Due to a new fire code adopted in Connecticut, Wesleyan can no longer sell standing room tickets. Since the new regulations went into effect immediately, standing room tickets are no longer being sold for performances at Crowell, the Center for the Arts (CFA) Theater, the World Music Hall and the ’92 Theater.
CFA Director Pamela Tatge said that the new regulation addresses the risk of people sitting on the floor or in aisles getting trampled in an emergency.
“If you’ve been to any of our venues you know that in the past we were able to seat people on the sides or in front of the first row on the floor,” she said.
The new regulations have come at an inconvenient time for many students, since the end of the year is filled with popular student performances. Popular shows such as Ebony Singers and Spring Dance are already sold out, leaving many students with little hope of finding tickets.
Bridget Palardy ’05, a choreographer for Spring Dance, said that all three performances sold out much faster than she had anticipated.
“It sucks, some of my dancers don’t even have tickets for their family,” she said. “The shows were sold out before they even knew tickets had gone on sale.”
Tatge emphasized that there are still tickets left for the vast majority of performances, so students should not have a problem finding tickets if they act early.
“We encourage students and faculty to contact the box office early for University events they know they would like to attend and to work with our house managers and box office staff as we all adjust to this change,” she said.
The new regulations were designed in response to the Rhode Island club fire in February of 2003. Ninety-nine people died in the disaster in a nightclub in the Providence area and many more were injured in part due to the large number of people pushing in an attempt to escape. The concert’s pyrotechnics were blamed as the likely cause of the fire.
“Since the Rhode Island club disaster there have been new codes written about public assembly spaces,” Tatge said.
According to Tatge, the University found out about the new changes when the Fire Marshal toured the ’92 Theater two weeks ago. She said they are hoping to have a follow-up meeting with the Fire Marshal to work on maximizing seating at all venues.
“We are hoping to create a row of chairs in the back of the CFA Theater, and to make sure that we have the maximal amount of chairs we’re allowed in the ’92 Theater,” Tatge said. She said that it is up to the house managers to make sure that students don’t sneak into performances and sit on the floor.
Mark Gawlak, associate director for facilities and technical operations, said that the follow-up meeting will hopefully be sometime this week, so a few more seats might be added to some end-of-the-year performances.
“We’re doing all we can to maximize seating while working with the Fire Marshal,” he said.
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