Adam Taylor Foster (he/him)

Executive Artistic Director

Operations & Production

Adam is a third-year student in the Stage Management MFA program. He has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from UMass Boston. He has recently been the Production Stage Manager of the Harbor Stage Company in Wellfleet, MA. He is also an artist, husband, music listener, and tireless advocate for 90-minute or less plays. He is excited to photosynthesize with the rest of the plants this summer in the Greenhouse. Select Credits: S’mores (Yale Cabaret), Escaped Alone (Yale Rep), Marys Seacole, Measure for Measure (DGSD), Three Sisters, Dindin, Buried Child, Liv at Sea (Harbor Stage Company), Pride & Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet (UMass Boston).

Colleen Rooney (they/she)

Executive Artistic Director

Production & Community

Colleen is a third-year student in the Stage Management MFA program. They hold a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Arts and in Anthropology from the University of Oregon. Prior to returning to school, they held the position of Production Stage Manager at Oregon Contemporary Theatre in Eugene, OR. Work at Yale Repertory Theatre includes Wish You Were Here, credits at the School of Drama includes Production Stage Manager of the 2024 Carlotta Festival of New Plays, and stage manager for Cleansed, Color Boy, UDO at Yale Cabaret, and WAKE. Other design and production credits include lighting design for the 2023 Dwight/Edgewood Project, sound design for Arlington at Yale Cabaret Season 56 Sandbox and YSC Developmental Studio 49’s The Betrayal Project, and technical direction at Camp Walden in Maine.

Kavya Shetty (she/her)

Executive Artistic Director

Community & Development

Kavya is a multidisciplinary theater artist and a theater management MFA candidate at DGSD. She is thrilled to be leading the 50th anniversary season of Yale Summer Cabaret with this team! Storytelling and theater have been central to Kavya’s life for as long as she can remember. However, growing up seldom seeing people like herself onstage, she now wants to help produce stories that capture a diversity of experiences and audiences. Specifically passionate about the stories of first- and second-generation children of immigrants or “third culture” kids—she hopes to create space for new work and effect social change through art. While doing that, she wants to push toward developing equitable, sustainable, and accessible organizations. She is excited to work toward some of these goals with YSC 50 Greenhouse! A graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, with BAs in Theatre and Applied Math & Statistics, along with a Philosophy minor, Kavya was privileged to call the Twin Cities home for eight years. Most recently, Kavya found herself doing quantitative financial research and helping lead DEI efforts by day. Concurrently, she was very involved in the cities’ vibrant theater community working with organizations like Theater Mu, Mixed Blood Theatre, and Walking Shadow Theatre Company.

Minjae Kim 김민재

(he/him)

Executive Artistic Director

Development & Operations

Minjae is a Korean-Canadian theater artist, a rising third-year MFA Sound Design candidate at David Geffen School of Drama, and is incredibly thrilled to be a part of the artistic direction team of Yale Summer Cabaret 50 Greenhouse. He graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Theater. He is a multidisciplinary theater artist and has worked as a designer, director, playwright, and performer. Recent select sound design credits include Cleansed (the Geffen School), Fucking A (the Geffen School, assistant sound designer and engineer); Ghost Quartet (Princeton Summer Theater); The Match Girl (Cellunova), Mary Stuart—A New Translation (Princeton); and The Hello Girls (Princeton McCarter). mondayminjae.com

Iyanna Huffington Whitney (she/her)

Managing Director

Iyanna is a performing arts professional (Educator, Stage Director, Administrator, Performer, and Dramaturge) with a B.A. in both Drama & History from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (minor in American Sign Language). Before becoming the Managing Director at Yale Cabaret Greenhouse 50, she was the Interim Director of Education for Virginia Children’s Theatre. She has worked with off-broadway (SoHo Rep.), regional (Triad Stage), and children’s theaters (Peppercorn Children’s Theatre, Springville Center for the Arts) throughout the east coast. She is the founder & producer of The Salted Light Theatre Company. Some of her favorite directing credits are DUTCHMAN by Amiri Baraka (The Salted Light Theatre Company), and co-direction of THE JULIES: A KINDA SORTA ADAPTATION OF STRINDBERG’S MISS JULIE by Calley N. Anderson (UNC Greensboro Mainstage). Her favorite acting credits include HAIRSPRAY, THEMBA, PIPPIN, and TAMING OF THE SHREW.

full-time staff

Shannon Dodson (she/her)

Technical Director

Shannon Dodson (she/her) is a rising second year in Technical Design & Production at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Most recent credits include DGSD Uncle Vanya – ATD, The Glimmerglass Festival – Head Flyman, ELF the Musical National Tour – Flyman. Shannon graduated with her BA from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and is originally from Troy, New York.

Rea J. Brown (they/he)

Graphic Designer

Rea is a third-year costume design M.F.A. candidate at the David Geffen School of Drama, where their credits include Rent Free & Cleansed. They received their B.A. in theater & performance studies and visual arts from The University of Chicago (2022). Recent design credits include We F*cked Up (Yale Cabaret), Rasheeda Speaking (Shattered Globe Theater), WHITE (Definition Theater). Visual artwork was last exhibited at the Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts in 2022. reajamesdesigns.com

Yale Summer Cabaret Advisory Board

Cabaret Cabinet