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Pudding Undergoes Housing Changes

234-year-old theatrical society moves to new home

The renovation of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ building at 12 Holyoke St. was pushed back again this year because of Harvard’s inability to find a donor to fund the overhaul, meaning that the building will not be opened to other student groups until at least spring 2007.

The College acquired the dilapidated three-story Holyoke Street building in April 2000 when the Theatricals’ graduate board, The Institute of 1770, could no longer afford the rent.

Soon after purchasing the building, College officials announced plans for major renovations in hopes of opening the building to other student groups.

But of the four student groups under the purview of the Institute of 1770—HPT, the Hasty Pudding Social Club, the Harvard Krokodiloes and the Radcliffe Pitches—the building still houses three.

The Social Club has since relocated to a “clubhouse” at 2 Garden St.

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Though initial talks had construction slated to begin in May 2002, the date was pushed back to spring 2005 in February.

Renovations should wrap up in spring 2007, Associate Dean of the College Judith H. Kidd wrote in an e-mail. While the building has just undergone minor repairs clocking in at around $100,000—with reupholstered seats, a more modern fire curtain and overhauled electric and drainage systems—major renovations, estimated to cost $25 million, have been postponed until the College finds a donor to finance the project.

The Pudding, whose flamboyant annual productions and “roasts” of its men and women of the year have put it on the map, has garnered some unique privileges over its more than 200 years at Harvard.

Its use of the building is a privilege some members of other arts groups question.

“I think there is a good diversity of high-quality student groups at Harvard and unfortunately a great lack of practice space,” said Jorian P. Schutz ’05, a member of the Din and Tonics.

“The fact that the Pudding is available to only certain student groups is just kind of sad,” he said, adding that at one point, a student group in which he participated was “literally reduced to wandering the streets of Cambridge.”

“I think students should have equal access to space,” he said.

When renovated, the 116-year-old building will be opened to a variety of other groups yet to be chosen, Kidd said.

Pudding members say this won’t be a problem.

“We’ve had to share lots of different space within the building, and we’ve always worked it out fine,” said Romina Garber ’06, the co-producer of next year’s Pudding production who is also a Crimson editor.

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