Curtain Rises on College Theatre

University President Drew G. Faust headlined a star cast of notables from Harvard and the world of playwrights to celebrate the opening of the New College Theatre on Holyoke Street last night.

Dean of the Faculty Michael D. Smith and Dean of the College David Pilbeam participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony while prominent playwrights, including Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel, were featured on a panel.

In tune with the bright red and purple décor of the venue—once the site of the old Hasty Pudding Theatre—the Office for the Arts at Harvard (OFA) set a lighthearted and celebratory tone to the night.

Director of the OFA Jack Megan commended Faust for her “genuine interest in the arts” in his welcoming speech before inviting her to the stage to deliver opening remarks.

Faust conveyed her excitement in seeing the “new spaces, new times, and new possibilities” of the historic theater, paying equal respects to the Hasty Pudding’s artistic contributions since 1888 as well as the “cauldron of creativity” that she said would undoubtedly be the future of theater at Harvard.

Faust also noted the importance of having a space for the “700 undergraduates involved in all phases of theater” at Harvard.

Sited on Holyoke Street, the new location “literally and figuratively made arts more central at the University,” she said.

Just as the ribbon was about to be cut, two members of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals burst onto the stage, praising Faust’s orange top and Pilbeam’s red tie, but criticizing Smith’s wardrobe. Before leaving the stage, they handed Faust an oversized pair of scissors with which to cut the ribbon.

Following the ribbon cutting, Robert Brustein moderated a discussion, “Does Playwriting have a Future?” Brustein, the founder of the American Repertory Theatre, led a panel composed of playwrights John Guare, Melinda Lopez, Adam Rapp, and Vogel.

Rapp said there is a “need for a revolution” in playwriting, and Vogel added that spaces like the theater were important in “creating the next possible circle for American theater.”

OFA Program Manager Thomas Lee said in a phone conversation before the event that he produced the panel hoping it would put in motion a “provocative, forward-looking discussion” both in and outside the theater.

“This is an extremely important moment for theater life on campus,” said Joshua E. Lachter ’09, one of the producers of this year’s Hasty Pudding show and also a member of The Crimson’s business board.

“The capabilities at the theater will really shine.”