Masking Exemption Rules for Performances
As of February 15, a limited Masking Exemption for performances, film projects, and photo shoots has been approved. See our COVID Safety page for the full protocols.
COVID Safety for Audiences
Mandates for Student Performances at the University of Pennsylvania
COVID Safety Measures for Audiences
Audience members must comply with COVID Safety Measures put in place by the University of Pennsylvania and Platt Student Performing Arts House, the University’s advisory structure for student-run performing arts clubs. These mandates include a day-of health screening survey, and providing information for contact tracing.
Please note that visitors may not be allowed backstage, and additional protocols may be determined by the producing groups or by venue management. Please come prepared!
1. Symptom Screening
Before arriving on campus, all audience members must complete a day-of health screening and vaccine attestation, administered via the PennOpen system. This screening is confidential, and will be presented at the door before entering the seating area.
For audience members within the Penn Community (including students, postdocs, employees, vendors and contractors): use PennOpen Pass
For audience members outside the Penn Community: use PennOpen Campus
(PennOpen Campus screening can also be administered verbally for those who do not have a smartphone or device available.)
2. Contact Information
All attending members will be required to provide their names, phone numbers, and email addresses at the door. This information will be used for contact tracing in the event of a reported exposure.
Before buying your ticket to a show, please also review the University Visitor Guidelines and University Travel Guidances offered by Penn Global.
3. Masking
Visitors and audience members are welcome to use a well-fitting mask for additional protection. However, given low rates of transmission, Penn campus buildings do not currently require audience members to wear masks.
PennOpen Screening
For students, staff, faculty, and members of the Penn community:
PennOpen Pass is a daily symptom tracker designed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading within the Penn community. PennOpen Pass requires a Pennkey for access.
For visitors and audience members without a PennKey:
PennOpen Campus is a required, pre-arrival, daily screening for all University of Pennsylvania event participants, day visitors, vendors, and non-badged contractors. The screening will generate either a Green Pass required to enter University buildings, or a Red Pass which advises the individual to seek care from a health care provider.
The University of Pennsylvania also requires visitors to follow public health guidelines for vaccination, wearing masks, physical distancing, hand washing, and helping keep our campus safe. For the University Public Health Guidance visit public health guidance.
Student Performing Arts Update for January 2022
Hi all,
Thank you so much for your patience and understanding as the Spring 2022 semester begins. We know that the delayed in-person start has been challenging, and Platt House and the PAC Shop are here to support you. We are all disappointed that the best laid plans are once again disrupted by Covid 19, but we are optimistic that this is temporary. We are asking you to be mindful of everyone’s needs as we push through as a student performing arts community. In advance of this long email, we need to say that we at Platt House and the PAC Shop are committed to working with you on modifications and solutions to make this semester work. We await more directives from the University together and we will get through this together.
Platt House & PAC–Exec will be hosting a virtual Town Hall on Saturday, 1/15 for all student performing arts groups. At that meeting, we will discuss the updates below, share any new guidance, and answer any questions you have to the best of our ability at that time. This meeting is mandatory for all student performing arts groups. Please be sure to send at least one Exec/Board member. This should be someone very knowledgeable about the group who will report the details back to all group members.
Student Performing Arts Town Hall Meeting
Saturday, 1/15 @ 5pm ET
Note: The Zoom Link has been removed from this website in the interest of cybersecurity. Please contact your group’s PAC Representative on the PAC-Rep listserv, or email us at platthouse[at]pobox.upenn.edu for the link.
Mandatory for all student performing arts groups
As shared previously, in-person student group gatherings, including student performing arts activities, will not be permitted until at least Monday, 1/24. This date will likely be extended. This is a mitigation strategy for Covid-19, and this policy has been communicated from Campus Health and University Life leadership. We cannot control how long in-person student group activities will be suspended, and we will share any updates as we receive them. Please make sure your groups do not gather in person while in-person student group gatherings are not permitted. We expect University guidance on this very soon.
