After several weeks of preparation for their upcoming performance, the theatre department was informed Friday evening that due to scheduling conflicts with TNL, leadership luncheon, and a small Res. Life meeting, "Man of La Mancha" would be relocated from upstairs Weyenburg to the Common Ground cafe."Common Ground will not only provide more space for our actors to move around, but also a greater repertoire for students' resumes," said a campus official, picking up a sword from the prop table.
After performing at off-campus sites for the past three semesters, the department was beginning to enjoy having a location within site of their old facilities. Student Development and Residence Life however, saw the theatre department's presence as a threat.
"We don't want our building to be demolished," said a Student Development staffer who works in upstairs Weyenburg. "We just can't afford waiting 65 years for new offices and a portable by Dixie Highway."
After hearing the news, students began breaking down sets, lights, and props and loaded them into the 15 passenger theatre building.
"We were just so absolutely positively 100 percent excited about performing in Weyenburg," said finger puppets dressed as theatre professors to PBA news cameras.
The theatre department spent all weekend travelling around campus looking for a place to perform, but to no avail.
Dr. Tye Lefter barred the doors of Vera Lea Rinker Hall with three tubas and an eight foot xylophone. Pharmacy professors barracaded themselves behind gurneys while catapulting subscriptions of Zoloft at the intruders.
"We just had this place built," said a pharmacy professor. "If they see theatre students frolicking around here, they'll turn us into a conference room."
Hearing the chaos, school administrators decided that common ground would be the best alternatiive.
"It's only a temporary resolution, until we can find room for a theatre building in our 30 year plan," said the official as he sliced a 'C' in the back of Dr. Marge-Drummond's suit jacket.
Editors note: It's sad that we have to preface this, but the theatre department is not actually performing in Common Ground. We are just making a joke about the fact that the theatre department is performing in Weyenburg, with no building plan in sight. This is for the 'get your facts staight' guy/gal.
25 comments:
Thanks to the Bacon for pointing out the fact that the theater department has nowhere to go. I think that the theater department is being squeezed out of the overall plan for PBA, in return for a TV/technical Communications department. This is a bad decision and wrong,especially with all we have done before we lost the theater. Look it up -ask around. Promises were made that have not been kept.
Regarding the funnyness of the article, I can just hear Don Quixote saying to the audience between his lines, "You want fries with that?".
The journalism program that was set up over the past decade is gone. It too is being replaced by the Technical/TV people.
Forget art, I've got a machine!
More false information from the Bacon... you can be funny and get your facts straight.
Weyenberg is actually larger with higher ceilings than the old moldy, smelly, hot theater.
Also the university built an excellent design and classroom complex (theater village) for the theater majors which is far superior to the old facilities but of course you dont mention that. It would not fit your attempted deception and complaining style.
Yes, we all know there are higher celings in Weyenburg.
Thank you, Ted.
The previous theatre:
Old: Yes
Moldy: Positively
Smelly: Smelled like character
Hot: The air-conditioning was fine
But it was ours. It was home. It was a theatre.
The real issue is that the theatre seems to be left without a plan.
Of course, when you actually talk to people in the theatre department, you can find that they are very happy with their new artsy trailer park on Dixie Highway. (If someone had invented a sarcastic font, I would have just used it).
And really, do you think Weyenburg is a great space? You REALLY think that?
oh boy, it's the "get your facts straight" guy.
I didn't realize there were any facts in question.
Oh wait, there aren't.
He's just being that guy.
Mr. Get Your Facts Straight,
Try telling diaspora-era Jews that they should be content in the Big, Spacious Roman empire, instead of that rocky, dry, hot country called Israel...
...about that time you'd realize that a home is a bit more than "just a location" that it's ok to replace with 'something better'
Why don't they keep having the productions in the Harriet Himmel(sp?)? It is a pretty good location (close to school) and seems to be pretty production-friendly. Also, complain complain complain, you think upstairs Weyenberg is a good venue? Really? Reeeeeally? Reeeeeeeally?
Dear Complain Complain,
Yes, the "new theater village" has a great shop area and 2 classrooms.All air conditioned. Thank you.
Now, compare the entire Communications department (including the TV techies and theater) to the Rinker and the music department.
The big question....Where is the theater? Where are the plans? What happened to that little styrofoam model that (now gone) Dr. Joe Webb was so proudly showing, some time back?
You may not have realized this, but let me fill you in, complain: you can build all the flats, set pieces and props you want, but without a theater, what good is it all?
Yes, the old theater was moldy and smelly, but as was later said, it was ours.
At this rate, it won't be long before we won't have a theater department anymore....maybe that's intentional? If there is a plan, I'd suggest that somebody come out and announce it pretty quick, with a timeline. Either that, or tell the theater department to oops...dare I say it...shut down and transfer?
when they performed 'All night strut' at the Harriet Himmel, A fire alarm was set off by a resturaunt, and the building had to be evacuated.
AWESOME!!!
I'm probably dropping way too many hints here, but back before there was a Greene Complex, before there were Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing,or Communications and the Honors program was a full scholarship program, Weyenberg was the CENTER of PBA. No there wasn't a food court in the middle of it and the main room didn't have mailboxes either, but it had ARCADE MACHINES, foosball tables, ping pong tables and (GASP!)people actually hung out there.Pretty much everything except major Theatrical productions happened at Weyenberg, so Weyenberg is definitely better than nothing, not that closing the theatre and not being able to build phase 2 of the library makes any sense. My question for PBA is: Wasn't there a family willing to foot the bill to build a new theatre/com building? Who screwed that up? Ok, 2 questions-wait one more, Honestly, if someone offers you money to build a specific building thats needed on campus do you turn them down- do you say well no thanks really we'd like to have this building instead?
funny where this points-http://www.theudder.net
At least they aren't going to be performing in the Library... ;)
I'll do you one better, Udderly. I can remember when there was only the theater and Dobbs, and a bunch of old houses, used for classrooms.
