Nov|Dec 2021
Volume 120, No. 2
Staying Power
From the Editor | Honoring a compact, theater’s return, anniversary reflections.
Letters
History repeated, and more.
Princess Power
Allison Erlikhman C’09 is all about empowering Disney’s princesses.
A Tangled Webb
Mike McElwain C’01 will be holding his breath for 14 days (metaphorically).
A Spiral of Injustice
Marc Bookman C’78 wants to kill the death penalty.
Compact Fulfilled
As Amy Gutmann enters the final months of her presidency—fresh off her second record-setting fundraising campaign and having steered the University through an unprecedented pandemic—we offer a look at some of the ways Penn has grown and changed as a result of her leadership and the vision she expressed 17 years ago in the Penn Compact. Plus: Rational Exuberance, an interview with the president.
Curtain Up!
After an 18-month hiatus, live theater has returned to the American stage. Alumni active in producing shows on Broadway and elsewhere reflect on the pandemic’s onset, its impact on them and their industry, and what the future holds.
“Things Look Different in Lamplight”
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the publication of The Chaneysville Incident, David Bradley C’72 (aka “The Author Of”) reflects on his acclaimed novel’s genesis and composition—and how the passage of time has made a historical fiction out of a work set in the present looking at the past.
Powering Through
$5.4 billion finish for the Power of Penn.
A Trio of Churchill Scholars
Three Churchill Scholars from Penn in Cambridge this year.
Collaboration and Change
“Your collaboration could one day change the world.”
Compelling Argument
Philadelphia’s case of compulsory vaccination (in 1991).
Showtime
Marquee Makeover: At 50, Annenberg becomes Penn Live Arts.
Plans for New Buildings and Centers
Some new buildings and centers on the way.
Out of the Shadows
Men’s basketball’s Jelani Williams has been counting the days.
Steve Dolan Named Penn Relays Director
Steve Dolan named new director of Penn Relays.
Standing Wide Open
“I never had a bad experience.”
Infinite Kombucha
Kombucha’s kick.
Disrupting the Paygrade
A worker’s place may not be in the home.
Arts Calendar
Nov|Dec 2021
Both Sides Now
Roberto Lugo’s God Complex at Arthur Ross Gallery.
The Painted Word
Martha Rich GFA’11’s It goes by fast at Annenberg.
The Seeker
Morgan Neville C’89 on Anthony Bourdain in Roadrunner.