The play is directed by graduate student Wisteria Deng GRD ’26 and will be performed on 205 Park Street from April 27 to April 30. “Red Rose, White Rose” is an adaptation of a love story written by the Chinese female author Eileen Chang and adapted by the Chinese writer and director Tian Qinxin. The play follows the story of two women, the “Red Rose” and the “White Rose,” who are living in the patriarchal society of 1930s Shanghai. It explores the clash of traditional Western and Eastern values and tensions that arise between characters, grappling with conflicting ideals of what family and marriage should mean. 

“It’s about people trying to survive in a society that’s extremely restrictive and extremely limiting,” said Deng. 

Deng told the News she feels that the play’s themes are especially relevant today, as progression and regression on women’s issues happen simultaneously.  She explained that the play portrays how different people cope with choosing between family, career and love. 

In a choice unique to this production, Deng decided to have each of the three main characters — White Rose, Red Rose, and the protagonist —  played by two different actors. This approach, Deng explained, separates the “inner” and “outer” selves of the characters, allowing the audience to see how the characters’ inner selves evolve over time. These selves, Deng said, become more reserved, passionate or genuine as the play progresses.

“The play is about values clashing, it’s about a person’s ideal self clashing with the harsh truth,” Deng said. “It’s about a person’s imagination of what a family is made of, what a marriage means, clashing with how society rules the family.” 

The play will be performed in a lecture hall and auditorium, rather than a professional stage. The creative team is constructing two different homes on stage to represent the residences of the Red Rose and White Rose. Traditional costumes and props, paired with “nostalgic tunes,” will add to the play’s atmosphere, according to Deng.

Jessy Li, a New York-based software developer, will be playing the role of Red Rose in the upcoming show. According to Li, Red Rose is a “complex character” who embodies many of the themes and conflicts of the novel, including love, desire, tradition and modernity. 

Li said she was drawn to the role because she identifies with the character’s struggles and has “empathy” for her. To prepare for the role, Li read the novel and watched both a recording of the original play and its film adaptation. Li also worked with a private tutor to perfect her Chinese pronunciation and refine her posture to better embody the character physically.

The most challenging aspect of portraying Red Rose, Li told the News, has been capturing the character’s expressive body movements. Li said this is because she herself is naturally more introverted in her own movements, unlike the character.

Xingyi Zhang SOM ’23 is playing the alternate Red Rose. This will be Zhang’s second performance with Yale Vermillion Theater after acting in their fall show “No Exit.” 

According to Zhang, her participation in the fall show last year provided her with an opportunity to connect with several people involved in theater at Yale and expand her network within the community.  This network, she said, led her to audition for Red Rose in the upcoming production.

Zhang also said she was drawn to the role because of her love for “bad women” in literature who challenge traditional norms. This, she said, made the Red Rose character a perfect fit for her. She describes the character as “sexy, but not pushy or vulgar,” which presented a unique challenge in attempting to strike “the right balance.”

Haoyu Tang GRD ’24 is the president of Yale Vermillion Theater and plays the role of Zhenbao Tong in the play. According to Tang, the biggest challenge with this year’s performance was the short time frame for production. They launched the play in less than two months — from recruitment interviews to the actual performance — leaving only one month for rehearsals. This was half the usual time dedicated to the theater group’s productions, Tang said. 

“The story makes the audience reflect on their own true selves, including their selfish and greedy tendencies, creating a unique and thought-provoking experience,” said Tang.

Crystal Liu ’25, the head of outreach for the Yale Vermillion Theater, said the show received funding from the University Graduate and Professional Students Senate, as well as some local restaurants like Tai Chi Tea.

Tickets for the production can be reserved online. 

The post Yale Vermillion Theater to debut “White Rose, Red Rose” appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The event, which lasted from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., was hosted by the Yale-China Association and OISS and sponsored by the Long Wharf Theater. The open mic featured Yale student groups, including Yale’s official Asian and Asian American spoken word group Jook Songs. Several local artists in New Haven joined the performance as well.

The Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the lunar calendar year, and is a very important holiday in many Asian cultures. Saturday’s open mic took place as part of the 11th annual Lunarfest celebration in New Haven. 

