When talking about the College’s social scene with friends back home, I often find it difficult to explain the role that performance groups play here on campus. While “basically just like Pitch Perfect” is the best I can do to describe the atmosphere that surrounds a cappella groups, this still comes up short in capturing the nuances that make up the full extent of the Dartmouth performance culture. Most non-Darmouth students likely expect that these groups — not only the a cappella ones, but also dance, comedy, freestyle rap and slam poetry, among others — are performing in spaces like theaters or auditoriums for diverse crowds of students and faculty, as is often common at other universities. In reality, performance groups at the College almost always perform on Wednesday nights in Greek houses. While there is nothing wrong with these performances — and they are often very enjoyable — performance groups and the students who appreciate them would greatly benefit from more direct support from the College, such as financial support for more shows at venues like the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Doing so would likely boost attendance by making them far more public and accessible for all students, allow performers to experience more professional settings and help to create a sense of cooperation between the College and its student performers.
As a performance member group myself, my parents are always flabbergasted when I say that my show that night starts at 11:15 p.m, but realistically, we rarely begin before 11:30. The organizations that usually book performance groups on campus are Greek houses, and the paradigm is that shows are held after meetings on Wednesday nights. Since Friday and Saturday nights are usually occupied with a host of major social events, post-meetings on Wednesdays are generally the only time that will work for hosting an improv show or a cappella concert in the meetings room. I am in no way knocking these shows — they are a lot of fun, and as a performer I really appreciate when houses invite us to go perform there.
Because of the time frame, though, these shows pose problems for performers and audience members alike. More often than not, the show includes two groups, and each one is allotted at least half an hour of stage time. At best, then, a Wednesday show will end at 12:30 a.m. On many occasions, members of my group have missed their opportunity to perform in a show because they simply could not afford to be out that late. In much the same way, audience members who might have otherwise supported their classmates may be turned off by the late performance time, especially on a weeknight.
If the College were to book performances in the many venues it controls at say, 8:00 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday, these barriers would not exist. Without the threat of the next day of classes looming over them, both performers and audience members would not have to miss out on enjoying the show.
Moreover, these houses can often be unintentionally intimidating spaces — especially for younger students. A first-year student who would be willing to go to Spaulding Auditorium or One Wheelock to watch a show may not be as eager to go to one in a Greek house. It is difficult for someone to feel comfortable in a space where they may not know anyone. Shows in more public, College-operated venues would allow for students to watch their friends perform in a space in which they feel completely at ease — not to mention a likely much cleaner and more comfortable seating area. These school-sponsored shows would also open up on campus performances to non-students who are involved in the College. Most faculty, staff or visiting parents may avoid a show in a Greek house, because of both the timing and the setting. By booking groups for additional shows in different spaces, Dartmouth can help them expand their audiences and allow for other members of the community to be more involved.
As a performer, I cannot adequately express how thankful I am to all the Greek houses that have opened their doors for all performing groups. Increased support from the College in the form of more school-sponsored shows, however, would allow for performances to be better attended and more inclusive.
