On Wednesday, October 29th, at 1p.m. at John M. Tobin School, 197 Vassal Lane, Harvard College's Hasty Pudding Theatricals (HPT) will donate $11,000 of its profits from its 155th production, It's A Wonderful Afterlife, to help launch the "Hasty Pudding Theatricals Fund for Cultural Enrichment" in Cambridge Public Schools (CPS). The fund will provide opportunities for students to attend cultural events in the Boston area. To raise the money, two cast members in costume collected money at the rear of the theater after every show. "The Theatricals believes very strongly in the values of arts, education and service, and we are proud to support all three in the Cambridge Public Schools," said Producer Nicholas Ma '05, on why they decided to undertake this project. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals has had a long involvement in service. Every production designates a "Charity Night," where proceeds go to charity. In the past, this show has benefited the Philip Brooks House Association and Boston Children's Hospital. This past year, HPT led a team of its own cast and crew in the Walk for Hunger.
Pudding History
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals is the oldest theatrical company in the United States, dating back to 1795. Annually, it produces a nationally recognized production and lauds two internationally renowned celebrities as its Man and Woman of the year, including Tom Cruise and Ella Fitzgerald. Many iconic Americans have passed through its ranks, from Theodore Roosevelt and J.P Morgan to Alan Jay Lerner and Jack Lemmon. With its national media attention, the Theatricals annual productions have evolved into spectacles beyond anything ever envisioned by the founders of the original secret society. Undergraduates now receive guidance from theatrical veterans in all aspects of the production, and its sets and costumes rival Broadway shows. Still, the show remains at its essence a no-holds-barred student-written musical comedy, with its all-male cast playing both the male and female roles. Women are involved in all other aspects of the show, from technical staff, to the band, to authoring and producing the show. Thus, the Pudding remains at heart an organization driven by the enthusiasm and exuberance of its undergraduates. Our 156th season continues in this long and illustrious tradition that can only be described as uniquely Pudding.
Event Agenda
| 12:45 p.m. | The event will begin with a reception in the library of John M. Tobin School, with people from the Hasty Pudding Theatricals (HPT), Cambridge Public Schools, Harvard University, Cambridge Arts Council and City Hall will gather informally. |
| 1: 15 p.m. | Then it will move into Tobin's spacious auditorium, where about 200 students, grades five through eight, will attend the 30-minute ceremony. Speakers will include: |
- Don Watson, principal of John M. Tobin School
- Judith Contrucci, Director of Drama and Dance for Cambridge Public Schools
- Nicholas Ma, producer of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals
- Two HPT cast members, donning their costumes.
After he speaks, Nicholas with several representatives from HPT will hand over a huge check to two Tobin students and a member of the schoolboard.
Once the speaking portion is complete, and about five minutes before the conclusion of the ceremony, the two cast members will head back to the stage and call for a number of student volunteers to come up with them and learn HPT's signature kickline. Part of the HPT band will be there to play live music while they kick.
The press is only given access to the school's library and auditorium. Comments will be available at the library reception and after the ceremony.
