Hasty Pudding Theatricals facts for kids
Hasty Pudding Theatricals is a student theater group at Harvard University. It is famous for its yearly musical comedies where actors often dress up as characters of the opposite gender. The group also gives out special awards called the Man and Woman of the Year.
The Hasty Pudding is the oldest student theater group in the United States. It is also the third oldest in the entire world! Their yearly show is a musical comedy that often talks about current events and important topics in a funny way.
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History of Hasty Pudding Theatricals
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals started way back in 1795. It began as a social club for students at Harvard College. Their goal was to help students make friends and feel a sense of togetherness and patriotism.
On December 13, 1844, the Hasty Pudding put on its very first full play. It was a funny opera called Bombastes Furioso. For a while, the group performed popular comedies written by famous playwrights. But starting in 1882, students in the Pudding began writing their own shows. The first student-written play was Dido and Aeneas by Owen Wister.
The group's performances were stopped for two years during each of the World Wars. The fifth time a show was interrupted was in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Actors and Crew: A Changing Tradition
For a long time, only men were allowed to be actors in the Hasty Pudding shows. These men often played female roles by dressing up in costumes (this is called "drag"). However, women have been a part of the group for many years in other important roles. They often worked as costume designers.
In 1948, Felisa Vanoff became the Pudding's first female choreographer. A choreographer is someone who creates the dances for a show. Later, in 1978, Diane Nabatoff became the first female producer. A producer helps manage the entire show.
In 2009, Megan Amram and Alexandra Petri made history. They were the first all-female team to write the musical comedy. The technical crew, the band, and the business staff have included both men and women for many years. In 2018, the group finally allowed women to be part of the acting cast.
What Does "Hasty Pudding" Mean?
The name "Hasty Pudding" comes from an old dish from colonial times. This dish, also called hasty pudding, was a type of porridge. It was made from cornmeal and often had molasses or honey added to it.
It's not completely clear if this dish was a main meal or a dessert back then. But today, the Hasty Pudding group serves it as a dessert at their special events. These events include opening night parties and the yearly "roasts" for their Man and Woman of the Year award winners.
Special Awards: Man and Woman of the Year
Recognizing Famous Entertainers
The Hasty Pudding group is well-known for giving out special awards each year. They choose famous actors and entertainers for their Woman of the Year award, which started in 1951. The Man of the Year award began in 1967.
These awards are usually taken very seriously by the people who receive them. Since Jane Fonda surprised everyone by showing up to accept her award in 1961, the award winners always attend the ceremony. They get to enjoy a fun "roast" (where people make jokes about them in a friendly way) and a parade.
Symbols of the Hasty Pudding
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals uses several symbols. It has two official logos. One logo shows a sphinx, which is a mythical creature, holding a pudding pot. The other logo shows a pudding pot hanging over a fire.
The main colors of the group are deep blue, crimson (a deep red), green, and yellow. The yellow color they use is a nod to the color of traditional hasty pudding.
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals is part of a larger group called the Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770. Other groups like the Hasty Pudding Club and the Harvard Krokodiloes are also part of this institute. They all share the same meeting space and have social events together on Harvard's campus.
The official motto of the Hasty Pudding is Concordia Discors. This Latin phrase means "Discordant Harmony" or "organized chaos" in English. It suggests that even with different ideas, there can still be a creative and fun balance.
Notable People from Hasty Pudding
Many talented people have been part of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Here are just a few:
- Megan Amram, a writer.
- Paris Barclay, an Emmy-winning director and producer for TV shows like NYPD Blue and Glee.
- Nell Benjamin, who wrote the award-winning play The Explorers Club.
- John Berman, a news anchor for CNN.
- Andy Borowitz, a humorist.
- Josh Brener, an actor in Silicon Valley.
- Fred Gwynne, an actor.
- William Randolph Hearst, a famous newspaper publisher.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., a doctor, poet, and smart person who knew a lot about many things.
- Rashida Jones, an actress in Parks and Recreation and The Office.
- Jack Lemmon, an Oscar-winning actor.
- Alan Jay Lerner, a lyricist (someone who writes song words) famous for working with Frederick Loewe.
- J.P. Morgan Jr., a financier (someone who deals with money).
- Dean Norris, an actor in Breaking Bad.
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a former US President.
- Theodore Roosevelt, another former US President.
- Felisa Vanoff, who became the group's first female choreographer in 1948.
- William Weld, a former Governor of Massachusetts.
- Owen Wister, a novelist.