Yale Drama Students Bring “New Voices” into Theater

In eight monthly sessions during Yale’s academic year, students from high schools across New Haven learn the art of playwriting from a cast of Yale School of Drama student dramaturgs, directors, writers, actors, and designers. By the end of the program, each student writes a play of their own.
Madeline Charne, a third-year Yale dramaturg student, started the program two years ago with the support of two Office of New Haven Affairs staff members: Claudia Merson, director of public school partnerships, and Sarah Wessler, coordinator for arts and humanities partnerships. The three — along with a number of New Haven high school teachers — hoped to fill a void left by a defunct playwriting program for students from Co-op High School, but wanted to open it up to all high school students in the city.