Finished! Looks like this project is out of data at the moment!
Thank you to everyone who volunteered on this project! If you would like to browse programs while we get to work on the data, visit the Ensemble@Yale Homepage.
FAQ
FAQ
What do you mean by transcribe?
For this project, transcription entails 1) identifying people who were involved in a production (cast and staff members) on digitized programs, then 2) typing their name and role exactly as they appear.
Who can participate? Do they need an account?
Anyone, anytime, from anywhere! Volunteers do not have to create an account to participate, but may choose to do so on Zooniverse. If you sign up for a free account, you’ll be able to see a record of all of your contributions to this and other Zooniverse projects.
Can I browse all of the programs?
Yes! All programs digitized for this project can be browsed by era on the Ensemble@Yale Homepage.
What do you mean by era?
Our project has over 900 digitized programs divided into six historical eras to facilitate quick browsing on our main project site (Ensemble.yale.edu). The Department of Drama era begins when Drama degrees were conferred by the School of Fine Arts, until the School of Drama became a separate professional school in 1955 (starting the Founding Era). Since 1966, the Artistic Director of Yale Repertory Theatre and Dean of the School of Drama have been the same person, so the subsequent eras are named for them: Robert Brustein, Lloyd Richards, Stan Wojewodski, and James Bundy. Of course, there are many more theatrical happenings at Yale besides the School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre, but this chronological organization fits the programs on the platform. For more on the history of the Yale School of Drama, see their About Us page.
Where are the original programs?
The project currently includes digitized programs from the Yale Repertory Theatre and Yale School of Drama Ephemera Collection housed in Yale’s Arts Library Special Collections.
Is there a way to know how much I’ve transcribed for Ensemble@Yale?
While you can’t find the exact number of transcriptions you’ve completed, you can see the total number of programs you’ve worked on! To do this, you must register for a free account on Zooniverse and transcribe for our project while logged in. Afterward, to see your contributions, go to Ensemble@Yale’s Recents page.
Where is the finished data?
Data created by our volunteer transcribers is being collected and processed by the Ensemble@Yale team. It is currently not available to the public, but we plan to make it accessible once all transcriptions are complete.
What do you plan to do with the data?
The Ensemble@Yale team will add programs to Yale Library’s Digital Collections, where they will be searchable using the metadata created from this project. We also hope to make the Ensemble@Yale data available to interested researchers.
What will happen to these sites after all programs are transcribed?
Once the Zooniverse transcription project is complete, it will be retired. Ensemble.yale.edu will become an access point for the data generated from the project for theater enthusiasts to explore.
Other Questions?
Do you have more questions about Ensemble@Yale? Message us on the Talk board or contact the Digital Humanities Laboratory (dhlab@yale.edu) at Yale University Library.
Questions about theater history at Yale? See this guide or contact the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library.