FAQs about Harvard Theater

Look here for answers to your questions about Harvard Theater! If you don't find what you're looking for, drop me a note and I'll see if I can get your question answered.

FAQ Index

• Where can I get information about Harvard Theater in general?
• Where can I find a listing of shows for this weekend?
• I'd like to direct a show. How do I get started?
• I'm very serious about theater. How can I study it at Harvard?

FAQs

Where can I get information about Harvard Theater in general?

Harvard theater is so decentralized that it's difficult to answer this question. There's really no general overview other than this website! In some sense, HRDC plays an "umbrella" role because they run Common Casting, and HTAG attempts to resolve overall theater issues. But the best way to get information about Harvard Theater is through this site, and by contacting the people involved in the activities you might be interested in (see the Groups page for contact info). You can also e-mail me or Alan Symonds, and we can try to direct you to the most appropriate person. Include information about your interests!

Where can I find a listing of shows for this weekend?

Again, Harvard Theater is so decentralized that it's difficult to find out everything that's going on. Luckily, the HRDC maintains a list of most shows that are happening, and publishes this list on their website. You can also ask to be subscribed to their weekly e-mail list, which tends to be more complete and up-to-date. Many events are annual and therefore predictable, such as the Loeb slots and Arts First weekend. HTAG maintains the beginnings of a perpetual calendar for this purpose. These resources occasionally miss some events, particularly ones that aren't strictly "theater," so you'll also need to look around on the web and in other campus publications.

I'd like to direct a show. How do I get started?

Getting involved in Harvard Theater is possible in many many ways. First of all, you might want to start by getting experience with various established groups, such as the HRDC or Gilbert and Sullivan. A list of groups and the type of work they do is available on this site. If you have experience, and want to put up a show (this really applies to anybody, not just directors), most theatrical spaces have an established application process. You'll need to find a producer and some other staff, and find out what the application process is for the space(s) you're interested in. Once this is done, the next thing you need to do is submit a pre-application, which is handled by the HRDC (this just gives the various production organizations some idea of what's coming). In general, the application process is cascaded to allow a group to apply to large space like the Mainstage, and if that falls through, to apply to smaller spaces like the Ex and Agassiz, and so on. This creates sort of a heirarchy of theater spaces, but this is somewhat of an illusion; each space has its own unique benefits and flaws.

Applications generally occur toward the end of the semester, so keep an eye on the HRDC e-mail list for warnings and instructions. You can also look on the Groups or Spaces pages and contact the relevant people directly.

I'm very serious about theater. How can I study it at Harvard?

Harvard does not have a theater concentration or a theater department. If you are a serious theater student with less interest in other fields, Harvard might not be the place for you. Graduating from Harvard will not open doors in the theater world in the same way that graduating from a school with a specific theater degree will. On the other hand, I've known many Harvard students who were very interested in theater, and who pursued it seriously here at Harvard and beyond, and have made successful careers out of it. Much of your success in Harvard theater is self-motivated and depends on your ability to gather a talented group of people together and work with them.

Harvard does have a Dramatic Arts Committee which holds a limited number of classes, and many other departments have courses that are related to theater topics (like literature, psychology, art, etc). Some students put together a special concentration in one of these other fields that has a theater focus; this process is difficult and confusing but can lead to interesting studies.

The other resources available to the Harvard student are the professional groups on campus. The ART in the Loeb and Industrial Theatre in Leverett House both provide avenues for working on theater at a professional level while still at Harvard. The ART also runs a graduate-level program, the ART Institute, which one can apply to (this is not affiliated with Harvard in any way). So there are some pathways to professional theater development, but fundamentally as a Harvard student theater will have to be something you pursue on your own time.