Discussions on new space for ART are good for campus drama

Reports surfaced last week that officials of the Loeb Drama Center and the Harvard University Art Museums have discussed moving the American Repertory Theater (ART). Such a move would free up the Loeb Mainstage, Harvard's professional-quality stage space, to be re-dedicated full-time to its original purpose as an undergraduate performance space.

We welcome these discussions. Drama and adequate performance spaces are important to the life of the College. If, as projected, the Agassiz Theater space will no longer be available to students starting in 2004, the Loeb center discussions are even more important to keep opportunities available for undergraduate performances.

Since the discussion, which centers around a proposed art museum on the site currently occupied by Mahoney's Garden Center, is at its very earliest stages, it is unclear whether student groups or the ART would move. What is most important is that the lack of adequate student performance spaces is being taken into consideration.

The Mainstage currently hosts the biggest and best of undergraduate productions and, if the space were turned over to undergraduates full time, would be an important resource beyond the additional performance dates. The lighting, sound and set design in the Loeb are Harvard's most sophisticated and professional, giving more students experience in drama work and bringing Harvard's theater program closer to par with schools that have degree-awarding drama departments.

The current arrangement with the ART, at its best moments, allows for the technical advice and professional experience otherwise not present at Harvard to improve the quality of the student performances we see. If the ART were to move away from the Loeb Drama Center, this would mean the Harvard drama community would need to find that many more people with the technical expertise to help keep performances looking their best. More performances on the large but expensive Mainstage, instead of the smaller venues, might also require an overhaul of the shows' finances.

However, the prospect of more performance space for undergraduate shows outweighs these concerns. Though sharing space with the ART has given students more exposure to professional drama, the importance of performance space and technical resources in a building close to campus outweigh any desire to keep the ART at the Loeb.

The early steps that have been taken to ensure more student performance space are a good start. We hope the Loeb Drama Center, Harvard University Art Museums and the ART will work with the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club to bring the Harvard community a plan for performance spaces we can all rise and applaud.