“This was the first time we had really done an official collaboration with Long Wharf Theater, and I’m thrilled with how the turnout was,” said Molly Hampton, the associate director of engagement for OISS. “We have a great relationship with Yale-China, I think we’ll continue this collaboration, and hopefully, this type of event will be bigger and better next year.”

Hampton said that OISS has a longstanding partnership with the Yale-China Association and has hosted multiple Lunarfest events in the past.

Sebastian Chang ’23 performed a rap song, “From a Rooftop in Chinatown,” which had lyrics that addressed anti-Blackness in the Asian community, at the open mic. Chang said it was wonderful to see both Black and Asian cultures represented at the event. 

Several local independent Black artists participated in the event as well, including Sun Queen. Queen is a poet, an organizer for social and racial justice and a co-founder of Black Lives Matter New Haven. Sun Queen spoke about the importance of the Lunar New Year in terms of celebrating peace, love, freedom and prosperity. 

“This event was amazingly put together, and I’m grateful to have been invited here,” Queen said. “I’m grateful for the Chinese New Year because it does give you time with your reflections, your manifestations, whatever your goals are, to just learn about yourself … and also how you show up more effectively, more gracefully, and community. ”

She added that the new year is an important chance for people to stop and take time to learn about where they are from, who they are and what they want.

“It’s wonderful that people come here from different backgrounds to share their stories,” said Wenshi Wang, and attendee at the open mic who is from China.

Wang said she was excited to see people from different cultures celebrate the event together. 

“It was the first time that we participated in this type of Chinese fest, and it was amazing for me,” said Mansour Toorani, a New Haven resident from Iran who participated in the event. “I wasn’t familiar with this at first.”

Toorani added that this is his first year living in the United States and hopes to get familiar with other cultures.

The event was the first in-person Lunarfest celebration that OISS has hosted since the pandemic. 

“It’s been really lovely to see this come back in person,” Hampton said. 

Long Wharf Theater is a local New Haven theater established in 1965. 

The post OISS celebrates Lunar New Year with open mic event appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The play is the David Geffen School of Drama’s first production of 2023. Directed by Leyla Levi DRA ‘23 and originally written by Jackie Sibblies Drury ‘03, the play is inspired by the real life of Mary Seacole — a Black British-Jamaican nurse who cared for soldiers during the Crimean War. 

“Marys Seacole” depicts Seacole’s imagined journey from mid-1800s Jamaica to a modern-day nursing home. The play’s title reflects its focus not just on Seacole, but on the many “Marys” that have gone unsung throughout history.   

Seacole is often overlooked in historical narratives, eclipsed by her more famous white counterpart, Florence Nightingale. Nightingale is frequently credited as the founder of the nursing profession, achieving widespread recognition at the end of the Crimean War.  Seacole, meanwhile, returned to London bankrupt after months of tireless service on the battlefield. It was then that Seacole wrote and published her memoir, called “Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands,” for an audience of white high society Victorians.

“It is at that point that Drury locates her play: in the gap between Mary’s actual life and the way that she wants to be seen,” Levi wrote in an email to the News. “She takes this gap between the ever-elusive truth and the facade, and finds there a Hole of History (a la Suzan-Lori Parks) or a Funnyhouse (a la Adrienne Kennedy) — a place where shame, self-loathing, internalized racism and misogyny are handed down in seemingly endless generational cycles. She asks: who gets to be cared for, by whom and at whose cost?”

Levi first read “Marys Seacole” last winter break in Istanbul while taking care of her parents as they both recovered from COVID-19. She proposed the show as her thesis project last January. The staff of David Geffen School of Drama students started rehearsals at the end of November and had a five-week rehearsal period including technical rehearsals.

Levi said she felt an affinity to the story in multiple ways, empathizing with Mary’s perspective as an immigrant, issues in her mother-daughter relationship and seeking support from other women.

“This play, about mothering, generational cycles of shame and the endless, timeless work of care across the ages, struck something raw in me,” Levi told the News. “Indeed, the play, written before the pandemic and before the eruption of the war in Ukraine, has many strange and uncanny resonances with our moment.”

Tyler Cruz DRA ’23, who played Mary in the show, also felt touched by the plot of the story.