Platt House will be open with limited hours and limited capacity starting on Wednesday, 1/12. Capacity in rehearsal rooms will be limited to one person per room max, and capacity in the Lobby will be limited to 5 people max, spread out throughout the space. Green passes will be checked, and either N95 or double masks need to be worn at all times, no exceptions. Below is the current schedule, starting Wednesday, 1/12:
- Sundays: 1pm-5pm
- Mondays through Fridays: 12pm-8pm
- Platt House will be closed on Monday, 1/17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Saturdays: Closed
The PAC Shop will be open by appointment only (https://tinyurl.com/
At this point, since we do not know exactly how student performing arts activities will unfold for this semester, we are working on and we encourage you all to work on backup plans. This can include plans for virtual auditions, rehearsals, and shows; pushing back activities until later in the semester; scaling down productions (the PAC Shop can assist with these logistics); sharing resources; and more.
At this point, Platt House, the PAC Shop, and PAC–Exec believe it would be wise to plan for all performances to occur either after Spring Break and/or to be produced virtually. We are hopeful that student performances can be conducted in-person later in the semester, and virtual is always an option to keep in mind.
Given a shortened timeline for in-person activities this semester, and in order to be equitable to groups, we will be asking you to share resources more than in a typical in-person semester. This may mean additional groups in space shares, scaled down productions, shortened tech times, and more. This consolidation will require your input. PAC–Exec will send a form out for your input, and this will be discussed at the Town Hall.
We will be rescheduling the Pre-Production meeting originally scheduled for Friday, 1/14 at 3:30pm, so you can remove that calendar item for now.
We absolutely understand that these updates are not what anyone was hoping for as we begin this new semester. We are here to support you. Feel free to send any questions to platthouse[at]pobox.upenn.edu or reserve them for our meeting on the 15th. We may not be able to answer all questions right away, but we will do our best.
We are so grateful to work with all the students in this vibrant community, and we look forward to supporting you and your missions as the semester continues. Please take care.
Best,
Platt House & the PAC Shop
Restarting and Reuniting – In Person Performing Arts
Dear Members of the Student Performing Arts Community,
I hope you are having wonderful summers. At Platt House and in the PAC Shop, we are so happy that we will be open and in person this academic year. As the University has stated, Penn will be open at full capacity for the academic year. In fact, Platt House already has available hours for full rehearsal room usage. You may be pinching yourself and asking if this is real. We get it. There is a certain anxious feeling about just jumping back in after so much time with restrictions. We too are wrestling with that feeling.
Yet, the excitement is also real. Here is the chance to plan in a smart and strategic way. An analogy might be that that you have been in a desert without water for a long time and when you finally get to that water, you drink so much of it in one sitting that you become ill. Ideally, you would have built up to a normal amount of water in your system so your body could process it. The elated feeling of ending your thirst will turn to an unhealthy feeling, and you will wish you hadn’t over indulged. We are asking you to use this logic when planning your performing arts experiences as well. Groups are no longer used to 20 hours of rehearsal per week or having multiple shows complete with all the production required for an in-person experience. Savor the experience of being able to do what you love without overdoing it. Prioritize your rehearsal and performance needs without losing the chance to bond and engage with each other. Soak in the moment without losing yourself and all your free time. Step back in one foot at a time, and be mindful of all that you are doing.
In addition, there are takeaways from this pandemic that we can still apply. Many groups made your shows accessible to everyone. Why stop now? You found ways to meet over Zoom. Could Zoom meetings help you this year too when you all can’t be in the same room? Many of you dove into social justice issues. Don’t stop now. Overall, some people felt more in tune with their mental health needs and the needs of others. Let’s keep that going. And let’s normalize mask wearing for those who wish to keep using masks to protect themselves. Mask acceptance is important.
Lastly, remember that we are here to help. PAC-Exec is here to help. And you should have all identified someone in your group or a recently graduated individual who can help you remember how to do in-person shows. We are planning helpful training sessions as well as an engaging PAC CONference. You can also ask us anything at any time. Or just let us know what you are doing by reaching out or in a meeting with your group advisor. We love to hear from you, and we cannot wait to see you.
Stay tuned for informative emails as we continue our summers. Stay safe and keep in touch.
