Shen Curriculum Turns 15!
With the visionary support of Theodore Shen ‘66, the Shen Curriculum for Musical Theater was established at Yale in 2006. A range of courses examines the American musical theater as a significant and evolving art form reflective of American culture, history, mores, and aesthetics. Most courses are jointly offered by the Department of Music and the Theater Studies Program. Composition, history, lyric writing, libretto writing, and performance courses complement those in music theory, music history, dramatic theory, and dramatic history. Shen faculty members are scholars and professional composers, directors, lyricists, librettists, directors, and performers. The curriculum is administered by Department of Music, with some courses cross-listed by Theater Studies and/or the Yale School of Drama. Here are a few relevant links:
In addition, a flourishing extra-curricular program led by the weekly “Fridays @ Five” series offers links between the study of musical theater in academe and how musical theater is created and practiced in the field. Illustrious guest artists take the train up from New York on Friday and conduct master classes in performance and critique new composition.
Inquiries should be addressed to Daniel Egan, Coordinator of the Shen Curriculum.