“What interested me in the script is that it tells the story of a West Indian woman that has been largely erased from history,” Cruz said. “As a person of Caribbean descent that is an important and rare opportunity that I’ve come across in my acting training and career thus far.”

All of the actors on stage in “Marys Seacole” are women. Joan Barere, who attended the show on Wednesday, noted that “the feelings involved in being a woman” are typically pushed to the periphery of most theater she has seen. 

“You don’t often see a play that’s entirely presented by women, written by a woman,” Barere told the News. “That’s also very meaningful for me.”

Because the timeline of the show is not chronological, it is instead composed of eight fragmented stories spanning a wide timeline. For set designer B Entsminger ’24, it was challenging to design a coherent set with so many different time periods and locations.

Cruz said that the team was able to address many of the challenges they faced by going back to the script for close readings. 

“Jackie Sibblies Drury is so intentional about what she writes that most things can be clarified by going back to the script,” Cruz said.

Lee Entsminger, father of B Entsminger, said he thought the show’s execution was “amazing” with the actors, set, and all elements of production flowing well together. He said he was struck by how the show managed to unfold the “rich history” of Mary’s life while touching on important social issues.

“Yale is second to none in drama and so [I am] really pleased to be able to be here and  see a production of this quality with the students,” he commented. “What an incredible opportunity all these students have.”

“Marys Seacole” was the first show produced by David Geffen School of Drama in the 2022-2023 spring season. All patrons must wear masks at all times while inside the theater.

The post David Geffen School of Drama puts on “Marys Seacole” as first production of 2023 appeared first on Yale Daily News.

On Nov. 4, Los Angeles-based rock band Silversun Pickups visited New Haven to promote their most recent album “Physical Thrills,” released last August. Formed in 2000, Silversun Pickups consists of frontman Brian Aubert, bassist Nikki Monninger, drummer Chris Guanlao and keyboardist Joe Lester.

New Haven was one of the first stops on a busy month of touring for the band. Guanlao described the first week of the tour as “nerve-racking,” with the band encountering several technical difficulties during production rehearsals. 

“But after the first week, we started to gel, and now we’re able to have fun,” Guanlao said. “I’m super excited for all these shows and I feel ready and re-energized.”

Silversun Pickups emerged from the early 2000s rock scene in the Los Angeles neighborhood Silver Lake. The band got their start playing opening or closing sets for more established groups, sometimes taking the stage far after midnight. Guanlao said he fondly remembers the camaraderie that they shared with other up-and-coming L.A. rock bands. 

“We were like the little brother of everyone,” Guanlao shared, “It was just so motivating.” 

The Silver Lake music scene helped forge Silversun Pickup’s musical style, which is often defined by driving and rock anthems. 

“As far as our sound goes, everyone kind of tells us we like a SoCal band or like a L.A. band,” Guanlao said. “But it’s funny, because we don’t know how to make Southern California music, you know, it just kind of comes out of us.” 

Silversun Pickups made “Physical Thrills” in collaboration with producer Butch Vig. Guanlao said that, being a percussionist himself, Vig has “that kind of drumming sensibility,” and likened their communication in the studio to “mental telepathy.” 

Guanlao also mentioned that the collaborative energy of the whole band is similar to a family. Past conflicts around business issues had “never really lasted” or caused major rifts.

Friday’s show was opened by Australian pop-rock band Eliza & The Delusionals. Frontwoman Eliza Klatt led the band through songs like “Swimming Pool” and “Just Exist” with her unrelenting, soaring vocals. 

New Haven was just one stop on a cross-country trek for Eliza & The Delusionals, who embarked from San Francisco and drove east on a tour bus. 

When asked about the band’s tour rituals, guitarist Kurt Skuse commented that “we always have a gin and soda” and “we wear the same clothes constantly, because we don’t wash any clothes.”

The Silversun Pickups opened their set with the slow-paced “Stillness (Way Beyond),” which features ghostly, echoing vocals. The set list also included older hits like “Panic Switch,” from the band’s 2009 album “Swoon,” which highlighted Monninger’s explosive bass skills. 

Silversun Pickups gave an energetic performance throughout the set. Each time a chorus hit, Monninger jumped up and down on stage, a huge smile on her face. Guanlao played a drum set on which the crash cymbal was suspended above his head, his face almost completely obscured by a shaggy mane of brown hair. 

