The Platt Student Performing Arts House: A Hub for Creative Expression at the University of Pennsylvania
The Platt Student Performing Arts House plays a vital role in the University of Pennsylvania's vibrant arts community. It provides essential administrative and production support, as well as dedicated rehearsal, performance, and workspace, to the member organizations of the Performing Arts Council (PAC).
Addressing a Critical Need: The Genesis of the Platt Center
The establishment of the Platt Student Performing Arts Center represents a significant advancement for the University of Pennsylvania and the cultural landscape of Philadelphia. As one of the first theaters constructed in the city in more than a decade, and the first new venue at Penn in over fifty years, the Platt Center directly addresses the university’s longstanding need for dedicated performing arts spaces.
For years, the demand for performance and rehearsal venues has far exceeded available resources, reflecting the remarkable growth and passion within Penn’s student arts community. Prior to the creation of the Annenberg Center in 1971 and the Platt Student Performing Arts House in 2006, Penn students only had two dedicated theaters to use: the Irvine Auditorium and the Class of ’49 Auditorium in Houston Hall. As the student population grew and programs expanded, the need for performance space became critical. Today, the performing arts are an essential aspect of life at Penn, with more than 20% of students participating in some form of performance.
A State-of-the-Art Facility: Features and Functionality
Designed by Steven Holl Architects, the new building will include 38,700 square feet of performance, teaching, rehearsal, and practice spaces. The design is characterized by three suspended trapezoids floating above the ground, echoing the dynamic movements of dancers and performers. An interplay of transparent and translucent glass allows for selective views to permeate from the inside out and produces a glowing presence at night.
When it opens in early 2027, the Platt Center will include:
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- The Edward W. Kane Theatre: a flexible 326-seat performance space with a full fly tower and orchestra pit, tailored to the diverse and innovative performances produced by students while also serving the needs of PLA programs across amplified music, jazz, contemporary dance, and global sounds.
- A 125-seat studio theatre with flexible performance and rehearsal capabilities.
- Five rehearsal studios.
- A student lounge.
- An atrium lobby.
- Performance support spaces.
- A loading dock.
Complementing the main theatre, a studio theatre and rehearsal spaces provide further adaptability and capacity, transforming the Platt Center into a bustling center for both rehearsal and performance. These environments are essential for accommodating the breadth and diversity of Penn’s performing arts activities.
A Visionary Gift: The Platt Family's Commitment to the Arts
Penn Live Arts at the University of Pennsylvania has announced a visionary gift from Julie Beren Platt and Marc E. Platt that will name the Platt Student Performing Arts Center.
"Julie and Marc Platt have a long history of supporting the performing arts at Penn, and we are grateful for their most recent transformative gift that will name the Platt Student Performing Arts Center,” said Penn President J. Larry Jameson.
“As the University’s home for the performing arts, our role is to nurture, incubate, present and support the full ecosystem of performance on campus,” said Christopher A. Gruits, executive and artistic director of Penn Live Arts. “Julie and Marc’s generosity will be transformational, as more than a quarter of Penn’s undergraduate students participate in the performing arts. Expanding on their 2006 gift that created the Platt Student Performing Arts House, this new facility will greatly enhance opportunities for students to learn, create, and refine their craft in state-of-the-art spaces."
“The arts are central to the University’s mission,” added Timothy Rommen, Penn’s vice provost for the arts. “The Platt Student Performing Arts Center will transform what is possible for our students."
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Julie Beren Platt serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and is also on the Board of Advisors for Penn Live Arts and Penn Hillel’s National Board of Governors. She previously served on the Board of Advisors at the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies and as President of the Penn Alumni Board of Directors. Marc E. Platt is a film, theatre, and television producer and serves on the Director’s Advisory Council for Penn Live Arts. Both Marc and Julie are former members of the Parent Leadership Committee, and four of their five children are Penn graduates. The Platts have generously supported multiple initiatives across the University, including establishing the Platt Student Performing Arts House and the Julie Beren Platt and Marc Platt Rehearsal Room in Houston Hall.
Activating Campus and Community: Location and Impact
Sited along Woodland Walk and Jenny Holzer’s 125 Years text-based sculpture celebrating the history of women at Penn, the new Center will activate the northeast corner of Penn’s campus, enhancing an inviting gateway while maximizing visibility and accessibility of creative life on campus. Architecturally, the Platt Center stands as a gateway at the entrance to campus on 33rd Street. The building’s brown terracotta exterior and its thoughtfully considered form pay homage to the historic Fisher Fine Arts Library while also framing Schuylkill Yards and preserving the architectural legacy of the area.
The proposal for the Center grew out of recommendations identified through a study completed in 2019 by Penn’s University Life, which concluded that additional performance and rehearsal space was needed to meet current and future demand.
As one of the many venues that PLA manages and presents programs in, the Platt Center will serve to support a deep commitment to serving both the university and the greater Philadelphia community through the performing arts. The Platt Center will host a range of events, including those developed through the Penn Live Arts accelerator program, and will be a venue for commissioning new works in music, theatre, and dance, as well as for nurturing some of the world’s most promising artists. This dual commitment ensures that the benefits of the Platt Center extend beyond campus, enhancing cultural opportunities for audiences throughout the region.
Platt House Staff: Guiding and Supporting Student Artists
The Platt Student Performing Arts House is supported by a dedicated team:
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- Laurie McCall: Director, has been working in the Division of University of Life at Penn since 1992.
- Megan Edelman: Has been a part of the University of Pennsylvania since 2007.
- Sara Outing: An arts administrator, advisor, and an alum of Penn’s student performing arts clubs and the Theatre Arts Program.
- Justin Gotzis: An artist, writer, and musician.
- Stephen: Has been living in Philadelphia and working at theaters around the city since 2018.
- Mariama: A rising junior in the college studying Africana Studies and Communications on the Pre-Law Track.
- NuAmen: A Mechanical Engineering major, also minoring in Jazz and Popular Music.
A Diverse Range of Performances: Showcasing Student Talent
The Muravchick Cabaret Stage in the Platt Student Performing Arts House has been host to a variety of performances, from spoken word and open mic nights to the Deaf Theatre Circus and a cappella groups.
Expanding Creative Opportunities: A Growing Footprint
With the opening of the Platt Student Performing Arts Center and the addition of the Stuart Weitzman Theatre at the Annenberg Center, the footprint expands to eight performance spaces, providing an increasingly wider array of creative opportunities.
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