Theater and Dance Space Use Policy –  Fall 2023

KIRBY AND HOLDEN THEATERS

Kirby Theater exterior


 

Requests by student groups to use Kirby or Holden for January or the Spring semester are due by October 31, and will be reviewed in December. Requests for the following Fall semester are due by March 30, and will be reviewed in May.  Requests to use Kirby or Holden should be sent to Jonathan Doyle at jmdoyle@amherst.edu.

WEBSTER HALL STUDIOS

The rehearsal studios (1, 2 & 3) in Webster Hall are managed by the Theater and Dance Department.

PURPOSE

Webster Hall Studio 2
  1. Studios are primarily used for academic purposes: class meetings, department rehearsals, by Theater and Dance Majors, and for assignments given to students enrolled in Theater and Dance courses.
  2. Studios are available for extracurricular use on a limited basis.

PERMISSION FOR ACCESS 

Studios 1, 2 and 3 are accessed by ID card swipe. Students are given permission to access the studios through Theater and Dance course enrollment, or by approval from the ADC and/or Department Chair.  Students who want to use a studio for extracurricular reasons must request permission for access at the start of each semester.

To request permission for access, please fill out this form. Some extracurricular use requests must be approved by the Chair of Theater and Dance (see below).

SIGNING-UP FOR STUDIO TIME (RESERVATIONS)

Webster Hall Studio 1

After you obtain permission for access…

  1. To reserve studio time, email Ryan O'Donnell for access to the appointment calendar.
  2. Sign-ups may only be made 3 weeks in advance or less, unless permission for extended or recurring use is granted by the Chair.

For students enrolled in Theater and Dance courses…

  • Sign up for time as needed to complete assignments. Your professor may also reserve blocks of time for your class.
  • You may sign up for up to two hours per day.  You may not use the studios for extracurricular activities unless you have separate permission to do so.
  • Theater and Dance majors should contact the ADC to schedule extended or recurring time.

For individual students not currently enrolled in a Theater and Dance course…

  • If you have taken a Theater and Dance course in the past, you may request access (see above). You will need to explain why you want to use a studio.
  • After receiving permission for access, you may sign up for up to five hours of studio time per week, but not more than two consecutive hours on any given day. If you need more time, please see the guidelines for extracurricular groups below.
  • You must sign up with your last name on the calendar.
  •  Students not using a studio for an academic purpose may not remain after midnight.

For extracurricular groups…

Extracurricular groups must share a plan for their studio use for the semester with Ryan O'Donnell when they request permission for access. 

  • An extracurricular group with approved access may sign-up for up to five hours of studio time per week but not more than two consecutive hours on any given day.
  • For extracurricular use of more than five hours per week, or to request time more than two weeks in advance, you must request approval of your plan by the end of the third week of classes in a given semester..
  • Extracurricular use of studios may not extend after midnight.
  • Extracurricular groups who wish to use a studio for performances must request permission from the Chair, preferably before the end of the 9th week of the prior semester Designated group members must also obtain equipment and safety certification from Jon Doyle, and arrange usher services with Ryan O'Donnell.

CANCELLATIONS and CONFLICTS

  • Everyone must use the sign-up calendars, even on the same day of use.
  • If you don’t show up within 10 minutes or your reservation start time, your reservation is considered canceled and other students may use the studio.
  • If a studio is reserved but not occupied, you may use it. However, if a student with a reservation arrives within 10 minutes of their reservation start time, then you must respect their reservation and let them use the studio. 
  • Students must respect one another’s academic needs and treat one another with courtesy. Students who need studio time for coursework should work together to share time if necessary.
  • Extracurricular groups or non-enrolled students who have not used the sign-up calendar, or who are beyond the five-hour weekly limit, must give way to any student who needs the studio for academic reasons.
  • The Chair or Academic Department Coordinator may cancel any reservation at any time. We will strive to give 24-hour notice of cancellations.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

  • Do not prop open a studio door so that other students can get in a studio at another time.  It’s okay to prop a door open during your reservation, but you must leave a studio locked and secure when your reservation is over.
  • Return all furniture to the edges of the room when done.
  • Store items that you need for future use neatly in closets or other appropriate areas.  You should provide a label with your last name for any stored items.  Please do not leave items behind indefinitely or after the end of the semester.  Please also respect items stored by other students or faculty.
  • Do not leave things on window sills.  Do not leave any food or items from the dining hall in the studio.
  • Throw away your trash, close the windows, turn out the lights, and close the door behind you.! 

REVOKING ACCESS

The Chair may revoke your—or your group’s—access, if you:

  • Do not follow the guidelines above, including those regarding leaving the studio clean, secure, and ready for others to use.
  • Leave a studio door propped open after you leave.
  • Abruptly intrude on others’ reserved time in progress.
  • Damage the space or any of its contents.
  • Use your sign-up access or ID to give access to a student or group that doesn’t have their own access approval.
  • Misrepresent your or your group’s purpose or collective usage time.
  • Apply pressure, harass, lie, manipulate, or intimidate through larger numbers any other student to get them to give up their reservation. In particular, If you falsely claim to have a reservation, alter someone else’s reservation, or do not honor another student’s reservation, your access will be revoked permanently.
  • The Chair may revoke access at their discretion for any other inappropriate behavior.

 ➡ To report inappropriate behavior, please contact the ADC, Ryan O'Donnell.

Audio Suite and Design Studio

In general, to use the Audio Suite or Design Studio, students will have taken a related course and obtained approval from a Theater and Dance or Music professor and the Theater and Dance Chair. Students who have not taken a course may use these facilities if they demonstrate to a faculty sponsor that they know how to use the resources. Approval must be renewed each semester.



 

External Inquiries

The Department of Theater and Dance prioritizes its theater spaces for student and faculty projects in support of the academic goals of Amherst College and generally does not rent or lend space to other organizations.