University conducts review of campus performance spaces

Sometimes writing a letter accomplishes more than one might imagine. This was the case for the Performing Arts Council, one of Princeton's newly recognized student organizations. Founded last spring by Adam Friedman '01 in an effort to unite the leaders of many of the theater and dance groups on campus, PAC has been meeting biweekly ever since. The council works to promote the arts and lobbies for improvements in rehearsal and performance spaces on campus, and its efforts may finally be paying off.

Last fall, PAC drafted a letter summarizing the council's view of the state of the performing arts at the University. In addition, the organization listed some of the specific limitations of the facilities open to student performers. The letter was sent to members of the University staff and administration, as well as some University trustees.

PAC's letter, which was praised by members of the administration for its objectivity and completeness, motivated the Office of the Provost to initiate a University-sponsored review of the performing arts on campus. An outside consultant, Claudia Chouinard, founder of a New York City-based consulting group for nonprofit organizations, was hired and the review began this summer.

Chouinard is familiar with theater. She has a bachelor's degree in theater from Brandeis University and a master's degree in arts administration from UCLA. She has also worked in the Princeton area as a consultant for McCarter Theater. In addition, her company, Results Group International, has worked on projects for the Ford Foundation, the American Conservatory Theater, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and comedians Penn and Teller.

In a recent phone interview, Chouinard said the Office of the Provost approached her with PAC's letter as a starting point and requested that she "explore some of [the] issues" presented by the students. "They engaged me to do some research," Chouinard said. She emphasized that while she plans to spend time on campus examining the existing performance and rehearsal facilities, she has also been requested to "survey the attitudes of faculty and students" as they relate to the issues presented in PAC's letter.

To this end, Chouinard has been interviewing members of the faculty and staff. She said that 23 of the 45 interviews have already been completed and that several more are scheduled for the upcoming weeks. In addition to conducting these telephone interviews, Chouinard has contacted the leaders of 22 student performing groups to invite them to a group meeting, tentatively scheduled for later this month. At this meeting, Chouinard hopes to initiate discussion with students. "[I want] to explore . . . student perceptions, as well as possible solutions [to the concerns expressed]," she said.

Only after completing this series of faculty and student interviews will Chouinard conduct her own on-site investigations. The reason for this, she explained, is to ensure that she has learned about all the current performance venues for campus groups, including spaces such as courtyards and the Wilson School fountain — both mentioned in some of the completed interviews — that though not designed for theater or dance, are often used for those purposes.

Provided that the student meeting takes place as planned, Chouinard hopes to have her research completed by the end of October, and will present her findings to the Provost shortly thereafter. All participating faculty and students will likely be invited to this presentation. This scheduling is tentative, however, and Chouinard stressed that student cooperation and flexibility will be key in facilitating her work.

"Participation has been excellent so far," Chouinard said, adding that she hopes that response will only improve now that students have returned to campus for the fall semester.

It is impossible at this early date to say what effect Chouinard's investigation may have on the University's many performing arts groups and the community at large. It is certainly possible, however, that this process — set in motion by the activism of PAC — will give future Princetonians the opportunity to showcase their talents in new and improved performance venues. Blackbox photo by Georgia Garthwaite — Princetonian East Pyne photo by Jen Scotese — Princetonian Other photos by Laura Eichhorn — Princetonian

Campus performance venues range from the theater in the new Frist Campus Center to the courtyard of East Pyne — a space not designed for performances.