Carnival-style fun of 'Avenue of the Arts' sure to make parents feel like kids again

As Parents Weekend approaches, two burning questions arise, namely "Where do I hide all of the empty liquor bottles I've painstakingly saved since the beginning of the semester?" and "What do old people like my parents do for fun?"

While Tufts offers no solution to the first quandary, this year's "Avenue of the Arts," the highlight of the 2007 Parents Weekend Program, is sure to provide some cross-generational entertainment. From 2:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, nonstop performances by student organizations and the Departments of Drama, Dance and Music will create a street-festival atmosphere along Talbot Avenue.

Thinking Outside the Music Building

The road to Talbot Avenue's newest member wasn't effortlessly conceived. The administration chose "The Arts" as the theme for this year's Parents Weekend largely due to the completion of the new Granoff Music Center.

"We were thinking about things we could showcase, and 'The Arts' seemed natural because of the new music building and because of the increase in applicants who have indicated that they are interested in music," said Linda Levin-Scherz, Acting Director of the Parents Program.

Administrative departments had "multiple brainstorming sessions" about how Tufts could best showcase the arts on campus, according to Levin-Scherz.

Parents Weekend has traditionally featured a Showcase Concert in Cohen Auditorium, which has a bigger stage than the newly built Distler Performance Hall and can accommodate larger performance groups like the Gospel Choir. The smaller stage in Granoff Music Center was a challenge for event coordinators who wanted to showcase the building while still including a large number of artists.

"We were asking ourselves if there was a way to show off the building without shortchanging anybody," Granoff's Events Producer and Publicist Ryan Saunders said.

It was ultimately decided that the festival would be held outside on Talbot Avenue in the "Arts Square" formed by The Granoff Music Center, Sophia Gordon Hall, Stratton Hall, Jackson Gym, and Aidekman Arts Center. In theory, every group will perform on equal footing.

"We really wanted to be inclusive and celebrate all the arts at Tufts so that people can see how much artistic activity is here," Saunders said. "We're not known for our arts, but we could be."

Members of the faculty and administration hope that the open structure of the event will give visitors a better idea of the variety of art on campus.

"I think opening it up to the street where so many things can happen will give people a great cross-section of different types of groups," said Professor Joseph Auner, the Chair of the Music Department. "We're allowing the art corridor on Talbot Avenue to be fully realized."

Lansdowne Street meets Tufts University

Weather permitting, Saunders hopes "Avenue of the Arts" will recreate "the atmosphere of Lansdowne Street right before a Red Sox game" - if only in a small way. Talbot Avenue will be blocked off from Latin Way to College Avenue, forming a pedestrian zone that will allow students and their parents to stroll through the celebration. The event's street-festival structure offers more flexibility than a traditional concert setting, allowing people to come and go as they please.

Throughout the afternoon, three to four performances will be held simultaneously on multiple stages, some improvised (like the steps between Sophia Gordon East and West) and some constructed (like a 22-by-18 foot stage in front of Granoff Music Center). There will be vendors selling food, and, in addition to the numerous scheduled performances, members of the mime troupe HYPE! will be wandering up and down the street.

"The lower campus is going to be a giant stage with all of these fabulous student performances. I think it will show parents how diverse the talents of the students are, and show that Tufts is a true liberal arts university. Students aren't just pigeonholed," Levin-Sherz said.

If it rains on the parade

Because "Avenue of the Arts" will be held outdoors, it runs the risk of getting washed down the drain. In the event of bad weather - which is not expected for Saturday - performances will be held at alternate locations, but the street-festival vibe that is central to the event can't be taken indoors.

"If it rains, I think the event will still be successful," Saunders said, "We'll lose the atmosphere, but it will still be cool."

"We have a whole contingency planned if it's bad weather. Every single event we have arranged has indoor capacity as well," Levin-Scherz said, "Rain won't dampen our spirits."

Raising the Bar for Parents Weekend

An estimated 3,500 people will be attending the event on Saturday afternoon, says Levin-Scherz.

"Tufts is unique in that what we offer parents is such a comprehensive show of what we as a university represent," and that "in terms of variety and depth, what we provide [for Parents Weekend] is unparalleled," she said.

This year's Parents Weekend Program is much more audacious than last year's science-themed lineup, which involved a lot of lectures and relatively little entertainment (like going to class on the weekend ... with your parents). A full-fledged, six-hour street festival does seem like a bigger commitment on the administration's part to make Parents Weekend something enjoyable, rather than strictly educational.

"There's never been anything like this in the history of the university," Saunders said. "We run the risk of falling on our face, but with the planning and talent that have gone into this, I just don't see that happening."

Saunders has high hopes for Parents Weekend in the aftermath of "Avenue of the Arts."

"If this is successful, we have to top it next year," Saunders said, "The sky is the limit, really. We have the resources, the talent, and the passion from students to make this work. We want to blow people away."