For a school so famous for its academics, Hopkins has a surprising amount of theater talent among its student body. There is a show (sometimes more) performed practically every weekend, with groups performing original works from improvisation comedy to theater classics. The theater scene truly does cater to all sorts of thespian palates. And yet, Hopkins theater leaves a lot to be desired.
Contrary to popular belief, there are only two theaters available to theater groups on campus: the Swirnow Theater in Mattin Center and the Arellano Theater in Levering. Swirnow is a black box theater, which means the ceiling is the only place we can do any rigging. Unfortunately, the ceiling space is designed for people under five feet tall, so implementing any dynamic spot light during a show is virtually impossible. While a black box theater is perfect for minimalistic performances, it cannot support any large-scale production.
The other option is the Arellano Theater. Arellano has twice as many seats as Swirnow, but it is more like a lecture hall than a proper theater. Because of the way Arellano was designed, we cannot hang any curtains and, unfortunately, if we need to move large set pieces on to the stage we have to either open a door in the middle of the stage and let everyone see what is happening in the backstage area or we could do some clever gymnastics and hope that we could somehow maneuver the furniture past the tiny side doors. The only place where large-scale productions could be attempted is in Shriver Hall, but then again, theater groups are not allowed to put on performances in Shriver.
Aside from the lack of performance space, Hopkins also lacks the essential supportive environment to nurture developing talents. Even though we have a fairly vibrant theater scene on campus, no matter which show you go to, it’s always the same audience. It is not through a lack of marketing that we do not have a diverse enough audience, but rather the fact that few students actually care enough to attend performances. As sad as it is to say, it is not uncommon to find more people in Brody on a Friday night than in the audience for a show’s closing night.
The number of active theater kids on campus is also unfortunately limited. Whether it be the Barnstormers, Buttered Niblets, DBH, Rocky Horror or Witness Theatre, at least half of the cast performs with another group on a routine basis. The problem for technical theater is even more apparent: We are so short-handed that it is always the same group of people! Some would say this just goes to show our passion for theater. But even though that is true, we would love for other people to join us. Having a tight-knit community of performers is not a bad thing at all, but a few fresh faces would not be amiss.
In terms of studying theater at Hopkins, most theater students would sing praises about our program. John Del Toro, an actor and theater minor says, “We have excellent teachers who are dedicated to helping their students master their craft.”
If you go to ISIS you will see that the Theater Arts and Studies Program offers a range of fascinating courses including Acting and Directing, Play Production and Stage Management, and Stagecraft. For students extremely interested in Theater Arts, however, Hopkins does not offer a theater major. A minor in Theater Arts is available and is extremely flexible in terms of course selections, but the lack of a theater major implies that there is no structured curriculum designed solely for theater studies.
The bottom-line is that Hopkins provides a favorable environment for theater talents, but there is a need to expand the theater scene. We need to include more people, and to do so, we need more performance space and performance opportunities. As students, I think we should all explore what theater at Hopkins has to offer.
