Cameron Nye, Contributing Photographer

Besides new classes and unpredictable snowfall, Yale’s 2025 spring semester ushers in an exciting time for theatergoers. 

Over 20 shows are slated to run between now and commencement, with more surely to be announced in the meantime. From Broadway staples to experimental theatrical renderings, the upcoming season is a diverse display of student talent.

“Everything about Yale theater is exciting,” said Meridian Monthy ’25, one of the actresses engaged in this semester’s theatrics.

Monthly is a lead in Anaiis Rios-Kasoga’s ’25 original play “Honesty Hour.” The show follows two women who, for one hour each week, rant about anything and everything. The show runs throughout the last weekend of January.

A bulk of the shows slated for this spring are originals. Oftentimes, these student-written productions tell stories and include themes forgotten by mainstream theater.

Among these are odes to the Haitian identity in “Dinner These Days” by Arielle Alouidor ’25 and complications of race and legacy in “Little White Lies” by Natalie Brown ’25, both slated for the end of February.

From April 9 to 12, Samanatha Saotome Feninger ’25 and Sam Ahn ’25 will present “Homecoming,” a senior thesis show. 

The show is based on Feninger’s experience going back to Japan to attend her grandfather’s funeral. The show explores what “home” means to Asian immigrants while grappling with the costs of corporate success.

“Stories about Asian Americans are rare in the theater, and it’s important to write those stories into the literature,” said Ahn.

These original shows result from months, sometimes years, of tireless effort and countless rewrites and are rare opportunities to see Yale student stories on stage.

Seasoned theatergoers can attend “Company,” the second production of Sondheim this academic year, as well as two other Broadway classics, “Pippin” and “Grease.”

Additional reimagined productions include “Songs for a New World” and “Next to Normal.”

“I think audiences will really love how much fun we have up on stage,” said Hannah Kurczeski ’26, a staff writer at the News who will play Joanne in “Company.”

As the name suggests, Kurczeski is in good company with her tight-knit castmates. According to Kurczeski, audience members can expect the closeness of the cast to translate into the characters’ dynamics.

Opera fans can delight at performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Trial by Jury” and the highly anticipated “Veremonda,” a 17th-century piece, which remained largely obscure until 2015. “Trial by Jury” runs from April 3 to 5 and “Veremonda” runs from April 26 to 27.

“Gloria,” the Dramat’s spring experimental show, set to run in mid-February, is a contemplation of American work culture and the innate toxicities of the workplace.

The mainstage performance, running a few weeks after “Gloria,” is a staging of “Intimate Apparel.” The story centers on an African American woman who travels to New York City to pursue her dreams as a seamstress.

FroShow, an annual production produced entirely by first years and Dramat’s hallowed tradition, commences Feb. 20 and concludes Feb. 22. “Miss Molly: A Marital Deceit of Honest Intentions” promises to be a gay romp, literally –– full of duplicity and laughter. 

The plot follows two distinguished gentlemen engulfed in a secret gay love affair who decide to court two sisters to hide their secret. However, hot on their heels is the girls’ mother, a discerning viscountess who does not buy their earnestness.

“It’s camp, it’s fun, it’s gay, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously,” Lyndon Chen ’28 said.

As the show’s costume designer, Chen believes audiences will find it refreshing and entertaining, a nice change of pace from the “heavier” dramas.

With the wide array of shows available, audiences are bound for a diverse experience of Yale theater. For more information on tickets and other upcoming events, see Yale College Arts’ “Shows and Screenings” page.

Additionally, applications for this semester’s Creative Performing Arts grants are open until Jan. 20. 

CAMERON NYE
Cameron Nye covers theater and performances. He is a sophomore in Branford College majoring in political science.