“I think they are absolutely amazing. I’ve never heard them before, and yeah, I got really pumped up,” said audience member Jess Sanderson, who won tickets with her boyfriend through the radio station 10.41.

Silversun Pickups are slated to headline 12 more shows before Thanksgiving.

The post Silversun Pickups beam SoCal alt-rock into College Street Music Hall appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Local artists gathered on Whalley Avenue to sell artwork including paintings, clothing, jewelry, candles and vintage goods. The event also featured one of its co-organizers — Allen Jackson — as a live DJ performing under the name Dooley-O.  

“It’s a thriving, colorful, artsy world here,” said Jackson, who also co-organized the event. “And it’s wonderful. I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Jackson described the unique strengths of the arts market, explaining that everything sold is handmade by local artists. 

This is the second year of Westville Arts Market, according to Jackson. They host this event about twice a month, hosting about 20 events a year. To promote the market, Jackson set up an Instagram for Westville Arts Market to attract more artists and reached out personally to artists in the New Haven community. 

Jackson said that Instagram is one of the primary ways the Westville Arts Market attracts tourists and vendors. Their Instagram account has more than 1,500 followers.

“Art brings a lot of people together and creates a community,” Jackson said. “It’s just one of Westville’s great things.” 

According to Alexandra Novak Foster, the vendor of the brand Pearl Studio New Haven, the arts market is helpful for artists to sell more products. Foster has attended several arts markets this season. Foster added that this event helps her to get to know more artists and New Haven citizens. She described the arts market community as “like a chain,” where artists and the community are connected to each other.

At the market, Pearl Studio New Haven sold paintings, digital artwork, drawings, handmade jewelry and stickers. 

Kamryn Surprenant, the vendor of Thé Offbeat Score said this week marked her first time participating in the Arts Market. Surprenant said she found out about this opportunity through Instagram and posts from other New Haven artists. 

“[I] knew that many people were going to be here, and I signed up,” Surprenant said. “It’s a really great community event and I love seeing all the different types of artwork everybody brings.” 

Through interacting with the artist community and potential customers, Suprenant said she is able to initiate important relationships with customers in addition to having her work discovered and rediscovered by other members of the community. 

New Haven resident Tagan Engel was a participant in the Westville Arts Market and said she is also involved in the arts and entrepreneurship. 

“I actually live up the street, so I like that they closed this off and made it a community space,” Engel said. “There are a lot of Black and brown artists and they’re all local artists … You can also get exposed to new artists.”

The next Westville Arts Market will be hosted in spring.

The post Westville Arts Market assembles local artists for last time this year appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The speaker event — titled “’Dogmeat, Chop Suey, Mozzarella Gialla: Communicating Chinese Migrant Alimentary Stereotypes in Italian Pop Culture” — is one in a series started in fall of 2020 by the working group. Gaoheng Zhang, an associate professor of Italian studies at the University of British Columbia who focuses on socio-cultural relations between Italy and China, was the event’s main speaker. 

“He was speaking about stereotypes that Chinese people and Chinese cuisines have in Italy, and how they are very prevalent in representations of Italian media, in advertising and in films,” said Lydia Tuan GRD ’26, one of the event’s organizers.

Tuan and Federica Parodi GRD ’25, two doctoral students in the working group, co-organized the event. The working group usually hosts two to three events each semester. Tuan, who studied at UC Berkeley as an undergraduate, said the working group’s official collaboration with UC Berkeley started in the fall of 2021. 

“[UC Berkeley] regularly also host[s] speaker events,” Tuan said. “And so I thought it would be a good idea to do them together. This would also represent more networking opportunities for students at Yale, as well as more opportunities for students at Berkeley to network with students over here. This inter-University exchange is beneficial, I think, for the both of us.”

Previous events have been held on Zoom because of public health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Tuan, the main audience at such speaker events typically consists of graduate students, postdoctoral students and faculty.

Zhang said the talk offered a good opportunity to present part of his current research. Given his Chinese culture background, he identified himself as “a non-traditional Italianist.”

“The event was a good venue for me to showcase how such diverse backgrounds and research specialties can make an impact on our understanding of Italy,” Zhang said.

