Yale School of Drama Commencement 2021

Monday, May 24 at 1PM via Zoom

Ceremony Welcome Yale School of Drama Deans

Land Acknowledgment Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., Assistant Dean

Greetings and Conferral of Degrees Yale University President Peter Salovey

Introductory Remarks James Bundy, Dean

A Message from a Special Guest Presentation of Certificates and Degrees Closing Remarks Chantal Rodriguez, Associate Dean Florie Seery, Associate Dean

Presenting the Class of 2021 Yale School of Drama Deans

Finale

Class of 2021 Technical Internship Certificate Jenna Lauren Carroll

Twi McCallum

Master of Fine Arts Martin Elliot Caan

Carl Joseph Holvick

Estefani Castro

Gloria Peter Majule

Shannon Paige Csorny

Edmond Lamar O'Neal II

Francesca Giovina DeCicco

Eliza Liefland Orleans

Jenn Doun Forbes

Oakton Anthony Reynolds

Maeli Ariel Goren

Doctor of Fine Arts David Emerson Bruin

Nahuel Telleria

Ashley Dayoung Chang

Brian David Valencia

Helen Christine Jaksch

Yale University acknowledges that indigenous peoples and nations, including Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Niantic, and the Quinnipiac and other Algonquian speaking peoples, have stewarded through generations the lands and waterways of what is now the state of Connecticut. We honor and respect the enduring relationship that exists between these peoples and nations and this land.

A very special thanks to David Chu of c2 inc. for providing the live captioning for today's ceremony and celebration; Kassandra Haro and Kingman (Handsome Dan XIX).

History of the School Yale University founded a Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts in 1924 through the generosity of Edward S. Harkness (B.A. 1897). In 1925, the first class of students was enrolled and George Pierce Baker, freshly recruited from Harvard, arrived to serve as the first chair of the newly formed Department of Drama.

In 1955, by vote of the Yale Corporation, the Department was organized as a separate professional school, Yale School of Drama, offering the degrees of Master of Fine Arts in Drama and Doctor of Fine Arts in Drama, as well as Certificates in Drama awarded to those students who had completed the three-year program without having the normally prerequisite bachelor’s degree. Eleven years later, the formation of Yale Repertory Theatre created a laboratory in which theoretical study in the classroom with experienced theater artists would be grounded with professional practice in production work on Yale Rep stages. Yale Repertory Theatre transformed the landscape of American theater training: theaters and training programs across the country emulate Yale Rep’s convergence of talented students and leading professionals in meaningful collaboration.

School of Drama Iconography Shield

The shield of Yale School of Drama, designed by Theodore Sizer, incorporates the gold spear from William Shakespeare’s coat of arms on a grey background with gold footlights and a red stage curtain drawn back by three decorative gold buttons and a gold tassel.

Mace

The Yale School of Drama mace, designed by Ming Cho Lee, is an interpretation of the comedy and tragedy masks that are established symbols of theater—tangible representations of the act of taking on a character. As the central idea of his design, Professor Lee foregrounded the elevated emotional value of these icons to highlight theater’s eloquence in expressing the range of human experience.