Directing: "It's Alive!"

<p>What makes a good director? </p><p>Bringing a play to life from the page to the stage is the spiritual work of a lifetime. Follow Yale directors as they unearth life in a text, inspire and guide actors’ performances, and translate visions from imagination to reality. </p><p>Plus, hear the story of a subversive take on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew starring a young Lupita Nyong&#39;o (‘12). </p><p>***</p><p>This episode features Lileana Blain-Cruz (‘12, Former Faculty), Jasmine Brooks (‘26), Tess Cruz (‘28), Liz Diamond (Faculty), Ethan Heard (‘13, YC ‘07, Former Faculty), and incoming dean Evan Yionoulis.</p><p>***</p><p>Oh, the Drama! is written, produced, and edited by Zachary Goldberg and Isabel Robertson.</p><p>Executive producers are Jill BC Du Boff and James Bundy.</p><p>Episode art by Kiki Gordon.</p><p>Original music by James Harrison Monaco.</p><p>Additional music from Uppbeat.</p><p><br>Live recordings from the Yale Repertory Theatre productions of Zora Neale Hurston’s <a href="https://yalerep.org/productions/spunk/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><em>Spunk</em></a> (2025) and Jasmine Brooks&#39;s Directors’ Thesis Production of Aleshea Harris’s <a href="https://yaledailynews.com/articles/fire-fury-and-sisterhood-in-drama-school-production-is-god-is" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><em>Is God Is</em></a> (2026).</p>