Hi all,
Thank you so much for your patience and understanding as the Spring 2022 semester begins. We know that the delayed in-person start has been challenging, and Platt House and the PAC Shop are here to support you. We are all disappointed that the best laid plans are once again disrupted by Covid 19, but we are optimistic that this is temporary. We are asking you to be mindful of everyone’s needs as we push through as a student performing arts community. In advance of this long email, we need to say that we at Platt House and the PAC Shop are committed to working with you on modifications and solutions to make this semester work. We await more directives from the University together and we will get through this together.
Platt House & PAC–Exec will be hosting a virtual Town Hall on Saturday, 1/15 for all student performing arts groups. At that meeting, we will discuss the updates below, share any new guidance, and answer any questions you have to the best of our ability at that time. This meeting is mandatory for all student performing arts groups. Please be sure to send at least one Exec/Board member. This should be someone very knowledgeable about the group who will report the details back to all group members.
Student Performing Arts Town Hall Meeting
Saturday, 1/15 @ 5pm ET
Note: The Zoom Link has been removed from this website in the interest of cybersecurity. Please contact your group’s PAC Representative on the PAC-Rep listserv, or email us at platthouse[at]pobox.upenn.edu for the link.
Mandatory for all student performing arts groups
As shared previously, in-person student group gatherings, including student performing arts activities, will not be permitted until at least Monday, 1/24. This date will likely be extended. This is a mitigation strategy for Covid-19, and this policy has been communicated from Campus Health and University Life leadership. We cannot control how long in-person student group activities will be suspended, and we will share any updates as we receive them. Please make sure your groups do not gather in person while in-person student group gatherings are not permitted. We expect University guidance on this very soon.
Platt House will be open with limited hours and limited capacity starting on Wednesday, 1/12. Capacity in rehearsal rooms will be limited to one person per room max, and capacity in the Lobby will be limited to 5 people max, spread out throughout the space. Green passes will be checked, and either N95 or double masks need to be worn at all times, no exceptions. Below is the current schedule, starting Wednesday, 1/12:
- Sundays: 1pm-5pm
- Mondays through Fridays: 12pm-8pm
- Platt House will be closed on Monday, 1/17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Saturdays: Closed
The PAC Shop will be open by appointment only (https://tinyurl.com/
At this point, since we do not know exactly how student performing arts activities will unfold for this semester, we are working on and we encourage you all to work on backup plans. This can include plans for virtual auditions, rehearsals, and shows; pushing back activities until later in the semester; scaling down productions (the PAC Shop can assist with these logistics); sharing resources; and more.
At this point, Platt House, the PAC Shop, and PAC–Exec believe it would be wise to plan for all performances to occur either after Spring Break and/or to be produced virtually. We are hopeful that student performances can be conducted in-person later in the semester, and virtual is always an option to keep in mind.
Given a shortened timeline for in-person activities this semester, and in order to be equitable to groups, we will be asking you to share resources more than in a typical in-person semester. This may mean additional groups in space shares, scaled down productions, shortened tech times, and more. This consolidation will require your input. PAC–Exec will send a form out for your input, and this will be discussed at the Town Hall.
We will be rescheduling the Pre-Production meeting originally scheduled for Friday, 1/14 at 3:30pm, so you can remove that calendar item for now.
We absolutely understand that these updates are not what anyone was hoping for as we begin this new semester. We are here to support you. Feel free to send any questions to platthouse[at]pobox.upenn.edu or reserve them for our meeting on the 15th. We may not be able to answer all questions right away, but we will do our best.
We are so grateful to work with all the students in this vibrant community, and we look forward to supporting you and your missions as the semester continues. Please take care.
Best,
Platt House & the PAC Shop