Coming up soon:
Penn’s 70+ performing arts clubs start hosting info sessions, workshops and recruitment fairs as soon as you arrive on campus for NSO. It’s a lot to keep track of, so start here!
Receive information about academic offerings, student organizations,
and campus arts centers based on your interests!
Student Activities Fair
Student Performing Arts Night
Joining a performing arts group:
Outside of the Activities Fair and SPAN, you can find lists of all the performing arts clubs right on our website. Once you’ve narrowed it down, keep an eye out for auditions and tech interview notices posted on social media! We’ll collect these on our Bulletin of auditions, tech interviews, and casting calls.
Maybe you’ll find that there’s space for something new on campus! Get in touch with Platt House and the Office of Student Affairs to learn how to start from scratch.
How do I choose?
Get to know the arts scene
How do I join?
Fall '24 recruitment
Start something new
Got a brand new idea?
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily! Not all groups require auditions. Some, like ASAP youth arts mentoring program, the Penn Band, and Penn Six-5000 a cappella, accept anyone who’s interested regardless of prior experience. A few, like SOHHL (Students of Hip Hop Legacy), DJ@Penn, Penn Busk & Jam, PennDure korean drum troupe, African Rhythms dance and drum troupe, and Penn Yalla belly dance are workshop-based groups, which usually means attendance is totally voluntary.
Even groups that do audition don’t always require prior experience. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!
From costume design to videography, there’s tons of roles for students backstage and in the booth. Many roles are beginner-friendly, too! At the beginning of the year, keep an eye out for events like Tech Trainings and the Tech Picnic, where anyone who’s interested in tech can meet current techies and learn more about the opportunities available. Then, as the semester gets started, apply for show gigs using PAC’s Student Tech Interest Form.
Check out our Bulletin to keep track of theatre Tech Interviews and other groups recruiting throughout the semester, and remember to follow the PAC Shop and PAC Tech Chair for information about workshops, trainings, and more ways to get involved.
Nope – and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Groups in the Performing Arts Council (PAC) are bound to fair and impartial audition processes, which means auditions don’t start until you go to the audition. This also means groups shouldn’t be promising roles to anyone until auditions and deliberations are complete.
No problem. Reach out to the groups or subcommittees you’re interested in to let them know what accommodations you need! If you need additional accommodations, contact staff at Platt House and the PAC Shop and the Weingarten Center for help.
Being invited into a club looks different across the board, but the important thing is that you should be made to feel welcome. Hazing is defined as “any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.” Hazing is not tolerated at Penn, regardless of the type of group. To learn more or to report a concern, please visit osa.universitylife.upenn.edu/hazing.
If digging through a website is not your thing, come over to Platt House and chat with us! Our staff and student leaders offer advising, workshops, trainings, and rehearsal space for anyone with a PennCard. We’d love to walk you through what Penn’s performing arts scene has to offer.
