GYPSY: A MUSICAL FABLE

By Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne, and Stephen Sondheim

Directed by Gabrielle Niederhoffer and Ethan Riordan

Choreographed by Gabrielle Niederhoffer

Inspired by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, Gypsy tells the story of Mama Rose, an overbearing stage mother attempting to thrust her two daughters into stardom on a dying vaudeville circuit. Gypsy was my first time directing and my last production at Yale, with performances from March 2-4, 2023. In the production, I wanted to highlight the difference between the heightened theatrical world that Mama Rose sees compared to the rundown reality of the vaudeville circuit. Projections, lights, and music represented Mama Rose’s vision, while physical action, sets, and costumes revealed the gaudy, grimy vaudeville world. Choreography highlighted this tension. I was fascinated by how the characters cope by creating and performing theatrical acts. Directing and choreographing Gypsy was a beautiful end to my experience with theater at Yale.