The performing arts at Penn: process, practice, and purpose | Penn Today
Source: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/performing-arts-penn-process-practice-and-purpose
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:17
The performing arts at Penn: process, practice, and purpose | Penn Today
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Dancing in unison, rehearsing lines, practicing instruments, harmonizing together: These experiences are a window into the vibrant world of student-run performing arts groups at Penn. With the
Platt Student Performing Arts House
supporting
more than 70 active groups
ranging from dance, vocal, and instrumental music to comedy, theater, and spoken word, Penn students have myriad opportunities to hone their creativity, gain practical experience, and enrich their college education through the performing arts.
“Performing arts groups function like academic labs or varsity teams: Rehearsals are spaces for experimentation, problem‑solving, and growth,” says
Rachel Wenrick
, Penn’s inaugural executive director for the arts. “Students learn how to manage time, handle constructive criticism, and push past comfort zones, all while balancing demanding coursework. The performance itself is the visible result of weeks—or months—of invisible labor.
Led by
director
Laurie McCall
, the Platt House provides a dynamic hub for student groups to engage in the creative process of practicing their skills and preparing for performances. The value of group-based artistic expression is embedded in Penn’s culture: Nearly one in five Penn undergraduates are involved with performing arts. These collaborative activities empower participants to continually evolve into well-rounded students, citizens, and leaders.
“Involvement in the performing arts deepens how students think, feel, and engage with the world around them,” says Penn’s inaugural vice provost for the arts
Timothy Rommen
. “Performing arts groups invite students to integrate mind and body, theory and practice, individual expression and collective responsibility. In doing so, they help students become more thoughtful collaborators, more agile thinkers, and more engaged citizens of the Penn community and beyond.”
These photos offer a glimpse into the process of students practicing the arts, preparing for performances, and building community together.
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Quadramics is a student theatre company in which participants serve as directors, producers, actors, singers, band members, and board. Formed in 1973 at the Quad, the company typically performs one play and one musical per year. In this session, Quadramics members prepare for their “Mean Girls”-themed spring fling musical.
View large image
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Composed of five student-produced short plays, One Acts is a festival that features Theatre Arts Council groups showcasing a wide range of theatre arts. This year, One Acts included abstract comedy and philosophical themes. During practice, the performers appear to “question” or “engage” the playwrights from within the plays.
View large image
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Founded in 1978 as the nation’s first collegiate all-female musical sketch comedy troupe, Bloomers is open to all gender identities underrepresented in comedy. The group consists of a band, cast, writers, tech crew, business team, and costumes specialists. Here, the Bloomers Band rehearses for their spring show.
View large image
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Strictly Funk, started in 1997, is focused on hip-hop and contemporary dance. Preparing for their spring show, the group practices student-produced renditions of famous performances by pop culture icons.
View large image
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Onda Latina is a Latin dance troupe that launched in 1996. The all-gender group covers various styles of Latin dance throughout their practice sessions. Participants are seen dancing solo, partnered, and in sync.
View large image
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Dischord is an R&B and pop all-gender a cappella group. Formed in 1998, the group annually puts on two performances and releases a studio-recorded album every two years. Huddled in a soundproofed room, students practice vocalizing, harmonizing, and beatboxing in unison.
View large image
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Established in 2002, PennYo is a Chinese a cappella group, and the first collegiate Chinese a cappella group in the U.S. The ensemble has covered various artists, including Korean bands and Japanese musicians. Rehearsals involve students harmonizing in tandem while covering hit songs.
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Credits
Writer
Jimmy O'Hara
Photographer
Eric Sucar
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Undergraduate Students
Music
Theatre Arts
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Skip to Content
Skip to Content
News from
University of Pennsylvania
Try Advanced Search
Dancing in unison, rehearsing lines, practicing instruments, harmonizing together: These experiences are a window into the vibrant world of student-run performing arts groups at Penn. With the
Platt Student Performing Arts House
supporting
more than 70 active groups
ranging from dance, vocal, and instrumental music to comedy, theater, and spoken word, Penn students have myriad opportunities to hone their creativity, gain practical experience, and enrich their college education through the performing arts.