This is the first time this working group’s series has examined the exchange of East Asian culture and Italian culture, Tuan explained.

The group wanted to “spotlight some research that does not receive a lot of attention within the field of Italian studies,” said Tuan, noting that there is currently limited research on the link between East Asian and Italian culture.

Zhang’s talk examined how Italian public discourses on Chinese food can sharpen, strengthen or refashion white Italians’ identities. Rather than examining canonical literature and culture, Zhang said he feels drawn to popular media and culture, which tangibly shape public perceptions in society.

“Gaoheng Zhang’s work is critical in sensitizing us to the many ‘contact zones’ of which contemporary Italy is constructed — and enabling us both to recognize the stereotypes that are at play in contemporary discourse, and to move beyond them,” said Jane Tylus, chair of the Italian studies department,

Parodi commented that today’s conversation “was very productive and very interesting,” with Tuan agreeing. Tuan elaborated, saying the discussion on Chinese people and food demonstrates some facts which are still contemporary and relevant to contemporary Italian society.

The next Diversity in Italian Studies Working Group event will be held on Nov. 15.

The post Yale Italian Studies promotes cross-cultural connections at speaker event appeared first on Yale Daily News.

After a Sept. 30 news conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony, the bridge was reopened to the public. The Connecticut Department of Transportation was in charge of the project, which took 5 months and $3 million to complete. 

“[It’s] really a safety and reliability improvement project, to make sure the motors, bikes and pedestrians can safely cross over the bridge,” said Josh Morgan, the spokesperson and communications manager for CTDOT.

Morgan explained that the bridge was first built in 1912, with its last major renovation in 1992. He said that the bridge was suffering from rust and some deterioration, a condition noticed by inspectors ahead of the renovation project. The bridge deck was completely removed from the concrete, and the steel structures underneath the bridge were replaced, according to Morgan.

Ferry Street Bridge connects the State Street and Middletown Avenues in New Haven across the railroad track. According to Rick Fontana, commissioner of the Commision on Fire Prevention and Control in Connecticut, it plays a crucial role in New Haven citizens’ daily lives, transporting them to school and work.

Elicker mentioned that the bridge was necessary to connect one side of the Quinnipiac River railroad track to the other and said that with the construction, people had to travel much further to get across. 

Fontana said the bridge “serves as a key to the gateway” for emergency services, and when the bridge was closed the obstruction of detours and alternate routes often delayed emergency services and endangered public health.

There was continued access to pedestrians and cyclists to cross the bridge throughout construction, according to Elicker. 

“That’s important because people could still get to school,” Elicker said. “There’s a lot of kids that live in Fair Haven and walk across High School, for example.”

Because of its importance, Morgan said they avoid shutting the bridge down unless absolutely necessary. In this case, however, the entire bridge was below standards, forcing them to temporarily close it. 

“They said it was going to open up on September 30,” Fontana said. “They weren’t kidding … So my hat’s off to all the people that designed it and worked on it.”

Elicker was also happy to see the bridge finished on time, especially in a time rife with supply chain issues.

Morgan said the bridge renovation was the product of a successful partnership with the city officials of New Haven.

“They helped alert the residents and the businesses in the area,” Morgan said. “They were great partners. They understood the importance of this work.”

The project was awarded to Rotha Contracting Company, Inc. 

The post Ferry Street Bridge reopens after five months of repair. appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Written by dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol and originally published in 1836, the play ran at the David Geffen School of Drama’s Iseman Theater from Oct. 6 to Oct. 8. “The Government Inspector”  tells a story of corruption, bribes and human greed. Its plot centers on a traveler from St. Petersburg, Ivan Khlestakov, who is mistaken as a government inspector by town officials. 

“It’s a play about deception, and what it feels like to be duped and the shame of emerging from deception.” said the director of the show, Leo Egger ’24.  “My work has always been interested in the experience of going into a play and losing yourself in it.” 

The Yale Dramatic Association is the second-oldest college theater association in the country and the largest undergraduate theater organization at Yale. Students organize two shows every semester. According to Egger, over 70 people auditioned for a cast of 16 parts. 

