LIFESTYLE: Ticking Away: Performers balance studies with shows

Call it a recipe for success in the performing arts. Combine 20 hours a week of rehearsal with another 10 for administrative tasks. Add a dash of studying, a tablespoon of friendship, and a large measure of energy. Mix well and heat until opening night. The result: one star performer. Many students live according to this formula. For them, dancing, singing and acting are not only hobbies, but an integral part of their daily lives. And the students involved in the arts find themselves concentrating on problems that go far beyond hitting a high C or developing a perfect pirouette. Although the supposed goal of the performing arts is perfection in front of an audience, the activities' requirements go far beyond a moment in the spotlight, teaching students about social relations, commitment, and above all, time management. College senior Loren Noveck has been a member of Bloomers for the last four years, and now she is on the group's governing board. She said earlier this week that the most important part of her experience in Bloomers centered not on artistic development but on leadership training. "It's the first time I've had to be group leader," she said. "I'm learning all these real-world skills that might come in handy." The student leadership dimension of the arts groups not only teaches skills but adds to the feeling of achievement. College junior Lisa Wachtell, who performs with Counterparts and Arts House Dance and is a member of the Quadramics board, said that because of student involvement, she finds performing much more rewarding at the University than she did in high school. "The groups that I'm in are all formed and organized and directed by students," she said. "It's really important to me to be able to work with my peers on putting together shows. . . It makes the show that much more meaningful." The amount of time required for most performing arts groups -- from eight in a mild week of rehear sal to over 30 in a performance week -- requires that students budget their time carefully. Not only does study time have to be scheduled, but also time for meals, for relaxation, and for keeping up with friends. While some students acknowledged that academics were supposed to get top priority in their lives, many said that they often neglect their schoolwork, either temporarily when their rehearsal load is heaviest, or permanently, accepting the fact that their grades are not as high as they would be without the extracurricular commitment. A student coordinator for the Theatre Arts Program, Goldsmith has directed many campus shows, and she added that she is glad the University combines strong academics with many opportunities for being involved with theater. And College junior Carolyn Caulfield, a coordinator for Arts House Dance, said that she chose a relatively light course load to balance the 15 hours a week she spends dancing and the 10 to 12 she devotes to administrative duties. Other students said that their intense schedules prompt them to make better use of the study time they have, time they say would only be spent watching television. "If I wasn't doing it, I wouldn't be happy and I wouldn't do as well," said Wachtell. "I'd have more free time to procrastinate. This way, when I have time to study, I actually sit down and do it." But not all students have made the arts their top priority. Maggie Demel, a Nursing senior who performs with Penn Dance, said that she has cut down on her dance commitments this semester because of a nursing curriculum that requires 40 hours. These problems are not unique to performing arts, but they are compounded by the physical effort that performance requires. The long hours performers spend as a show approaches leave them open to illness generated by fatigue. To help prevent her cast from getting sore throats, one director forbade performers to yell to attract buyers as they sold tickets on Locust Walk. Performing arts involvement affects students' long-term plans as well. Bloomers' Noveck said that she had been considering going abroad her junior year but that she abandoned the plan when she became an officer in the troupe. Performing Arts Council President Stuart Gibbs said that his involvement in Without a Net and with the University arts community made him reconsider his career plans. "Being in performing arts has definitely shifted my focus away from pre-med, and now I'm looking to go into film and TV as a writer," said the College senior. "Once I was. . . in the performing arts community, I saw how many jobs there were in the world doing creative stuff." Extracurricular activities like performing arts also have a deeper personal impact, helping students choose friends and living arrangements. Even more than other genres, theater is known for creating tight bonds between performers. In or der to relate effectively on stage, actors must share real emotions, a process which enhances their day-to-day relationships, and the many hours they spend together at rehearsal speeds the process. As students bond with others in one show after another, a sense of community develops and they often decide to live together. Four members of Bloomers live in one off-campus house, for example, and in Gibbs' house, six out of eight residents are involved in performing arts. Another house is filled with students who work on the technical facets of University productions, and yet another houses a large group of Glee Club members. In these houses, tensions run high at audition times and in production weeks, when all the residents are wrapped up in similar concerns. Gibbs said that while he enjoyed living with people who shared his love of the arts, the overlapping interests in the house have created some problems. "I beat out another person in the house for having my play chosen [to be produced by Quadramics], I rejected one of them for director and two to be in it," said Gibbs, who wrote a play last semester. "If one person gets into a play and other people don't, you get the idea that you should handle everything gently." While some students choose to live together informally, Arts House Living Learning Program serves as an official resource for students interested in visual and performing arts. By providing discounted tickets to student and professional shows and by sponsoring lectures and & open-mike sessions, Arts House attracts both devoted artists and students who want only a slight connection to the arts. Arts House residents said that while the program's resources are helpful, the three floors of Harnwell House do not have a particularly "artistic" atmosphere. "I really don't think the average person who walks off the elevator says 'Oh! This must be the Arts House,' " said Arts House Graduate Fellow Jonathan Teitelbaum.

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