Carol Waaser ’70 had been a philosophy major as an undergraduate and was uncertain as to what to do with her life. One of her college instructors suggested that since she enjoyed working backstage in the school’s theatre department, she go to Yale School of Drama. She took his advice, entered YSD, and got her first scholarship as an assistant in the Sound Department. After graduation, Carol worked for a few years as a stage manager for theatre and dance, then got a job with Actors’ Equity, where she remained for 28 years, her last few as acting executive director. When Carol retired from Actors’ Equity, she established a charitable gift to benefit Yale School of Drama. Carol remains grateful to the School for starting her on what she calls “an accidental career.” Carol Wasser ’70
Anita Fusco YC ’90 and Dino Fusco YC ’88, longtime theatre lovers, had an interest in contributing to Yale in some way and had discussed possibilities with the Development Office, but they hadn’t found a gift that seemed right to them. Then they saw War Horse at Lincoln Center and realized that one of the actors, Peter Hermann yc ’90, had been a classmate of theirs, and that six of the other actors were graduates of the School of Drama. This helped to focus their interest on the School. “In the theatre you see a lot of people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets that come together to put on a play. It’s like a team sport. They have to sacrifice a lot to make the whole brilliant.” The next step was to host a cocktail party for the Yale cast members of War Horse and invite people who were interested in theatre to see the play and meet the cast in a casual setting. The Fuscos made their gift to the School of Drama in the belief that it would help to attract the best students. “The arts can be a difficult profession,” Anita says, “and not immediately rewarding. Sometimes never rewarding. We felt that quality moves the arts forward and that money shouldn’t be an obstacle for any talented student if we could help.” For all of these generous people, support of the arts is not simply a belief but a cause, one with a specific and direct beneficiary: students of the theatre. At a time in our country when people are asked to support many different causes, it takes dedication and a fierce kind of passion to make giving to the arts a priority. Barry Jay Kaplan
Leave Your Legacy
Anita Fusco yc ’90 and Dino Fusco yc ’88, photo by The Jussen Studio
By including Yale School of Drama in your financial plan, you make a significant commitment that will strengthen the School and, through faculty and students, touch and inspire countless lives. A life income gift can offer you the best of many worlds: dependable income for you and your family, current and future tax savings, and a means to support scholarships and the unique programs that have made Yale School of Drama a leader in arts training for more than eighty years. Whether planning for retirement, the educational expenses of children, or the care of loved ones, life income gifts are an excellent way to balance your goals. . . for you and for the School. To learn about these opportunities, please contact Susan Clark at (203) 432-1559 or susan.clark@yale.edu.
YSD 2012–13
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