The Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club is the umbrella organization for campus theater at Harvard. All Harvard undergraduates who have participated in campus theater within the past year are considered members of the HRDC, and each fall these members convene in the Loeb Drama Center to elect the HRDC's Executive Board. The eight-member HRDC Board oversees student productions in the Loeb Drama Center; these productions include two residencies per semester on the Loeb Mainstage (including the annual Visiting Director's Project in the Fall) as well as five to seven shows per semester in the Loeb Experimental Theater. Apart from the oversight of these productions, the HRDC Board works to organize Common Casting, a week of auditions held at the beginning of every semester; Tech Week, a week of workshops by Harvard undergraduates for those who aspire to work as technicians; and numerous other events (such as panels, master classes, and more) for its members.

The HRDC also works to connect students to the working professionals at the nationally regarded American Repertory Theater, with whom the HRDC shares the Loeb Drama Center. While only Harvard undergraduates may vote in HRDC elections, Common Casting, many acting/tech positions, and most workshops are open to both Harvard affiliates of any kind and often to the general public (please contact us if you are wondering about your eligibility). Founded in 1908, the HRDC is one of the largest, most vibrant, and productive student organizations at Harvard.

Below are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions:


How do I get involved in acting or technical theater at Harvard?
If you're a Harvard undergrad or a member of the local community, theater veteran or theater virgin, it is easy to get involved in Campus Theater. If you're interested in acting or performing, come to Common Casting, where you may audition for almost all the shows in a given semester, as well as films and improv groups. Technicians may come to Common Casting or Tech Week in order to find out about positions available on shows or opportunities to learn more about technical theater. As well, the Tech Database allows those interested in working on shows to advertise their skills, and those in need of technicians to ask for assistance. Other opportunities, for everything from local auditions and to staff vacancies on current productions, are frequently advertised in the weekly HRDC Newsletter.

If you're interested in getting involved, you should come to Common Casting, add yourself to the Tech Database, and subscribe to the HRDC newsletter. And if these resources do not suit your needs, you should always feel free to contact a member of the Board to ask for their help in getting involved in Harvard Theater.

Question about Common Casting?
Look at the Common Casting page for an extensive FAQ relating to Common Casting and auditioning.

Question about Technical Theater?!
Look at Tech in the Loeb for an extensive FAQ regarding technical theater campus!

How can I find out about news, shows and openings for the theatre community at Harvard?
Get on the HRDC Email List! Signup here or contact the Publicity Coordinator to receive our weekly newsletter discussing positions open on staffs, events for the community, and show schedules. If you would like to submit something to be posted in the next HRDC newsletter, you may submit your announcement here.

Where is [insert name of campus theater] located?
Harvard Theater Vet Dave Corlette has a wonderful map of campus theaters!

How do we distinguish between the HRDC and other theater groups at Harvard? What does it mean to be umbrella group?
Many of the different campus theater companies tends to have a specialization-the Hyperion Shakespeare Company focuses on Shakespeare's works, for instance, and the Hasty Pudding does an all-male drag show. The HRDC differs from these organizations because, rather than focus on the performance of a particular kind of theater or canon of works, the HRDC produces a broad array of shows with no unifying aesthetic or form. As well, whereas many of the organizations on campus focus on one or two productions each year, the HRDC produces between 14-18 productions each year. Thus, because of the breadth in the style of its productions, the number of undergraduate members that comprise it, and the scope of the season it manages, the HRDC is thought of as an umbrella organization.

While there are many separate organizations at Harvard, the membership of these groups tends to overlap a lot, and most undergraduates who are involved in theater work with more than one theater organization and in more than one campus theater. The Office for the Arts maintains a comprehensive list of theater groups on campus.

I didn't get a part in Common Casting, but I still want to do theater. How I can get involved?
There are a variety of ways to be involved in Harvard theater. The easiest non-acting route is to find a show that needs technical assistance. The first steps are to contact the HRDC Tech Liaison and visit the Tech Database. The Tech Liaison will do his/her best to match you up with a show and a technical position that suits your interests in any of the campus groups. Another route is to contact producers of a show you are interested in working on and ask how you can help; look at a show's page to see who the producer is, and search the Harvard Directory to find their email.

Becoming involved with one show is a great way to meet the theater community at large. Harvard theater is a closely knit community, and it is likely that work on one show will lead to work on another!

Can I study theater academically at Harvard?
Although Harvard does not have an undergraduate theater concentration, there is an extremely vibrant theater community involving around 1,000 undergraduates at any particular time! There are a couple of new student-run plays going up every weekend that provide hands-on training in venues that range in scope from dorm courtyards to the American Repertory Theater's Mainstage. A significant number of workshops throughout the semester (announced on the HRDC list) also provide significant learning opportunities. However, there's also an excellent opportunity to take classes with professionals from the A.R.T. as well as Harvard professors in the Dramatic Arts Department for undergraduate course credit. In fact,over the past few years a handful of students have chosen to do "special concentrations", or majors, in theater, using these Dramatic Arts course offerings as well as classes in other related departments. In recent history, each Harvard class has produced a number of graduates bound for careers in professional theater, from NY lighting designers and stage managers to Direcing MFA candidates at the Yale Drama School to actors honing their craft in Off-Broadway productions or founding their own theater companies! However, since there is no theater major, all undergraduates have equal opportunity to become involved in the theater community, a situation very unique among comparable universities! If you're in the process of college hunting and want to see for yourself what's happening in the theater world on campus, contact the HRDC Board and come pre-frosh with us!

