Arts House sets new limits for rehearsals

Space and time for campus performing arts groups to rehearse shrunk this week as Arts House Living-Learning Program revamped its space allocation policy, cutting the rehearsal time available to the groups. The new policy, announced at Wednesday's Performing Arts Council meeting, says that groups are limited to five hours of rehearsal weekly in the program's 14th floor lounge. At the PAC meeting, Arts House Director Cathy McDonald said that the policy revision was prompted by the addition of the Women's Issues Program to the floor. According to PAC president Stuart Gibbs, some groups previously had unlimited access to the lounge. Arts House, which occupies the 12th, 13th and half of the 14th floors of High Rise East, rents space to other performing groups for $50 each semester. But the shortage of rehearsal space on campus has increased the need for time in Arts House, according to McDonald. "More groups are trying to sign up with us," McDonald said at the meeting. "We're trying to set up a semesterly schedule." The programs sharing the 14th floor have not yet had a problem sharing the lounge. Tina Escaja, director of the Women's Issues program, said yesterday that she only anticipates using the lounge once a week, adding that she has made arrangements with McDonald for each event. "This is only the second week," Escaja said. "At the moment it works well because I ask her in advance." Arts House Theatre Chairperson Heidi Saffer said that the changes may force the group to find other rehearsal space, since the group may need more time than the new regulations permit. Saffer added issues other than space should be considered when sharing the floor. "As people in Arts House, we expect people practicing in the lounge as part of the Arts House experience," she said. "The other people on the 14th floor knew what they were getting into, but we don't want to cause problems."

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