Yale Summer Cabaret PETRI DISH Unveils 51st Season of Bold New Works

The Yale Summer Cabaret has announced the 51st season of its celebrated summer programming under the banner Petri Dish, a theme that emphasizes experimentation, innovation, and theatrical risk-taking.

This season’s lineup features three original productions and a 24-Hour Play Festival—all created and performed by current students at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.

Led by co-Artistic Directors Emily Breeze, Matthew Chong, and Andrew Rincón (all Playwriting ’26), the 2025 season celebrates works “too weird, too new, or too messy” to fit into traditional programming. The team aims to empower their peers to “take the reins of the new” and bring fringe ideas to life with full creative autonomy.

The Season Includes:

SAVE THE CAVE!

Written and Performed by Ida Cuttler (Playwriting ’25) & Georgia Petersen (Dramaturgy ’26)
July 10–12, 8:00 PM | Matinee July 12, 3:00 PM

A Vegas showgirl and a disgraced British countess unite in this absurdist dive-bar comedy, inspired by New Haven’s own Judges Cave. Originating from a shared love of theatrical absurdity, the piece marks a collaboration between two artists crossing departmental boundaries.

The Interview

Written & Performed by Rethabile Headbush (Stage Management ’26)
Co-Devised & Performed by Thando Mangcu (Dramaturgy ’27)
July 24–26, 8:00 PM | Matinee July 26, 3:00 PM
Set in the waiting room of a telecommunications firm, this surreal, South African-influenced piece interrogates unemployment and bureaucracy with humor and poignancy. Developed in response to pandemic-era job uncertainty, it is grounded in personal experience and devised theater practice.

it’s not you, it’s the end of the world

A Night in Two One Acts
Written by Andrew Rincón (Playwriting ’26) & Max Sheldon (Acting ’26)
August 7–9, 8:00 PM | Matinee August 9, 3:00 PM
Two original one-acts explore apocalypse through heartbreak and queer friendship. Developed with input from Tony-nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl, this double bill features Rincón in performance and marks a genre-blending moment for both creators.

24-Hour Play Festival

Led by Andrew Rincón
One Night Only: August 17, 7:00 PM
Six new plays will be conceived, written, rehearsed, and performed in a single day—capping off the summer season with spontaneous, high-stakes creativity.