“Performing arts groups function like academic labs or varsity teams: Rehearsals are spaces for experimentation, problem‑solving, and growth,” says
Rachel Wenrick
, Penn’s inaugural executive director for the arts. “Students learn how to manage time, handle constructive criticism, and push past comfort zones, all while balancing demanding coursework. The performance itself is the visible result of weeks—or months—of invisible labor.
Led by
director
Laurie McCall
, the Platt House provides a dynamic hub for student groups to engage in the creative process of practicing their skills and preparing for performances. The value of group-based artistic expression is embedded in Penn’s culture: Nearly one in five Penn undergraduates are involved with performing arts. These collaborative activities empower participants to continually evolve into well-rounded students, citizens, and leaders.
“Involvement in the performing arts deepens how students think, feel, and engage with the world around them,” says Penn’s inaugural vice provost for the arts
Timothy Rommen
. “Performing arts groups invite students to integrate mind and body, theory and practice, individual expression and collective responsibility. In doing so, they help students become more thoughtful collaborators, more agile thinkers, and more engaged citizens of the Penn community and beyond.”
These photos offer a glimpse into the process of students practicing the arts, preparing for performances, and building community together.
View large image
View large image
View large image
View large image
Quadramics is a student theatre company in which participants serve as directors, producers, actors, singers, band members, and board. Formed in 1973 at the Quad, the company typically performs one play and one musical per year. In this session, Quadramics members prepare for their “Mean Girls”-themed spring fling musical.
View large image
View large image
View large image
View large image
Composed of five student-produced short plays, One Acts is a festival that features Theatre Arts Council groups showcasing a wide range of theatre arts. This year, One Acts included abstract comedy and philosophical themes. During practice, the performers appear to “question” or “engage” the playwrights from within the plays.
View large image
View large image
View large image
Founded in 1978 as the nation’s first collegiate all-female musical sketch comedy troupe, Bloomers is open to all gender identities underrepresented in comedy. The group consists of a band, cast, writers, tech crew, business team, and costumes specialists. Here, the Bloomers Band rehearses for their spring show.
View large image
View large image
View large image
View large image
Strictly Funk, started in 1997, is focused on hip-hop and contemporary dance. Preparing for their spring show, the group practices student-produced renditions of famous performances by pop culture icons.
View large image
View large image
View large image
View large image
Onda Latina is a Latin dance troupe that launched in 1996. The all-gender group covers various styles of Latin dance throughout their practice sessions. Participants are seen dancing solo, partnered, and in sync.
View large image
View large image
View large image
Dischord is an R&B and pop all-gender a cappella group. Formed in 1998, the group annually puts on two performances and releases a studio-recorded album every two years. Huddled in a soundproofed room, students practice vocalizing, harmonizing, and beatboxing in unison.
View large image
View large image
View large image
View large image
Established in 2002, PennYo is a Chinese a cappella group, and the first collegiate Chinese a cappella group in the U.S. The ensemble has covered various artists, including Korean bands and Japanese musicians. Rehearsals involve students harmonizing in tandem while covering hit songs.
Share this article
Threads
Credits
Writer
Jimmy O'Hara
Photographer
Eric Sucar
More from
Performing Arts
Undergraduate Students
Music
Theatre Arts
Novel plant-based approach to a better, cheaper GLP-1 delivery system
Health & Medicine
Novel plant-based approach to a better, cheaper GLP-1 delivery system
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell investigates the use of a lettuce-based, plant-encapsulated delivery platform as a new oral delivery of two GLP-1 drugs previously approved by the FDA in injectable form.
No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise
Natural Sciences
No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise
Research led by Penn neuroscientist J. Nicholas Betley and collaborators finds that hypothalamic neurons are essential for translating physical exertion into endurance, potentially opening the door to exercise-mimicking therapies.
Studying Shakespeare through the lens of love
Arts & Humanities
Studying Shakespeare through the lens of love
In Becky Friedman’s English course Shakespeare in Love, undergraduate students analyze language, genre, and adaptation in the Bard’s plays through the lens of love.
Beating the heat: Designing cooling for bodies in motion
Technology
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Dorit Aviv, director of Weitzman’s Thermal Architecture Lab, studies how humans, technology, and design intersect, paving the way for the development of novel approaches to cooling people efficiently.