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Performing Arts
An improv class that enriches the mind and soul, even remotely
The Penn Memory Center’s Cognitive Comedy program gives people with memory impairments and their caregivers a no-pressure space to think creatively, socialize, and be part of a community.
Penn performers keep creating during pandemic
During the pandemic, the student Performing Arts Council has been working with the Platt Student Performing Arts House to encourage and support the hundreds of Penn performers, finding ways to promote their work on social media.
Personal documentaries replace performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Theatre arts students created personal documentaries relating their situations during the coronavirus quarantine to the theme of transformation in crisis in the play “Orlando,” which they were supposed to perform at the now-cancelled Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland
Performing arts diversity in the (virtual) stacks
Diversity in the Stacks aims to build library collections that represent and reflect the University’s diverse population, and extends to the field of digital performing arts.
Theater stopped misinformation during the Ebola crisis. The arts might help beat this pandemic
When she started B4 Youth Theatre in 2010, Jasmine Blanks Jones wanted to create a theater camp where Liberian youth could amplify their voices as members of their community and use theater to create change.
The Sachs Program unveils 2020 grants
The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation revealed 34 new art projects from students, faculty, and staff that will receive funding.
#GLASSFEST brings Philip Glass scores to Penn
#GLASSFEST, which runs for three weeks at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, celebrates the legacy of composer Philip Glass.
Sharon Hayes on performance art
Having come of age in New York City during the AIDS crisis, artist Sharon Hayes has always made work connected to political movements. She blends performance with installation and video to create large-scale works that explore the relationship between “the private and the public; the personal and the political.”
A time traveling Harriet Tubman, brought to life on stage
English faculty Lorene Cary’s first play features a time traveling Harriet Tubman who toggles between her 19th-century life and a present-day Philadelphia prison where she recruits soldiers to fight with her in the Civil War. Playing to sold-out audiences, “My General Tubman” is on stage through mid-March at Arden Theatre Company.
Five events to watch for in January
Winter welcomes a slew of new performances, lectures, and exhibits to Penn's campus, including the opening of the Arthur Ross Gallery’s latest exhibit, a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., and a walk for wellness.
In the News
Penn moves forward with performing arts center designed by Steven Holl Architects
President Liz Magill comments on the new Student Performing Arts Center that will maximize visibility of creative life on campus.
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White House unveils ‘stunning vegetarian menu’ for Modi state dinner
The South Asian a cappella group Penn Masala will perform at the state dinner for India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House.
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Penn unveils designs for $75 million performing arts center
Penn will begin construction next year on the Student Performing Arts Center, which will include a 300-seat theater with a fly tower and orchestra pit, a 125-seat theater for rehearsals and practices, five rehearsal studios, back-of-the-house support spaces, and a loading dock.
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University of Pennsylvania moving forward with $75M performing arts center in the heart of campus
Penn is planning to construct a $75 million Student Performing Arts Center along Woodland Walk in the heart of campus, with remarks from President Liz Magill.
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Steven Holl Architects reveals design for UPenn’s new Student Performing Arts Center
A new 37,300-square-foot Student Performing Arts Center will provide dedicated space for the performing arts on Penn’s campus.
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UPenn is bringing cultural representation through traditional dance!
The Pan-Asian Dance Troupe at Penn is blending modern styles with traditional movements, enabling students to choreograph appreciation for their culture.
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