability to move unencumbered around that building was something I never even considered. My needs had been met without even having to ask. My second year, when I moved into an office (glamour!), it was Bill who had a false floor installed in the room so that as I stood behind my desk I was eye level with anyone who came to see me. It was a transformative moment in my professional life. A platform just like that one followed me to Cornerstone and all the way through to my current desk at MIT. The anticipation of my needs is not what I remember most though. It was the feeling of being embraced and cared for without being made to feel singled out.
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