Yale Bulletin and Calendar

October 20, 2006|Volume 35, Number 7

A publicity photo for the new comedy "The Mistakes Madeline Made," which premiered last spring. The playwright is a 2004 graduate of the School of Drama.

Yale Rep to stage alumna's comedy
'The Mistakes Madeline Made'

"The Mistakes Madeline Made," a new comedy by Yale College graduate Elizabeth Meriwether '04 about a young woman who rebels against her sanitized world, will be the next offering at the Yale Repertory Theatre.

The play, directed by Mark Rucker, will run Oct. 27-Nov. 18 at the Rep, 1120 Chapel St.

The play centers on the character of Edna, who has a high-strung perfectionist for a boss and an office co-worker who makes odd noises. She dates a series of "Mr. Wrongs" and is reeling from the loss of her brother, a war correspondent. Edna reacts by sabotaging office supplies and refusing to bathe.

The play premiered at Naked Angels in April and was called "savagely funny" by Variety magazine. Several of Meriwether's other plays have been produced in New York. After the playwright's graduation from Yale, her play "Nicky Goes Goth" was produced in the New York International Fringe Festival with subsequent mounting at the Impact Theater in Berkeley and the Stray Cat Theater in Phoenix. Her play "True Love Story of My Parents" won the Sam French Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival. In 2006, Meriwether adapted Ibsen's classic "Hedda Gabler" into "Heddatron" for Les Freres Corbusier at HERE, a production where humans acted opposite robots. She co-wrote "Dixie's Tupperware Party" with writer and performer Kris Anderson.

Rucker, an associate artist at South Coast Repertory, co-directed last season's "All's Well That Ends Well" at the Yale Rep, where he has also directed productions of "Twelfth Night," "Landscape of the Body," "The Cryptogram," "Measure for Measure," "The Imaginary Invalid" and "Kingdom of Earth." At South Coast Repertory, he directed a number of world premieres, as well as other plays. He directed the premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's play "House Arrest" at Arena Stage and has also directed at numerous other theaters. His first feature film, "Die, Mommie, Die!" won a special jury prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. He is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles and the Yale School of Drama.

The cast members for "The Mistakes Madeline Made" are Michael Chernus (Wilson), Patch Darragh (Buddy), Aubrey Dollar (Edna), David Jenkins (Jake, Blake and Drake) and Colleen Werthmann (Beth).

The other members of the creative team are scenic designer Maiko Chii, dramaturg Joseph P. Cermatori and sound designer and composer Greg H. Henniger.

Performances are Tuesday-Saturday at 8 p.m., with a Monday night performance on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. and matinee performances on Saturday, Nov. 4, 11 and 18 and Wednesday, Nov. 8. Special events include previews, where from Oct. 27 through Nov. 1, the public can purchase lower-priced tickets; Grad Night on Saturday, Oct. 28 (featuring a pre-show discussion with members of the creative team as well as complimentary beer, wine and appetizers for graduate students); opening night on Nov. 2 (a celebration with cast and crew will follow the performance at Zinc); "Talk Backs" -- a question-and-answer session with members of the cast -- following the matinee performances on Saturday, Nov. 4 and 11, and the evening performances on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and Wednesday, Nov. 15; a senior matinee on Wednesday, Nov. 8, with a pre-show presentation at 1 p.m. by members of the creative team and refreshments; and "Before and After" on Thursday, Nov. 9, where students and young professionals can mix before the show (beginning at 6 p.m.) at BAR, 254 Crown St., at a free pizza party featuring drink specials and take part in a Talk Balk with members of the cast and creative team after the show. The 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Nov. 11, will be open captioned and the matinee on Saturday, Nov. 18, will be audio described.

Tickets for previews are $35 for weekdays and $40 for weekends. Regular performances are $45 for weekdays and matinees and $55 for weekends. Tickets can be purchased online at www.yalerep.org, by phone at (203) 432-1234 and in person at the Yale Rep box office, 1120 Chapel St. Teletype orders can be made by calling (203) 432-1521. A variety of flexible subscription packages, as well as senior, student and group rates, are also available.

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Campus Notes