Juliette has directed critically acclaimed premiere and revival productions in theaters across the country and internationally, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Repertory, Yale Repertory, Denver Theater Center, Arena Stage, and Seattle Repertory. As a huge supporter of new work, she has directed over 50 workshops for new plays and served as director of the Hispanic Playwrights Project at South Coast Repertory for seven years. She was a participant in Sundance Theater Institute’s Theater Directors' Retreat in Arles, France, and is a 2025 MacDowell Fellow. Also a playwright, Juliette has written 4 commissioned plays for Cornerstone Theater Company. A Yale School of Drama graduate, on faculty at UC Irvine, and a proud originating member of LTC. Learn more about Juliette.
Below, Juliette shares the impact Yale had on her career, her time at the Yale Cabaret, and how she stays connected to the Yale community.
Why Yale?
Yale Drama School (as it was called back in the day) was the most prestigious drama school of its time. I overheard a conversation about the program and decided then and there that it was the school for me. I was lucky to be accepted with my first application.
What is your most enduring memory of your time at Yale?
Being in rehearsal for my thesis, which was an adaptation of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez short story. It was my first time writing and directing at the same time. I had a fantastic crew of actors and designers. My set designer, Riccardo Hernandez, is now the head of design at the drama school.
What is the biggest lesson you learned during your time at Yale and how does that shape who you are today?
I really began to find my voice as an artist. I had many opportunities to experiment and explore, and it was revelatory. These experiences helped define and shape my aesthetic, an aesthetic that continues to serve me in my work to this day.
How did your time at Yale shape your identity?
I started working with Latinx actors and found myself drawn to Latinx playwrights. After Yale I worked as an Artistic Associate at South Coast Repertory, running their Hispanic Playwrights Project. To this day, much of my work is about or with the Latinx community.
What does belonging mean to you and how did you find a sense of belonging at Yale and after?
We formed a kind a wild tribe of artists at Yale. Our class became very close and we continued to work together after graduation. During COVID, I pulled together a Zoom reunion with my class (of directors), and we loved seeing each other again.
How have you stayed engaged with the Yale community since graduating?
People in the theater community call alumni from the drama school the "Yale Mafia." We have infiltrated the field in a profound way. So every project is a kind of mini-reunion, even if I'm working with artists who graduated years apart.
What advice do you wish you heard during your time at Yale?
Keep your life balanced. Self-care is important.
What were your favorite spaces at Yale or in New Haven? Why?
We made a lot of magic at the Yale Cabaret, which was run by students. No faculty or administration was involved in the work we created there, so there was all kinds of crazy, experimental, joyous fun coming out of that building, which was in the basement of our classroom space. It was dark and dingy but brimming with creative energies.
What aspects of Yale do you feel like you talk about most often to people who didn’t go to school here? Why?
The incredibly talented actors, directors, designers, stage managers, administrators, and dramaturgs I was surrounded by every day. I was constantly inspired and challenged. I probably learned the most from my peers by watching their work and process.
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And be sure to check out all the Q&As in the series by visiting our Getting to Know You page.
