Testimonials
Want to share your performing arts in the pandemic story? Email jaden at sas.upenn.edu to schedule an interview!
Music courtesy of Bensound (song title: "Memories"): https://www.bensound.com/
November 2021 Testimonials
Ariella Nelson, College of Arts & Sciences (College), Class of 2024
Performing Arts Involvements on Penn's campus: Soundworks Tap Factory, Penn Ballet, Choreographer for Penn Players
Biggest Takeaway about Covid-19 Performing Arts (so far): "I appreciate being with other people significantly more. I've been tap dancing in garages, doing zoom ballet classes from my dorm room. And it was fun because it was all that I had to measure against. That was my first year of college. But this semester, being in an actual studio, being in a theater performing with people just makes such a big difference and I hadn't thought of that before having that taken away from me."
Listen to Ariella's edited testimony here:
Ariella Nelson PAPP.mp3
Ari Fromm, College, Class of 2022
Performing Arts Involvements on Penn's campus: performer in Theatre Arts Council (also referred to as TAC-e, pronounced "tacky") in groups such as Penn Players, Front Row Theatre Company, iNtuitons Experimental Theatre
Biggest Takeaway about Covid-19 Performing Arts (so far): “It was hard, but [performing arts] didn’t go away…it lost a lot of enthusiasm, but people still did it, and it wasn’t as good…we’re coming out of it on the other end and it’s getting better again.”
Listen to Ari's edited testimony here:
Ari Fromm PAPP.mp3
Gabrielle Gillen, College & Wharton, Class of 2023
Performing Arts Involvements on Penn's campus: singer in Quaker Notes A Cappella, dancer in West Philly Swingers, composer/board member in Penn Compose
Biggest Takeaway about Covid-19 Performing Arts (so far): "It was definitely not easy, but we all wanted to keep it going. We all really loved what were doing. And so even if we were all apart physically, like 3000 miles away, we still made sure to find time to meet. We decided to find ways to make it work."
Listen to Gabrielle's edited testimony here:
Gabrielle Gillen PAPP.mp3
Sophie Thorel, Engineering & Wharton, Class of 2022
Performing Arts Involvements on Penn's campus: iNtuitons Experimental Theatre
Biggest Takeaway about Covid-19 Performing Arts (so far): "I was part of this production in which we explored and devised everyone's own relationship with this space...when we think performing arts we think of the conventional actor audience relationship, sharing some kind of either experience or space...I was calling in from France, it was 2 am for me, so my rehearsals were always off."
Listen to Sophie's edited testimony here:
Sophie Thorel PAPP.mp3
Christina Kim, Engineering, Class of 2022
Performing Arts Involvements on Penn's campus: singer in Penn Six A Cappella, performer in Theatre Arts Council such as the One Acts Festival, Quadramics Theatre Company, Stimulus Children's Theatre, Front Row Theatre Company
Biggest Takeaway about Covid-19 Performing Arts (so far): "It was very disruptive...to our shows and our organizational memory...all us actors were learning how to design our costumes, do good make-up and film ourselves...it was a learning and growing experience."
Listen to Christina's edited testimony here:
Christina Kim PAPP.mp3