A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR I am thrilled that Yale Rep audiences are among the first to see this astonishing new play by Octavio Solis, a playwright whose work has been regularly produced for nearly twenty years around the country, but who has had little exposure on the east coast. This production is only the start of what I hope will be a long relationship between Octavio and our theatre: in fact, Yale Rep recently commissioned him to write a new play. I am equally delighted to welcome director Juliette Carrillo and the fine company of artists assembled for this production. Amidst the great joy of bringing this new play to our stage there is also a deep sense of loss. Chris Webb, who composed much of the original music you will hear in Lydia, died of cancer just weeks before rehearsals were to begin here in New Haven. We are grateful for the remarkable contributions he made not only to the development of this play but to many other plays over the course of his career. Shortly before his death, Chris requested that his friend and longtime collaborator David Molina finish his work on Lydia. We thank David for his sensitivity and commitment to this project and the Webb family for allowing us to honor Chris’s work in this way. We also join countless others in the American theatre community in mourning the passing of Gerald Schoenfeld, who for more than 35 years served as Chairman of the Shubert Organization. With Bernard B. Jacobs, who shared the chairmanship with Mr. Schoenfeld for more than two decades, Gerry is credited for revitalizing Broadway during the late 1970s and early 1980s with a string of acclaimed, prize-winning productions including Equus, The Phantom of the Opera, and A Chorus Line. Yet, just as significantly, he played a major role in the growth and advancement of not-for-profit theatres across the country. Yale Rep is but one of many organizations that greatly benefited from the Shubert Foundation’s generosity and deep commitment to theatrical art. Thank you for joining us for this performance of Lydia. As always, I look forward to hearing your reactions here at the theatre or by email (james.bundy@yale.edu). Sincerely,
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James Bundy Artistic Director
PHOTO BY JOHN GROO
Welcome to Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of Lydia!