This was Egger’s first time directing a non-classical piece. Describing his goals for the show, Egger said he wanted to be “as authentic as possible to the text Gogol’s writing about” while also combining “[his] own artistic vision.”

Miriam Huerta ’23, the sound designer and engineer of the show, said her biggest challenge was including “authentic Russian music.”

“We actually did a really cool collaboration with the Yale Russian Chorus,” Huerta said. “They just had their anniversary concert earlier in September, and we were able to record it and use some of the songs that they performed in our show.”

Working from early August until the start of the show in October, the production team and actors committed to  rehearsing on a tight schedule.

Simon Rabinowitz ’23, who played the Mayor in the show, described the time commitment to the play as between two to ten hours a day. 

“[Egger’s] got such a great vision,” Rabinowitz said. “He’s able to execute that in such an efficient way, while at the same time being really detail-oriented.”

The team also consisted of people with varying experience levels. Rabinowitz, who had only ever performed improv comedy before, said this was his first experience acting in a show on this scale. 

For Nico Taylor ’23, who played Khlestakov, the show marked a transition from acting in sketch comedy to a role in a longer production. 

“The main difference is just that with a sketch, you have at most five minutes that you have to sustain laughs, and so you can pack a lot more,” said Taylor. “You can get away quickly with it, like a shooting star, … but this is kind of like a whole day, like the sun going over it and everything. … This show has to come less from gags than from a character. You actually have to think about other things like characterization and making a believable world.”

The show was performed over Family Weekend. Sarah Brockus, who came to see her daughter Anya van Hoogstraten ’23 as the Mayor’s Daughter, was excited for the show. 

“They did a terrific job of highlighting the organization of the farce and keeping weaving around all the characters,” said Brockus.

The Dramat’s next show, the musical RENT, will be held Nov. 9-12 at the University Theatre.

The post The Government Inspector premieres in Dramat’s first fall showing appeared first on Yale Daily News.

College Street was shut down on Friday to make way for over 10,000 cyclists, who rode in loops around the downtown, traveling between Chapel Street and Elm Street. There were seven different races in the Grand Prix, separated by age, gender and experience levels. Meanwhile, attendees could enjoy local New Haven pizza at a festival that ran from 4 to 10 p.m.

The Grand Prix was organized by the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program (CCAP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that all children can learn how to ride a bicycle. According to the company’s website, they want to “put every child in Connecticut on a bike” and have introduced thousands of children aged nine to 18 to the sport of cycling.

“It’s great in downtown New Haven, like this venue for race, crowd, food, so, I love it,” said Mike Williams, who competed in the Grand Prix this year with his team Body Over Bike. “It’s really a team effort, so we ride in support of each other.”

The race offers a chance for people from all across Connecticut to learn about New Haven, Williams said — he himself is a West Hartford resident. 

He added that his favorite aspect of the Grand Prix was working together in a team with his fellow cyclists. 

“I love riding with this group of guys; it’s great to help each other in a team, you feel really good during the help, and if one of the guys did really well, the result, it feels great,” Williams added.

Alfred Wong ARCH ’24, a second-year student in the Yale School of Architecture, commented on the event’s competitiveness. Wong is a member of Yale Cycling. 

Friday was Wong’s first time competing in the Grand Prix, and he said that he was looking forward to “try [his] best” even though some people competing were nationally ranked cyclists. 

Brenner Dick, a senior in high school who competed in the junior men’s division, commented, “it was a really fun race that goes super super fast … I didn’t have the best race today but my teammate won, so overall it’s successful as a team.” 

Dick raced for the team Total Training Endurance this year, which has a “professional and well-maintained environment,” he said. This was his first time attending, and he expressed that he will certainly be at the Grand Prix next year. 

Besides the race, there was also an Apizza Feast and beer garden at the Grand Prix, attracting celebrating cyclists and non-bikers alike. The Apizza Feast was organized by Taste of New Haven, a company providing food tours in New Haven. 

Colin M. Caplan, the owner and one of the tour guides for Taste of New Haven, said they had a team of about 15 people promoting the event. Any interested vendors could sign up with Taste of New Haven and bring their delicacies to Saturday’s event. 

“Everything is organized to be fluent,” added Caplan. “Over 15,000 people here, and I believe everything is going to sell out … part of our job is to make sure everyone has something to eat.”