We've come a long way since then.
seriously quit it with the chris moody in towers 401 comment. it's lame - i think that chris has better things to do with his time than to write articles about the current happenings at pba. and really, so what if he is still behind this? why do you feel the need to comment on it? what is the big deal?
Chris is on his way to India or Nepal ...or something
He'll be neck-deep in lepers and malaria, so I doubt he's aware of pba intricacies going on.
and towers 401? That was a girl's room last year.
hey at least the students at PBA dont have to pay for the buildings like at many private colleges. The "administration" (those poor, dumb, out of touch, self serving, student loathing folks) raise all the money for buildings from dumb bad donors who loath students. yes the poor PBA students really suffer...worse than at FAU where the faculty to student ration is 30 to 1 and faculty are being terminated... poor PBA students just suffer so
complain complain complain - it sounds like you are a little out of touch with reality. Next you will be telling us that Communications majors actually stand a chance of getting a job after graduating. No, Wal-Mart doesn't count and the wonderful world of 10th year Seniors (PBA Central) doesn't count either.
no pay to play
Why are you comparing us to FAU. We pay a LOT more to go here so FAU is not a good example of telling us how we have it "so much better".
Also, anyone going to tell me why we don't use the Harriet Himmel anymore? Bueller? Bueller?
My guess regarding H. Himmel is the scheduling. Please remember that a theatrical production doesn't just happen during production nights. There are rehearsals (for weeks) technical rehearsals etc. To rent HH for so many weeks is muy dinero. I can understand how some might think that PBA could rehearse at the school, and then go over on dress rehearsal nights, but I think the actors and teckies need to be in the space where they are going to work. I can understand how HH would not be best for this.
My choice is the chapel by the lake. That was a great place for Medea if you saw it. I thought it worked wonderfully. I'd love to see more shows there. However, PBA had to rent extra lights and they cost big bucks too.
bacon is mucho tender and freaking delicioso.
i don't have anything smart or sassy to say other than that the theatre was there long before the green complex and once they introduced the green complex at pba i caught it. and they did singing in the rain in the theatre in it and there was real rain i swear to you in it i'm telling the truth real rain in it. alls i'm saying is i freaking bet you that you can't get real rain in the weyenburg. i used to go to theatre shows and i had a good time well worth my 5 bucks because i saw real freaking rain in the theatre during a musical and i lie awake many nights just trying to figure out how they got the rain in there. the people were really sopping wet.
if the administration makes it rain in weyenburg i'll kiss their shiny hinys
It seems to me that the commentators who are accusing The Bacon and the Theatre Dept. of being "ungrateful" are obviously not involved with the program. The Theatre Majors/Minors at PBA are VERY grateful for the Theatre Village and the professors here at PBA. HOWEVER, a theatre is a theatre, and there are much more components that go along with it other than a stage and house. There is a shop, green room, dressing rooms, costume room, sound/lighting storage areas, and in a University setting, classrooms. To have the building taken away with the promise of a new plan is workable, but to have that plan slowly taken away over time is kind of crushing to an actor/designer. It's kind of like taking labs away from the science program... its a workspace. We officially have no suitable workspace. The HH is a wonderful space, as well as Chapel By The Lake, but these spaces have MANY stipulations... HH = the scheduling, sound, lights.. frankly, suck. CBTL = Weather, sound, lighting (matinees kinda lose their effect in daylight) and setting are all issues. Honestly, the Theatre Dept. IS grateful for the Village... but its just gotten a little bit ridiculous with locating workspaces.
1. I love the Tye Lefter part!
2. It's xylophone, not xylaphone.
3. It's Vera Lea, not Vera Lee.
I see no reason why Phase II of the library couldn't wait for the theatre department to get a building. A reading room is fine and dandy, but did we need it ASAP?
I absolutely agree. It is ludicrous that the PBA higher-ups would sacrifice a vital component of one of their schools of study, just so they can look prettier. Well, the library may be great to look at, but PBA's priorities and decision making ablities are sure looking uglier by the second. PBA needs to start worrying about keeping students rather than drawing them in with good looks. When I came here for my Film Producition degree, I was told that a new Communications building would be here before the end of my Sophomore year. Now it's my final semester and I'm still not seeing any progress on that front.
On that note, some of you have said that the TV/Film/Technical department has been getting more attention/support from the administration. I would like to say that, while we have good equipment and professors, the adimistration is less a part of this than you would think. Much of our equipment actually needs replacement or repair, and the attention the TV/Film department has garnered recently, while some credit is due to the professors, is largely due to a group of students who got tired of the TV/Film school's poor reputation and decided to make something of our time here.
That said, I have many friends in Theater and I know that many of them are upset by the decisions that have been made recently. This is just one more case where, evidently, PBA's administration cares more about good looks than good acedemic opportunities for its students. PBA, please get your priorities straight, and soon.
Like we're ever going to see Phase II completed.
So seriously, do we or do we not want the Theater Dept? If not then just cut it and refund the money to the students who pay for that degree and move on. OR back 'em up, give them a consistent place to learn and perform and let the students get what they pay for. I understnad that DC goes out and gets donors, but have you figured out what he is selling PBA as? I can tell you the "not" telling them more than the telling.
Amelia badilda .... the film/tv department actually earned there keepings by winning awards and bringing in funds. Also just because it uses machines [to capture and edit (not taking in to account the costume and make up and set AND prop design)] doesnt mean it's not art....so suck it!
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