With warm greetings from all of us at Platt House and the PAC Shop,
Best,
Laurie
Updated COVID Regulations and Guidance
Dear Performing Arts Group Leaders,
It is great to be back on campus again! I am meeting some of you for the first time and others I haven’t seen in almost 2 years. It feels great to be sharing the same spaces with you again. As the saying goes, with this new freedom comes great responsibility. We at Platt House and the PAC Shop are doing everything we can to follow University rules and common sense to keep everything open and available for student performing arts groups. To maintain everyone’s safety, Penn has instituted Covid-19 mitigation requirements. These requirements include vaccination, masks, testing, and participating in Penn’s Open Pass application. We are also asking everyone to safely space your activities, take breaks, and end rehearsals ten minutes early to add for air flow in between groups using spaces. As a result, Platt House and the PAC Shop will also be following all of these requirements and expect nothing less from every user and group in their use of Platt House or other facilities on campus.
In addition, we strongly encourage each organization to gauge the comfort levels of their members and add any additional mitigation efforts as they see fit. We also encourage maintaining some level of hybrid participation such as Zoom classes and meetings to offset the number of in-person activities.
All organizations planning any in-person performing arts activities should designate at least two Health Marshalls again to ensure these rules and guidelines are being followed while indoors. This applies to rehearsal, performance, tech, and any other group activities. Please see below for more specific information. Please complete this form to register at least two members of your group who will serve as Health Marshalls.
We will be in touch with additional guidelines for performances in the coming weeks.
Failure to comply with these regulations could result in loss of space usage in our facilities, being reported to the University’s Covid response team, and possibly demerits for groups within PAC.
Please complete activities in the safest ways possible to hopefully keep them in person. If group members are uncomfortable with in-person activities, their membership status should not be jeopardized, and groups should find ways to make their activities accessible.
Be sure all members of your groups/parties are aware of all the regulations above and that everyone adheres to them.
Please note: these protocols are per current University guidance. Regulations could change at any time. Please keep an eye on any communication related to Covid protocols.
We will keep providing guidance on how to best follow these rules, but please comply. We want to stay in this together.Sincerely,
Megan
Sara
Michelle
COVID Safety for Indoor Practice – Spring 2021
Safety Guidelines for Indoor Practice in Platt House
THESE GUIDELINES WERE RELEASED APRIL 2021 AND APPLY TO THE SPRING 2021 SEMESTER ONLY.
Remember: in accordance with the Office of Student Affairs guidelines, group activities must primarily virtual. In-person activities may not be mandatory for membership!
Whatever meetings, rehearsals, workshops, auditions, and performances you plan must be University-sanctioned, and should be conducted with remote engagement as the primary means of participation, allowing members to decline in-person activity based on their personal assessments of risk or while away from campus. For more information, please read the OSA’s Spring 2021 Rules for Student Groups.
< Back to Platt House COVID Safety and FAQ Page
The Rules:
Practice rooms may be accessed through approved reservations only. The Platt House lobby, offices, and other spaces remain off-limits due to COVID Safety restrictions.
- All attendees must be current Penn students.
- All attendees must wear masks at all times.
- All attendees must present their Green Penn Open Passes and be prepared to present their Penncards.
- Practice use is limited to 30 minutes max.
- The max capacity for room 176 is 1 person.
- The max capacity for rooms 175, 177, 179, and 180 is 2 people.
- Attendees must remain at least 6 ft. apart at all times or more depending on the arts discipline.
- Attendees who are singing, dancing, drumming, or playing breath instruments must remain at least 12 ft. apart at all times when engaging in these activities/using instruments.
- Attendees who are playing breath instruments must use additional personal protective equipment (i.e. bell covers, instrument bags, and overlapping flap masks) to capture aerosols and droplets.
- No eating or drinking is permitted, except water. To drink water, attendees must move at least 12 ft. away from anyone present, lift masks, drink, and prompty place their masks back on.
- No lingering in the lobby or rooms for which attendees do not have a confirmed reservation.
- Please enter through Stouffer Commons, where Penn Open Passes will be checked, use the stairs or elevator to head directly to Platt House. Penncards are required to enter the space.
- When entering Platt House, check in with the staff member on duty to sign in all attendees for practice usage.
- No walk ups permitted.
How do I enter Platt House?
View the Stouffer Commons / Weingarten Entrance on the Campus Map
Outdoor Rehearsal Reservations and Guidelines!
