Last week, staff members of The Center for the Performing Arts were posted in strategic positions across the first floor of the HUB-Robeson Center. Equipped with hot pink fliers, their mission was to inform students of the list of performers scheduled to take the stages of the Eisenhower and Schwab auditoriums this season.

The list of performers is perhaps most engraved in the memory of Susan Stockton, who, as the CPA's executive director, is responsible for developing the 2001-02 cultural events season.

Joining forces with the community advisory council, comprised of one Penn State student and several community members, Stockton was faced with the challenge of selecting this season's performers. As she flipped through lists of artists on tour and kept abreast of the hottest performing arts acts, she kept one guiding principle in mind.

"We try to find artists who are able to engage the beginner and educate the enthusiast," Stockton said.

According to Stockton, over one-third of the community she serves is comprised of students, a fact that she said has shaped this year's list of performers.

"Students like Broadway acts and the jazz program, but we are also interested in introducing them to things they may not know about, like classical music," she said. "We want to get people who may not have been exposed to performing arts interested, and at the same time, engage those who are avid lovers of the arts."

Stockton takes pride in the racial, ethnic and international diversity this year's itinerary offers.

The curtains of the Eisenhower Auditorium were set to open at 7:45 p.m. tomorrow with Gregory Hines and Mary Cleere Haran kicking off the 2001-02 season, however the CPA announced Wednesday that the performance had been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 24. An e-mail message sent from the CPA on Wednesday said, "In consideration of the recent acts of terrorism and after consultation with Gregory Hines and Mary Cleere Haran, the Center for the Performing Arts and the artists' managements have mutually agreed to reschedule."

Current performance tickets will be honored, and patrons with tickets who cannot attend the Oct. 24 performance may return them to the Arts Ticket Center at Eisenhower Auditorium for a refund. The refund deadline is Sept. 21.

Hines, a nationally recognized tap dancer, comedian, and television star will share his first love, dance, with audience members.

"I always come back to dance. That's what I do. It's who I am. My intention is to dance until I can't anymore," Hines said in a press release.

Laura Sullivan, who just joined the staff of the CPA this year as public relations agent, seems giddy about Hines' appearance.

"He does it all. He is the ultimate entertainer. And that's what this season is all about. We tried to include a little bit of everything," Sullivan said.

With increased funding from the University Park Allocations Committee, the center intends to reach out to a greater volume of students. The money is devoted to expanding special marketing campaigns directed specifically at the student population.

The pink fliers that were handed out last week were part of one such campaign.

Beginning Sept. 5, ticket prices for students were nearly chopped in half.

Another benefit for students is that tickets for performances can now be picked up at the new ticket center outlet at the HUB Information Desk, and parking in the Eisenhower Parking Deck will now be free for events.

Other features implemented this year will bring students in closer contact with the artists.

"We are offering symposiums and residency programs which will provide casual opportunities to meet performers," Stockton said.

Members of the prestigious National Ballet of China, scheduled to appear at 8 p.m. on Sept. 29, will filter into the HUB-Robeson Center to chat with fans, students and community members prior to their performance later that night.

Exactly one hour before each performance (with the exception of Hines and Forever Young events) an artist or local expert will engage in a discussion with the audience members, sharing unique artistic and professional viewpoints.

"Each performance is different and each performer has unique requirements," said the CPA's events director involved in production, Lea Asbell-Swanger.

Meeting the demands of performers is what keeps Asbell-Swanger, and the CPA's staff, comprised of over 200 students, on their toes.

The extensive work that goes into the production of the CPA's events will remain unexposed to audience members, as perhaps it is meant to be. To those sitting in the auditorium seats, a performance should seem effortless, but in fact, countless of hours of preparation go into setting up lights, bringing in props — all the things that make a performance appear seamless.

"Some companies, such as the traveling Broadway Company that performs Rent, bring there own equipment to the center. Other events require special lighting. Sometimes we have to rent equipment for certain performances," said the CPA's events director involved in production, Lea Asbell-Swanger.