Author Elyssa Maxx Goodman will speak about her book Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City and discuss drag’s effects on the culture of the city and the U.S. overall.

A play and a senior Drama project.

Campus guests only, please. 

Reservations required: please contact boxoffice@vassar.edu.

A reading of a play by Foster Schrader ’25, recipient of the Marilyn Swartz Seven ’69 Annual Playwriting Award, Spring ’24. A reception will follow.

Campus guests only, please. Reservations required.

Dr. Shapiro will be speaking about his new book, The Playbook, which documents the history of the Federal Theater Project (1935–1939). The project was helmed by Vassar’s own Hallie Flanagan, under whose stewardship the Vassar Drama Department was first established.

Campus community only, please. Reservations required.

In recognition of their extraordinary writing of an original play, the Drama Department will present two events featuring the work of Angelina Papa ’24 and Foster Schrader ’25.

Or, takes place (mostly) during one night in the life of Aphra Behn, poet, spy, and soon to be first professional female playwright. Performances April 18, 19, 20. Reservations required.

Campus community only, please.

Puppet show followed by a talkback. After the event, members of Bread and Puppet will serve their famous sourdough rye bread with aioli! Books, posters, and cheap art will be for sale in the lobby. Reserve free tickets.

Playwrights Liz Duffy Adams and Madeleine George will discuss “Women Rewriting the Canon: Adaptation as Intervention in Contemporary Playwriting” with Drama faculty members. Short performances will precede the discussion.

A senior project in drama directed by Kendall Wienecke ’24. Performances March 28, 29, 30. In The Martel Theater. Open to the Public, reservations required.

A modern retelling of Georg Buchner’s classic play Woyzeck. Performances Feb. 22, 23, 24. Reservations required.

Campus community only, please.

MODfest 2024

Weaving a poetic vocabulary of acrobatic movement and storytelling, this award-winning intimate play tells the tale of one woman, lost between the uncharted waters of her grief and the shores of her joyful memories following the disappearance of her soulmate.

MODfest 2024

Inspired by playwright Solomon Hess’s lifelong immersion in the world of lacrosse and recent experience training and competing internationally with the U.S. Junior Indoor Team, The Game tells the story of two friends’ complicated relationship with the sport of lacrosse and with each other.

Open Auditions for students of any major interested in participating in the Drama Department productions of Skin by Naomi Iizuka and Hurricane Diane by Madeleine George.

Students only, please.

Five new plays by Vassar seniors, presented at the Powerhouse Theater. This annual festival is dedicated to the extraordinary contributions of James B. Steerman, who retired as Professor Emeritus of Drama and Film in 2011.

Campus community only, please.

Alison Matthews-David of Toronto Metropolitan University will give a talk that investigates the theme of crime and clothing as weapon, evidence, and disguise.

Campus community only, please.

Vassar juniors and seniors of any major may enter an original play in this competition, which ends on January 22, 2024. The author of the winning play receives a $1,000 award, a certificate from the Drama Department, and a staged reading/reception on April 21, 2024.

This timely drama resulted from a trip to Romania. Developed with students from London’s Central School of Drama, this is an incisive portrait of society in turmoil that focuses on two families to reveal what life is like under a totalitarian regime and what results when the regime collapses. Directed by Christopher Grabowski. Free and open to the public, reservations required.

Internationally renowned drag queen, visual artist, author, and Vassar alum will present an immersive evening of drag, storytelling, and live art. Reservations required.

Campus community only, please.

Two original plays presented by students from the playwriting course in Drama.

Campus community only, please.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright will give a talk and Q&A to the campus and public. The event is free, but reservations are required.