The University has been particularly supportive of the renovations because the building will now be able to help ease the space crunch currently facing student groups.

“The renovation of the Hasty Pudding Theater has been on my mind since I became Dean of the College,” wrote Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71 in an e-mail. “It’s great that we are going ahead with this project, as it will provide much needed student performance space.”

Yesterday’s announcement of Man and Woman of the Year—Tim Robbins and Catherine Zeta-Jones—has been received with much excitement from the cast, especially in the wake of the recent renovations announcement (see related article, page 1).

In order to celebrate the end of the original building, there will be a special alumni strawberry weekend in the end of March.

The HPT have also set up an art exhibit and have displayed historical information about the shows, in order to celebrate and preserve the history, Garber said.

Though the prospects of the new renovations are exciting, members of the HPT cannot help but feel a pang of separation anxiety.

“The one thing I’m really going to miss about the building is the smell,” Ferrante lamented. “The new building won’t have that same comforting smell.”

“It’s kind of bitter sweet,” Garber added. “It’s the end of an era.”

—Staff writer Nicole B. Urken can be reached at urken@fas.harvard.edu.