Pool Theater
Residencies and Usage
The Adams Pool Theater has reopened after a two-and-a-half-year renewal project! The space is now available for use, and requests for the Pool Theater can be submitted using this form. Submissions are reviewed by the Theater Manager and House Administrator, and final approval is made by the Faculty Deans of Adams House.
The Pool
Adams House once had a swimming pool in its basement. Though now a theater, generations of Adams residents knew the Pool as the site of raucous parties, clothing-optional gatherings, and an open space for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people to express their identities. The Adams Pool provided space for personal expression and liberation even when the wider Harvard community did not. The Pool was eventually converted to a theater out of concern for the health and safety of House residents. Today, the space serves as a venue for student-led performances in residence, movie screenings, lectures, workshops, and art exhibitions.
Harvard University / YouTube
The Theater
Adams House is unique among the Houses in having a dedicated space for student‑led theatrical productions. The Adams Pool Theater is an artistic space, and its primary use is for artistic and performance‑based events. Requests to reserve the theater can be made using this form, and first priority will be given to artistic productions and events such as theater productions, concerts, comedy, poetry readings, film screenings, dance productions, and similar performances. Events that are strictly social or primarily meetings may be considered but will be lower priority and are likely to be directed to other reservable spaces in Adams House.
The Pool Theater does not accept or accommodate applications from faculty or staff unless they are affiliated with Adams House and have received prior permission from the Pool Theater Tutor. We also seek to preserve the character of the theater and look especially favorably on events that are student‑written or student‑devised, that use the space in unique, creative, and respectful ways, and that demonstrate respect for the residential environment and community.
Please note that an Adams House staff member or tutor must either be on site for the event or meet with at least one event organizer in advance to provide training on the theater’s technology and use of the space. No food or drink is permitted in the Pool Theater at any time. This is our first semester operating the Pool Theater in this way, and we are still shaping what programming will look like; we appreciate your flexibility and your interest in using this renewed and historic space.
Pool Theater Manager
The Adams Pool is managed by the Adams House Pool Theater tutor who screens applications, orients students, and provides access to the space. The Pool Theater tutor for Adams is Madeleine Woods.