For students interested in the arts, Penn has a number of activities to become involved in.
The 35 official Performing Arts Council members include a cappella singing groups, dance troupes, theater companies and comedy groups. Nearly all of these will hold auditions for freshmen in the coming weeks.
Below is a short guide to all of the many styles and arts at Penn.
*A Cappella: The art of song without music. A cappella groups produce covers of popular songs, but the only instruments used are their own voices. There are eleven PAC recognized troupes at Penn, usually consisting of around 10-15 people.
A cappella groups are quite diverse, covering music from the '60s to contemporary radio hits. A few are single-sex, including the unique Hindi group Penn Masala.
Auditioning is a tough process. The groups are highly selective, and competition for the most talented new singers is fierce. If more than one group calls a person back, that individual must go to all callbacks or be cut out of the audition process. This is to ensure every group has a chance at obtaining the top talents.
*Music Groups and Comedy Troupes: These groups range from choral singers to jazz performers to improvisation comedians, some dating from the 19th century. Notable ones are:
-- The Penn Band: Its members are often seen marching down campus before a football or basketball game, playing Penn anthems or their own versions of modern songs. Throughout sports games, the band entertains the crowd and supports the team with playing and vocal chants.
-- Mask and Wig: The nation's oldest all-male musical comedy troupe has been running since 1888. It's 27 members are spread throughout cast, crew, band and business staff. The group continues to perform on campus and in its downtown clubhouse and is particularly known for its cross-dressing acts.
*Taking The Stage: In addition to music and comedy, Penn boasts many dance and theater organizations.
-- The eleven PAC recognized dance troupes cover just about every form of dance, including funk, hip-hop, South Asian and others. Most do not demand that interested students are already proficient in the dance type.
-- Theater companies at Penn produce plays from a complete range of playwrights, from Shakespeare to Mamet. Generally, each company will produce two plays a year, one for each semester. Most of the groups have a small board and hold open auditions for plays.
