Dear Editor:
Benjamin Hilb's "In and of 'The School for Scandal'" (November 3) contains several statements which foster misperceptions about the Department of Drama and Dance and its productions.
First, Hilb's assumption that The School for Scandal (the faculty-directed show that concluded its run in the Arena on Saturday night) required an "egregious expense of money" is simply wrong. We have limited resources for each production and allocate them wisely. It is a credit to the skill of our faculty and student designers that they are able to create such wonderfully effective work (costumes, set, lighting, sound), notwithstanding the budget constraints within which they operate.
Second, while I regret that the theater may have smelled of paint on the night Hilb saw the show, I want to remind him that the Arena is a multi-purpose space. In addition to being the only theater on campus, it serves as a classroom and a venue for university events. It also is the place where we finish our sets. We have a scene shop where much of the preliminary set construction takes place, but final scene painting happens once the set is in position in the theater. Given everything else that happens in the theater, it is not always possible to finish a set well before a show is scheduled to open.
Third, we present a variety of productions - classical as well as contemporary - each year. We offer shows from different historical periods and cultures for the benefit of our audiences and our students. In addition to The School for Scandal, we are staging The Fifth of July (an American drama first produced in 1981) and Heads or Tails? (a new Chinese play in its English-language world premiere at Tufts). I believe that Sheriden Thomas, who directed this 18th-century British comedy, made a compelling case for its relevance in her program essay.
We are proud of the work we do and invite members of the Tufts community to join us for the remainder of our 2005-2006 season.
Barbara W. Grossman
Chair, Department of Drama and Dance
