Admin. receives thearter proposal

The Performing Arts Council submitted its evaluation of Eric 3 Campus Theater to President Judith Rodin, Provost Stanley Chodorow, and the Vice Provost of University Life's office last week. The proposal outlines both the cost and construction necessary for transforming the former Eric 3 Theater, located at 40th and Walnut streets, to performing arts space. College junior and UA member Eric Tienou said PAC hired Artec, a consulting group, early last month. At the same time, the Theater Committee --Ecomprised of representatives from PAC, the Undergraduate Assembly, the Social Planning and Events Committee, the Student Activities Council and the office of student life -- submitted a preliminary proposal to Rodin, Chodorow, and the VPUL. But the administration did not respond to the committee because they needed more specifics from other groups involved in the process, Tienou said. According to Coordinator of Student Performing Arts Kathryn Helene, the purpose of the consulting group was to "find out if the space is usable and?how much money it will take." The result of their efforts was this proposal, which she said is "a good jumping off point" for the committee. The proposal recommends that the theater be converted into a flexible space theater, a recital hall and performance support spaces. The proposal projects that the cost will range between $2.2 million and $3.3 million. But, Helene said, the proposed the theater in the Revlon Center would have cost $22 million. "So this is about 15 percent of that," she said. "And we would be getting two performing spaces and a rehearsal space, which is more than Revlon would have provided." Several committee members agreed that the biggest goal of the project is to get more space on campus. "It is important that a maximum amount of groups get access to this space because the original idea in coming up with this plan was to give latitude to everybody," said College senior Lissette Monge, president of SPEC. PAC Chairperson and College senior Rosalie Will said she wants the area to "turn into a sort of Houston Hall on the other side of campus." "Every single night of the week there could be students rehearsing there," she said. "It is a really good way to get the area populated." Will said she hopes to hear from Chodorow by the end of the week, adding that she is very hopeful. "I am optimistic, but I am also prepared to fight a lot if this doesn't happen," she said. "This is good for all students all around, and I think he would be blind not to jump at this."

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