Last November, I was really sad about love. In search of redemption and ebullience, I found myself at the frats for the first time in a while with my good friend Abby Asmuth (who was bravely enduring her own love-related anguish). We hoped we could dance away our sorrows.

Of course, frats alone could not heal us. After three nights of going out (during a random, midterms-ridden, unpopular weekend for going out) Abby and I sat in my room as sullen as ever. That’s when Abby (or was it me?) suggested that we apply to produce and direct the Commencement Musical, Yale’s largest undergraduate-produced production of the year. It was ambitious, but we immediately started plotting.

Here we are! It is sheer poetic justice that this musical is the narrative culmination of my sophomore year. Elle’s boy-induced stumble into the venerated halls of Harvard Law is a classic fable of “everything happens for a reason”—a stale usage that I start to believe more and more as I go through college (...especially after this year). I hope this is the advice that Elle can impart on every graduating senior—you have to stumble before you can strut. We are all rooting for you to go out and find your way. 

…

Mounting a musical of this scale in a week is a massive lift. The amazing cast you will see on this stage has met the challenges of this with the utmost wit, patience, and talent. I owe a special thank you to Sophie Dvorak and Atticus Margulis-Ohnuma, who have harnessed an intricate score with equal amounts of efficiency and genius. Thank you to my directing team—Cassie Watt, Rena Kawasaki, and Millie Liao—for uplifting and supporting me every step of the way. Thank you to Thomas Kannam and Amara Neal for enlivening this production with their ingenious, multi-genre choreography. Thank you to Naomi Schwarztburt for keeping this massive company organized and for being an amazing mentor to me for these past two years; I cannot wait to see all that you will accomplish! Thank you to the Yale Dramatic Association’s Executive Board for entrusting our team with the Commencement musical. Special thanks to Carson White and Grace Halak for tactfully and gracefully (haha) managing the chaotic technical process behind mounting this set. Thank you to all of the designers, who have been both brilliant and compromising from the beginning. And finally, thank you to each and every one of the over 120 students who contributed to this production! I am overwhelmingly grateful to have had the support and trust of all of you.

To Abby, thank you for following me through every act of this year—I cannot think of a better person to have had by my side. How could we possibly top this arc next year?!

Enjoy Legally Blonde!