Saturday nights at Penn generally involve the four B’s: booze, babes, boys and bad decisions. But what about the more cultural offerings, for that discerning student looking for a little more than Jungle Juice-induced walk-o-shames? We decided to check out the Rotunda’s Rite of Passage event last weekend. (To clarify, the Rotunda is that church-like building next to the Bridge, right across from our beloved Street office.) We weren’t sure what to expect, but decided that a “collaborative theater public performance” merited a visit.
When we arrived, we were asked to fill out rhyming post-it notes that would be used for a song-making performance. This confused us, but we obliged. We sat and waited for the show to begin, noting the “crunchiness” of it all — incense included. As we flipped through the program, we noticed a distinct pattern among the performers. Some were “healers,” others were “massage therapists,” all were a bit, um, earthy.
As the night progressed, it became painfully obvious that the majority of the audience members were performers in the show… and that the rest of us didn’t quite get it. We listened to non-traditional instrumentation (big ups to the salad bowl player!) and watched the dancers who all but begged for our participation. We felt even more out of place when not one, but two, of the female performers displayed their au natural grooming choices for all to see, and we cringed when a life-sized puppet head came tumbling off the stage.
Yes, this was quite a far cry from the standard Spruce/Walnut/Beige Block fare, but we were glad to step outside of the Penn social bubble for a night. That said, a post-show Smokes visit was a welcome return to reality. Tequila will do that for you.
