Drama students Kathryn Hahn (left) and Brennan Brown (right) read a scene from "The Misanthrope" for ECA students, as set designer Stuart Polasky (center) prepares to talk about his scenic model for the play.

Drama students share theatrical know-how
with class at ECA magnet school

Local high school students got a sneak preview of the School of Drama's next production, "The Misanthrope," on Jan. 11 when members of the show's cast and crew paid a visit to ACES Educational Center for the Arts (ECA). The visit was arranged by Ingrid Schaeffer, chair of the Theater Department at ECA, and drama school student Clara Rice, administrator for "The Misanthrope." Located in downtown New Haven, the ECA was founded in 1972 to meet the needs of artistically talented high school students in the Greater New Haven area. It offers a half-day program four days a week. In the morning, students attend their local high schools; in the afternoon, they come to the magnet school to receive college-level arts training. During their visit to ECA, the Yale students discussed both the artistic and academic sides of theater. "Misanthrope" director Lisa Channer, scenic designer Stuart Polasky, and lead actors Brennan Brown and Kathryn Hahn described the artistic processes involved in producing the play. Then, the actors performed an excerpt from the play. Following the formal presentation and question-and-answer session, the ECA students viewed the scenic model and costume sketches and participated in one-to-one discussions with the members of the artistic team. According to some ECA students, the most enriching part of the presentation was "The Misanthrope" team's advice about choosing a college. One student, Ryan Holmes, said, "Until [the presentation], I had no idea about choosing a conservatory versus a liberal arts college, and the presentation made me realize which direction to go." Fellow student Heidi Voigt, who plans to major in pre-veterinary medicine, noted that the presentation "answered a lot of my questions. It assured me that I have to make a life for myself and then pursue theater." Schaeffer noted, "It was particularly valuable when the actors talked about the process because ECA is very much about the process and learning how to make [artistic] choices." The Yale students invited the members of Schaeffer's ECA class to attend the final dress rehearsal of the production on Jan. 29 so they could see the artistic process in motion and witness the realization of the ideas discussed in the classroom. "Seeing a rehearsal will be more exciting than seeing a performance because they will truly understand the process," said Schaeffer. T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Yale will invest over $500 million in science and engineering Gift from alumnus John Malone to fund engineering building Yale luminaries combine talents to teach students the benefits of 'strategic thinking' Commissioner Howard Safir describes NYPD 'success story' Senator to discuss Irish peace talks Garten reflects on first term as dean of Yale SOM Ex-curator donates T.S. Eliot archive to Beinecke Professor Chang enjoys writing about Yale for a Chinese audience University fellowships will support junior faculty's research projects Survey reveals fewer 'near-Earth asteroids' than once believed Yale Rep will stage work by 'a rock and roll poet' Theologians to discuss milestone church accord Yale just one stop in Divinity student's quest for universal truths Yale libraries launch new website devoted to public health issues in New Haven area Scientists identify direct link between DQ8 gene, diabetes Study: Chronically ill give low ratings to managed care Yale team develops non-invasive test for fetal anemia Molière play balances 'moments of deep pain' with laughter Drama students share theatrical know-how with class at ECA magnet school Movie screenings benefit child clinics Sexual orientation and Christianity is focus of the 'Opening Doors' series in February Grey named to federal council on nursing research Dr. Dennis Spencer honored for his work on epilepsy Yale Scoreboard YSN outreach worker receives AIDS leadership award PathMaster database aiding in cancer cell diagnosis English Language Institute Courses for Spring Term Campus Notes . . . In the News . . . Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus| Calendar of Events|Bulletin Board Classified Ads|Search Archives|Production Schedule|Bulletin Staff Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page