Student Blog: Poo-Wah-Bahs - Francis Ford Coppola’s Lasting Impact on Hofstra’s Drama Department

Spend 15-minutes with a student from Hofstra University, specifically a theatre or communications student, and you’re likely to hear the name Francis Ford Coppola. Francis Ford Coppola is inarguably Hofstra’s most influential alumnus and is considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema, bringing forth extraordinary films such as “The Godfather” series, “The Outsiders” and "Apocalypse Now.” Because of Coppola’s notoriety within the film industry, it may come as a surprise that he actually studied theatre during his time at Hofstra, beginning his studies in 1956 on a playwriting scholarship. 

Coppola’s impact on our Drama Department cannot be overstated – merging two existing acting groups where he was president into Spectrum Players, an organization that still exists on-campus today, and enacting a rule that faculty could not direct student-run plays. Coppola’s work at Hofstra earned him three Dan H. Laurence Awards for direction and production, as well as a Beckerman Award for outstanding contributions to Hofstra’s theater arts program. He has attributed many of his filmmaking choices to the unique experience he had at Hofstra. 

The five-time Oscar Award-winner has left a lasting legacy on our theatre department not just through his advocacy for student-run works (faculty and staff still take a very hands-off approach to all student productions), but also as an integral ritual of our department: Poo-Wah-Bahs.

While it has quite a silly name, the tradition is anything but. Poo-Wah-Bahs occur right before performances and involve the cast and crew gathering in a circle, each member taking a turn to discuss their personal experience with the production. They conclude their turn by stating a meaningful word or phrase to sum up their experience, typically a line within the show. A number is selected at the beginning and the rest of the circle repeats the phrase as many times as selected. As each person states a new word/phrase, we repeat all of the phrases simultaneously. The ritual concludes with repeating “Poo-Wah-Bah” as many times as decided by the number in the beginning. 

Coppola began the tradition during his time at Hofstra in the late 1950s; nearly 70 years after his graduation, it is still an integral rite of passage for any Hofstra student involved in a department production. Coppola mentions the ritual in Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, a documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now, and his daughter, esteemed director Sofia Coppola, is seen leading her cast of Lost in Translation in the ritual during the documentary Lost on Location. 

The tradition feels so centralized to the Hofstra community, and I even feel slightly weird exposing it to the public in this writing, but the best part of Poo-Wah-Bahs is knowing that you are a part of something greater. It recognizes that each student within Hofstra’s Drama Department is part of a legacy that spans far beyond the specific period of time we attend this school. 

Poo-Wah-Bahs encapsulate everything that makes the Hofstra theatre community so special. The tradition asks you to slow down and recognize the work of each individual player, to honor the unique paths that brought us together and to articulate what we’re taking away from the experience. Whether you’re an underclassman stepping into your first department show or a senior preparing for your final bow on Hofstra’s stage, the tradition holds space for growth, vulnerability and gratitude. 

It’s humbling to think that this ritual began with Francis Ford Coppola himself. A generational filmmaker. A student advocating for student directors. In the four student-run shows I’ve been a part of – two with Spectrum Players and two within the department – I’ve watched directors grow alongside their actors, learning in real time how to lead with vision and humility. There is a camaraderie in these spaces that can only grow when everyone stands on equal footing and the creative process is truly communal. It is, at its core, what college theatre should be.

As I look toward next semester and my first faculty-directed production, Detroit ’67, I feel both the weight and the excitement of everything that has come before. This opportunity feels like a culmination of the work I’ve poured into my time at Hofstra, a chance to stretch myself as an artist within a deeply meaningful and historically rich story centered on the Black experience. Even after our first read-through, I can already tell that this show will challenge me in ways I never anticipated when I first stepped onto campus. When the moment comes for my Poo-Wah-Bah, I know I’ll have a great deal to say about growth, legacy, community and the unexpected gifts this department continues to give.

Tradition persists because it evolves with the people who carry it. I am honored to be one of those people, to stand in a circle that spans generations, and to add my voice – my own small phrase – to the chorus that began long before me and will continue long after I’m gone.

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra University Library Special Collections Department