The Pace Drama Alliance (PDA) has set aside plans for their intended spring student production due to schedule and alternative transitions, but this does not mean they will not be offering something as a substitute for everyone to enjoy. Jacqueline Bethea, the president of PDA, spoke of the details regarding the need for a plan B.

“In the past, PDA has put on full length plays and even really short student-written ones, but the struggle always comes down to arranging schedules that work for everyone,” Bethea explained. “People drop because the semester gets too busy, there’s always a rush to find people to fill spots, and it’s hard to find people willing to do the most demanding role of directing the whole thing. Pace Pleasantville also doesn’t have a real stage which limits our capabilities by a lot.”

PDA’s original goal was to perform a small theater piece written by a previous Mortola Library employee. Although the script has been in the works for a while, due to difficulty attracting interest around campus, student involvement has not been as high as the group would like. There were also troubles with PDA’s location availability after the recent bookstore and lounge renovations.

“We were kind of displaced when the bookstore was moved to the conference rooms where we usually meet,” Bethea said. “Our meetings have been in Wilcox lecture hall, which is a long walk for a lot of people to make across campus at night. Our meeting turnouts have been lower than usual, but we are corresponding with someone to get us moved back to our regular spot now that the store has moved back.”

However, PDA’s entire team collectively decided that they will now be organizing a game night in Gottesman in lieu of the production. Food will be provided and they will be playing improvisation games and a Broadway-themed Kahoot. In the meantime, PDA is also attempting to do some re-branding to preserve the club.

“We’re turning PDA into a platform to link people to the right opportunities and to help them get their work seen by more people, whether that be through film contests, auditions, or viewing parties for people’s work,” Bethea said. “Right now, we are also coordinating with Arc Theater Company so that people with an interest can volunteer and help with–and view–local productions.”