Dear PAC,
Platt House Staff and PAC Exec are pleased to announce that Outdoor Rehearsals will be allowed starting Tuesday, February 9th. Groups may apply for one 45-minute rehearsal per week for the next three weeks. We will be able to expand this IF everything goes smoothly and all rules are followed and no COVID outbreaks occur due to careless behavior by performing arts groups.
The information you need is below. All groups must designate 2 health marshals who will ensure that the rules are understood by the groups, followed, and that everyone is subscribed and using Penn Open Pass. All rehearsals will be monitored by Platt Staff and Allied Guards to check Open Pass and other protocols. Please be sure to read the guidelines prior to completing the reservation request. Remember the masks, distance, and shortened time together followed by sanitation and honest open pass reporting will mitigate risk.
The schedule will be confirmed by Monday night.
Sincerely,
Fall 2020 Follow Up
Dear PAC,
This week we all learned that the Fall 2020 semester will be fully virtual. While we had been eager to share our provisional plans for in-person activities, this latest update has released us from uncertainty and given new clarity to the situation. At Platt House and the PAC Shop, this moment is bittersweet: we are very sad that we must wait longer to be all together and to witness your creative power in person, and we are thankful that in the meantime, this decision keeps us all out of harm’s way.
Platt House and PAC Shop Staff are now refocusing our efforts with PAC-Exec to shape a lively and fulfilling semester of virtual programming that is accessible to our full community, wherever they may be across the globe. We look forward to incorporating your values, questions, and ideas into how this semester will take shape for student performing arts. Along with PAC Exec, we will be reaching out to determine next steps.
We want to remind everyone that your virtual engagement, social media posts, and recorded performances have already brought so much positivity to the world of Penn during this pandemic. We found out that other Penn departments were starting meetings with your videos to help uplift everyone. Your talents are endless, and we have been inspired to see you bravely adapt to your digital audience. A big round of applause to you!
In the meantime, please know that we are thinking of you, working to create meaningful programs, and looking forward to the end of this pandemic now more than ever. The past five months have affected us all deeply, sometimes in ways that are difficult to acknowledge and harder to share. Please know that it is completely valid to feel sorrow and mourn this loss. Please come to us for resources, for difficult conversations, for lightness and celebrations, for space to grieve – whatever you need. We’ll be here, just a few clicks away.
Sincerely,
Platt House and PAC Shop Staff
Megan Edelman
James Grant
Amanda Labonte
Laurie McCall
Michelle Moller
Sara Outing
A Note from Platt Student Performing Arts House in Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
University of Pennsylvania Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
We are assuming that members of the University community have seen the various messages from President Gutmann and Provost Pritchett throughout March 2020. Those messages can be reviewed here.
We know this is a challenging time and it is heartbreaking for the entire Penn community, including those of you who were working on shows and getting ready to graduate. Platt Ho
use wants to make sure you are each taking care of yourselves. We want to reiterate that Platt House is a resource for you, so please do not hesitate to reach out.
The physical Platt House center is closed for the foreseeable future. Please disregard any building signage to the contrary. That being said, Platt House staff will continue our mission of supporting students during this time. You can reach the full team remotely at platthouse[at]pobox.upenn.edu.
Due to the University’s response and policies, any current standing reservation in Platt House (175, 176, 177, 179, 180, Lobby, Muravchick Lounge & Stage) has been canceled. Additionally, upcoming student shows for the Spring 2020 semester have been canceled. As a Penn/PAC/SAC sponsored group, you cannot mount a show during this restricted time.
Platt House is developing virtual content and programming. Stay tuned for more details regarding these updates. We will be sure to keep communicating with students, and please let us know how we can help. Be sure to check your email regularly. Below there are some helpful links with more information from Penn.
Please note: It is possible that new updates could happen any day. Our programs and plans could be affected, and we may need to adjust our expectations and strategies. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we all learn and adapt. Please check this page for the most updated information on Platt Student Performing Arts House. The most updated information from the University can be found here: https://coronavirus.upenn.edu/
Please be in touch with any questions or concerns. Take care of yourselves.
Sincerely,
Platt House Staff
https://coronavirus.upenn.edu/
https://coronavirus.upenn.edu/students-families/student-faq