A semester after its entire costume collection was mistakenly destroyed, Traveling Treasure Trunk is working with the administration to recover its losses and resolve storage space problems in the Aidekman-Jackson complex .
The administration is working with Trunk to make room for the installation of lockable storage units to prevent future mix-ups. These lockers are relatively inexpensive, and would provide secure storage for student activities groups, said Tisch Director of Administration Paul Stanton.
Finding storage space for Trunk has been difficult. Fire safety regulations are stringent, and the basement of Aidekman is already cluttered with instrument storage lockers and various other utility areas for the departments of Drama and Dance, Music, and Athletics.
"I wish it had been as simple as 'here's a room, here's a key,'" Dance and Drama Department Chairwoman Barbara Grossman said. "But it's a question of weeding out, carving out a space for them."
Plans for a new music building would allow the other departments to expand, but the project is on hold due to lack of funding. According to Grossman, lack of space is a campus-wide issue. If the reconfiguration of Aidekman storage space is successful, it may provide a model for other buildings on campus.
Grossman and Stanton conducted a walk-through evaluation of the building in early January, and hope to have the units in place within a month.
Last October, Grossman made the decision to discard of an unclaimed pile of clothing blocking a fire exit on the upper level of the Aidekman Arts Center. She had checked with representatives from several campus performance groups to determine the source of the costumes, but none had claimed ownership. When Anthony Cornish, the department's artist-in-residence, said that a member of Trunk had said the heap was not theirs, Grossman sent the clothing to the campus incinerator.
"It was something that was deeply distressing to me," Grossman said, reflecting on the mix-up. "I certainly appreciated the group being as understanding as they were." Since the incident, Grossman has written the group a letter of apology, spoken at a group meeting, and given a personal check to compensate in part for their losses.
The misunderstanding also brought new urgency to the search for a solution to Aidekman's ongoing storage space woes. The building, which was constructed in 1987 to connect Jackson Gym and Cohen Auditorium, houses the Drama and Dance, Music, and Athletic Departments, in addition to numerous student activity groups. Despite the size of the hybrid complex, secure storage areas are few and far between.
"The way things are in Aidekman, something like this could definitely happen to another group," Trunk member Sarah Marcus said.
The disposal of 14 years of costumes was difficult for Trunk, but its members say they are proud of the way they responded. The theatre troupe, which performs for local schoolchildren, hospitals, and day care facilities, used cheaper materials to quickly recreate outfits for upcoming shows.
"We made do with what we had," Marcus said. "It was a huge challenge but Trunk is about more than just costumes."
This semester Trunk is back to its usual business, and is creating permanent hand-made costumes for new shows and preparing to tour schools in the area starting next month. The group plans to host an alumni weekend where former Trunkers will return and help with the restoration effort. The group went on a retreat with its two new members this weekend, for which every member had to dress according to the theme of "underwater Olympics." Among the attendees were a hammerhead shark and an octopus complete with bendable pink tentacles.
Trunk and the Drama and Dance Department are now working to strengthen their relationship.
"Most important is opening the lines of communications between Trunk and the department so they understand how much they are respected and valued," said Grossman. Grossman attended a recent Trunk performance at a local school to get a better feel for the group. "We all thought it was important for me to see them in action," she said. "It was great to see the looks on kids' faces."
Traveling Treasure Trunk will perform at Read by the River on March 10 and at Kids' Day on April 13.
