Yale Cabaret announces the remainder of its season

A contemporary re-telling of the Bluebeard myth, a tribute to the “creative fearlessness” of the 1960s, and a modern-day Greek tragedy that involves a collaboration with painters at the School of Art are among the offerings of the upcoming Yale Cabaret season.

The eight shows of the remaining season — the Cabaret’s 46th — are:

“The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs” (Feb. 13-15) by Carole Fréchette, directed by Cole Lewis. This tale of secrets and temptation revolves around Grace, who can go anywhere in her new home except for the small room at the top of the stairs. Will she live on in ignorance, or change everything with the turn of a doorknob?

“The Maids” (Feb. 20-22) by Jean Genet, directed by Dustin Wills. Every night, while Madame is away, two maids role-play dark fantasies of dominance and submission. Taking inspiration from a story in the Paris headlines, Genet’s 1947 play “explodes norms of gender, class, and sexuality,” according to Yale Cabaret publicists. This production features a simultaneous performance by two casts — one of men, the other of women.

“He Left Quietly” (Feb. 27-March 1) by Yaël Farber, directed by Leora Morris. A young man is convicted for a murder he did not commit in 1984 South Africa. After four years on death row, just 15 hours before he is to be hanged, the state grants him a stay of execution. Based on testimony from human rights activist Duma Kumalo, Farber finds hope in this tale of injustice.

“The Crazy Shepherds of Rebellion” (March 20-22), conceived and directed by David Bruin. A band of bohemian outcasts and upstart intellectuals have organized a conceptual project inside a Greenwich Village basement. Featuring experimental dance and radical music, the play explores the amalgam of community engagement, and creative fearlessness that defined the 1960s.

“We Fight We Die” (March 27-29) by Timothy J. Guillot, directed by Jiréh Breon Holder. Q, an elusive graffiti artist, must choose between artistic integrity and appeasing the establishment in this play, envisioned as a modern-day Greek tragedy with a spoken-word chorus. The production incorporates a new collaboration with M.F.A. painting students at the School of Art and asks: Can there ever be such a thing as government-sanctioned art?

“The Mystery Boy” (April 3-5), directed by Chris Bannow and Helen Jaksch, and created with the Yale Cabaret ensemble. An older brother has recently discovered a handwritten, 126-page novel by his 11-year-old sister. Her fantasy world, scrawled on the pages of a turquoise notebook, comes alive in this piece created by her real brother and the ensemble, who will take her imagination as inspiration. The adaptation explores what it means to be young today.

“A New Saint for a New World” (April 17-19) by Ryan Campbell, directed by Sara Holdren. Feeling badly about what happened to her, God cuts Joan of Arc a deal: She can be reincarnated on Earth, but under one condition. No more revolutions. This world premiere by a current School of Drama playwright takes an irreverent look at the current state of human nature, spirituality, and the place of faith in a broken world.

“The Brothers Size” (April 24-26) by Tarell Alvin McCraney, directed by Luke Harlan. After Oshoosi is released from prison, his brother offers him a job at his car repair shop. Weaving together West African myth with the music and poetry of New Orleans, “The Brothers Size” is a tale of love, heartbreak, and redemption between two brothers. Written by McCraney when he was a Yale School of Drama student, the play has since been called “the greatest piece of writing by an American playwright under 30 in a generation or more” by the Chicago Tribune.

The Cabaret produces 18 shows every season, all created by graduate students at Yale School of Drama. Many of the country’s most celebrated theater-makers, including Meryl Streep, Lynn Nottage, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Durang, Anna Shapiro, John Turturro, Angela Bassett, and Paul Giamatti, have honed their talents and explored their art form in the Cabaret’s basement black-box space at 217 Park St.

The space offers a true cabaret experience, where audience members can gather around tables to share food, wine, and conversation before the show begins. Chef Anna Belcher provides a changing selection of entrees, small plates, and desserts alongside a variety of wines and beers.

Co-artistic directors this season are Whitney Dibo, Lauren Dubowski, and Kelly Kerwin. Shane D. Hudson is the managing director.

Tickets are $20; $10 for students. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. shows. A late night selection of light fare and drinks is also available from 10 p.m. for the 11 p.m. show. Food and drinks are priced separately. For tickets or more information, visit the Yale Cabaret website.