Caplan is a “New Havener, born and raised.” He has written books on New Haven history, and even produced a movie about New Haven pizza called “Pizza: A Love Story.” 

In the past three years, the Grand Prix was put on hold due to the pandemic. This year, Caplan said that significant collaboration between local businesses and city departments was necessary in order to bring the event back in full force.

“We came back and tried to make it a free event, and try to make it as big and fun as usual, but we still have lots of restraints,” Caplan expressed. “Everybody has to get used to different things … that’s a lot more work”. 

But Caplan said this year has been quite successful so far, adding, “I’m very happy with this year. We have more people. I think this is one of the best years we’ve had.”

Working with the sponsor Ooni Pizza Oven, which Caplan called “the world’s leading backyard pizza oven,” was crucial to making sure that this year’s Grand Prix was free to all.

Lucile Martin, manager of Ooni Pizza Oven, said it was her company’s first time attending this event. They were selling their outdoor pizza ovens at the Apizza Feast, donating all proceeds to the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program.

At the stand for Abates Pizza, vendor Dana Rivera said that they had sold hundreds of pizzas during the Grand Prix. 

“It’s always fun to come down and interact with our community,” Rivera said.

The post Beloved cycling event returns to the Elm City appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Elm Shakespeare Company is an organization that aims to construct and enrich humanistic environments for people from diverse backgrounds by offering accessible theater experiences in parks and classrooms. The Company believes that Shakespeare’s plays are still meaningful to 21st Century viewers since it’s “not of an age, but of all time,” according to the company’s website. From Aug. 18 to Sep. 4, the Company performed one of the playwright’s most famous plays, “The Tempest.” Over the course of the two-week run, New Haven residents came out to enjoy the free show, which was open to all. 

“The story of the play is about a man (Prospero) who is really wronged and by the end of the play he forgives those people,” play director Rebecca Goodheart said. “He finds the way because of his daughter. And he wants to find a better world for his daughter (Miranda).” 

Goodheart added that she believes “the world needs more than everything to figure out how to forgive each other.” The show was Goodheart’s fifteenth production.

While developing the play, Goodheart’s team faced several challenges. In the original playwriting, Shakespeare draws heavily on the description of magic. But in reality, conveying the effect of magic is not an easy task, according to Goodheart. Eventually, the team decided to combine lighting, sound, music and artificial fog to create an otherworldly effect that mimics magic. 

Before the show, the audience enjoyed a performance from “Three Men of Sin,” a band of actors in the show who — with quirky guitar numbers — prepared the crowd for an evening of laughter and fourth wall breaks. 

“I’m going to miss it,” Aleeki Shortridge, the actress who played Spirit 1 in “The Tempest,” said, reminiscing on her first-ever professional show. 

Shortridge is a senior at Southern Connecticut State University. She took on the role despite having never seen any Shakespeare performed. While she admitted the long hours of continuous rehearsing and performing were intensive, she said the work was rewarding. 

The selection process for actors was particularly competitive this season, with Goodheart and her team receiving over 600 submissions. 

Tyler Cruz DRA ’23, the actress who plays the main female protagonist Miranda, said she was “very intimidated” when she first began working on the show. “In the beginning I felt [the dramatic opening lines were] so forced,” she said. But, Cruz said that she worked overtime on the role and looks forward to working in a future Shakespearan show. 

Nomè SiDone DRA ’23, one of Cruz’s friends, attended the show Saturday night. 

 “I’ve seen this play a hundred times,” SiDone said. “[But this] is iconic.” 

The audience also played a central role in the performance of this Shakespearean comedy. The energy of the crowd, from children to elderly couples, made for a unique encounter. Prospero’s character in particular, played by L. Peter Callender, broke the fourth wall several times, cuing the audience in and making light of the events onstage.  

When Goodheart asked if anyone had attended Shakespeare in the Park for all 27 iterations, at least three hands shot up at the back of the audience. 

Goodheart said she is happy to be in a community that understands “the transformational power of art and the importance of all of us coming together to see it.”
The Elm Shakespeare Company will host a benefit gala and auction at Amarante’s Sea Cliff on Sep. 14.

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