Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Theater company and student society at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
Hasty Pudding Theatricals is a theater company and student society at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts that stages annual musical productions with student performers. The shows take place in their own theater space and combine sung numbers with spoken dialogue and choreographed dance sequences.
The society began in 1795 as a social club for Harvard students who gathered for dinner and conversation. The first theatrical presentation occurred in 1844 with William Barnes Rhodes' opera Bombastes Furioso, marking the start of regular musical performances.
The theatrical tradition centers on students performing in gender-reversed roles with elaborate costumes that have become a signature element of each production. During the ceremonial banquets, cornmeal porridge is still served in keeping with the founding customs of the society.
New members go through a selection process called punch that involves several social events over a few weeks. Once accepted, students attend weekly gatherings as well as rehearsals and performances throughout the academic year.
The annual Woman of the Year and Man of the Year awards honor actors who take part in a celebratory ceremony on campus. Recipients often participate in humorous performances alongside the students during the award ceremony.
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