Does the tech requirement apply to me?
If you performed in a Loeb show (Ex or Mainstage) this semester, then yes, you are required to complete the tech requirement. This basically entails taking a technical theater position (everything from assistant assistant props person to advanced technical design specialist counts) in that same semester for a Loeb show. Click here to sign up or get more info. Note that you need only sign up for one tech position regardless of the number of shows you are in. Technical positions outside of the Loeb DO NOT fulfill the Tech Requirement, no matter how busy you are! Contact the HRDC Tech Liaison if you have any questions. If you are doing a show in the Ag, House Theater, etc. the tech requirement does NOT apply to you.

What if I want to direct/design/act/do tech but I don't have any experience?
The level of experience across the HRDC community is extremely varied, so all different skill levels are welcome, from beginner to professional! First-time directors/designers/actors are very common throughout Harvard Theater! The only space which excludes first-time directors is the Loeb Mainstage. Whatever your skill level, GET INVOLVED!

Is it a huge time commitment to do a show? Can I do other things?
You can absolutely do other activities and participate in the HRDC. The level of participation depends on the role/position in the show, time of year, and venue. A show in the Ex is going to be less of a time commitment than a show on the Mainstage, and a lead role is going to be significantly more time consuming than a smaller part. If you want a good short term commitment theatrical experience check out the 24 hour play festival, which usually takes place the first Monday of each reading period: email Matt Stone [mcstone(.AT.)fas.harvard.edu] or Megan Amram [mamram(.AT.)fas.harvard.edu] for more info.

Who do I talk to if I want to direct a show? Are undergraduates able to direct shows?
Absolutely! Harvard theater exists only because of people like you who want to put up a show. The easiest route to take is to do a couple of shows around campus first, either as an actor or as a technician. Now that you have a group of friends who are all into theater, ask them to be on your "staff"- the people who will help you produce your show. Generally, a staff will have at the minimum a Director, Producer, and a slate of designers (lighting, set, sound- this part is dictated by the space you're working in), and a technical director. If you need to recruit more people to help out on your show, ask the HRDC Publicity Coordinator to add a message to the HRDC list.

Now that you have your staff together, you need to apply for space to stage this play. The time frame, budget concerns, and the comprehensiveness of your application and staff all depend on this choice. While some of the theaters tend to have more "competitive" application processes than others, it is nearly unheard of for anyone to be left without a space to produce their play!

• The 556-seat Loeb Mainstage is the largest theatrical performing space on campus. It is shared with the American Repertory Theater. 2 student productions are done here each semester, usually by some of the most experienced members of the theater community. In fact, it is required that mainstage directors have directed a show in the Ex beforehand. The Mainstage boasts professional technical resources and advisors. If you are interested in applying to direct on the Loeb Mainstage, contact the HRDC VP/Mainstage Coordinator. Application processes take place during January for the spring semester, and during May for the fall semester. Successful applications often consist of an experienced production and artistic staff as well as a strong and feasible creative vision for your production.
• The Loeb Experimental Theater (the EX) is a very flexible blackbox theater which allows for both traditional as well as "experimental" theater. In the past few years, the Ex has been home to everything from Shakespeare to an interactive dance-drama experience which gave the audience paint suits and the chance to paint each other! The Ex boasts excellent technical resources (lighting, sound, video projection, sets) which have been significantly upgraded over the past few years, as well as a strong technical support system from both professional advisors and Peer Advisors. If you are interested in applying to direct in the Loeb Ex, contact the HRDC Ex Coordinator. The Ex is a great place for less-experienced directors and designers to hone their craft and experiment!
• The Agassiz Theater in Radcliffe Yard is a gorgeous traditional proscenium theater which has played home to everyone from Eugene O'Neill to Arthur Kopit to John Lithgow! The "Ag", like the 2 Loeb theaters, boasts professional technical resources and advisors, and is the only undergraduate drama space on campus with moving lights. If you are interested in directing/music directing for the Harvard Gilbert and Sullivan Players who call the Ag home (which often does not require you to gather your own staff), email the G&S president at hrgsp(.AT.)hcs.harvard.edu.
• Many of the upperclass houses also boast theaters. These houses have drama tutors who run the application processes for their individual house theaters. Often, technical resources and advisors are much more limited in house theater than in the Loeb or the Ag, but the Houses are a great place to gain experience directing, producing, and acting. Contact your house drama tutor or the HRDC Campus Liaison for more information.

Does the HRDC have a consitution?
Indeed, it does. And it just happens to be here! It outlines what each board member does and how the organization is to be run.

Can I run for the HRDC board?
ANYONE who has been involved with a campus production can run for the HRDC board! Look at the contact page and the Constitution to find out more about each position, and email the current board member about what they do! We highly encourage anyone involved in theater to run for the board, even if they have never worked in the Loeb before. The HRDC is an UMBRELLA organization and we like to include people from throughout the community.

What if I need help on a show?
Email the HRDC Publicity Coordinator to put an announcement in the HRDC newsletter. Also, everyone should be subscribed to the HRDC newsletter!!

Where do shows get those ultra-cool Production@theater.harvard.edu mailing lists?
Dave Corlette's theater.harvard.edu mailing lists!

I'm an HRDC (or HDC) alum and I love all of the theater you guys are doing. How do I give money!?
Contact the HRDC Treasurer for ways to contribute. As an arts organization, every cent counts! For your first step, visit the Alumni Page and give a small donation to begin receiving the Alumni Newsletter as your first step!

Question about something we didn't cover?
Contact us, that's why we're here!