ArtsEmerson In the News
WGBH | May 2020
Here Are The Winners Of The 38th Annual Elliot Norton Awards
Outstanding Actor, Large Theater Eric Berryman, “Detroit Red,” ArtsEmerson
Outstanding New Script “Detroit Red” by Will Power, ArtsEmerson
Boston Magazine | Apr 2020
Who Will Lead the Way? The 100 Most Influential People in Boston Right Now
David Howse: Since Howse took the helm in 2015, ArtsEmerson has continued to bolster its reputation as the beating heart of Boston’s cultural scene, transforming the Paramount and Cutler Majestic theaters into stages for provocative art from across the globe.
Dig Boston | Apr 2020
Boston Stage Actors Face Setbacks But Find Inspiration During Pandemic
ArtsEmerson Artistic Director David Dower said he hopes the challenges brought by coronavirus may give people an occasion to find inspiration. “Sometimes these dark moments are what bring out the light,” Dower said.
The Boston Globe | Apr 2020
Playwrights are adapting to the change of scenery
ArtsEmerson is now streaming performances it had previously presented onstage in a series called “Together Apart: Explore New Worlds From Your Home.”
Wicked Local | Apr 2020
Nominees for Elliot Norton theater awards announced
Outstanding Production, Large Theater: “Detroit Red,” ArtsEmerson
Outstanding Direction, Large Theater: “Detroit Red,” ArtsEmerson
Outstanding Actor, Large Theater: Eric Berryman, “Detroit Red,” ArtsEmerson
Outstanding New Script: “Detroit Red” by Will Power, ArtsEmerson
Outstanding Design, Large Theater: “Detroit Red,” ArtsEmerson, Scenic and costume design by Adam Rigg; lighting design by Alan C. Edwards; sound design by Justin Ellington; projection design by Ari Herzig
Broadway World | Apr 2020
Regional Spotlight: How ArtsEmerson is Working Through The Global Health Crisis
ArtsEmerson has launched its newest digital initiative, Together Apart: Explore New Worlds from Your Home, a curated series of performances previously presented by the organization in Boston, as well as new video conversations with bold and imaginative artists associated with those creations.
WCVB-TV “Chronicle” | Feb 2020
ArtsEmerson describes its unique theater programming as “interventionist.”
WBUR, The ARTery | Jan 2020
12 Productions To See On Stage This Winter
- 'The Shadow Whose Prey The Hunter Becomes'
- 'Detroit Red'
Comcast Newsmakers | Nov 2019
Connecting People Through The Arts with David Howse of ArtsEmerson
ArtsEmerson puts the world on stage and screen to help us understand our world, celebrate our place in it and explore how we each can contribute to its transformation. ArtsEmerson Executive Director, David Howse, explains the humanity within the Arts.
Comcast Newsmakers | Oct 2019
Diverse Arts For Diverse Boston with David Dower of ArtsEmerson
ArtsEmerson, Boston's leading presenter of contemporary world theatre, provokes conversations and connections with each other by celebrating diversity. Artistic Director, David Dower, shares about bringing diverse performances to a diverse audience.
Bay State Banner | Oct 2019
Play Reading Book Club builds bridges among Boston’s segregated neighborhoods
For the past six seasons, ArtsEmerson has quietly and effectively been bringing theater and theater education into communities around Boston through its Play Reading Book Club program.
WBUR, The ARTery | Oct 2019
How ArtsEmerson Serves As A Model For Equity In The Arts
ArtsEmerson has not only filled a void in the cultural ecosystem with new work, it has also emerged as a model of how to do the internal, uncomfortable work of attempting to reform systemic inequalities in the arts.
Broadway World | Sep 2019
ArtsEmerson Announces 2019/20 Play Reading Book Clubs
ArtsEmerson, Boston's leading presenter of contemporary world theatre, proudly announces that registration is now open for its wildly popular, Play Reading Book Club (PRBC). This pioneering theatre literacy and community education program deepens the theater-going experience by offering unique and radical access to scripts, artists, and conversations featured at ArtsEmerson, while expanding the social networks of its participants.
The Boston Herald | Sep 2019
ArtsEmerson celebrates 10 years of global theater
Before the launch of ArtsEmerson a decade ago, Boston already had a robust theater scene. We sent productions to Broadway (and touring Broadway productions often hit us first); half a dozen local companies made for a busy, diverse and groundbreaking calendar. Yet, the ArtsEmerson initiative found a nice — and surprisingly large — niche.
WBUR, The ARTery | May 2019
Racism At The MFA Doesn't Shock Me. I Grew Up In Boston
There are some cultural institutions in this city like the Children’s Museum and ArtsEmerson, which have made inclusion central to their missions and have spent years doing real work to ensure their work faces and invites historically underrepresented communities.
TheaterMania | May 2019
Winners Announced for 2019 Elliot Norton Awards
This year's winning productions included Cheek by Jowl and Pushkin Theatre Moscow's Measure for Measure for Outstanding Visiting Production;
Broadway World | May 2019
ArtsEmerson Announces Its 10th Anniversary Season
ArtsEmerson, Boston's leading presenter of contemporary world theatre, proudly announces its 10th Anniversary Season featuring five new commissioned works and five reprises from six different countries. The 2019/20 season continues ArtsEmerson's commitment to international work and to contemporary artistic forms including circus, mixed media, music theatre and first person narrative all from diverse perspectives.
The Boston Globe | May 2019
Play about Malcolm X’s Boston years set for 2019-20 season at ArtsEmerson
The Boston chapter of Malcolm X’s life is the subject of “Detroit Red", which shapes up as a cornerstone of ArtsEmerson’s 10th season. “Detroit Red’’ will be one of five new works, to go along with five returning shows, that will make up ArtsEmerson’s 2019-20 season.
The Improper Bostonian | Apr 2019
ArtsEmerson held its third annual The World Alive! Celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel on March 7. Partygoers enjoyed performances by African jazz vocalist Somi and circus members from Montreal’s The 7 Fingers during the cocktail hour and dinner. The 185 guests raised more than $100,000 for ArtsEmerson while honoring the late philanthropist Ted Cutler as well as some of the organization’s top volunteers.
Edge Media Network | Dec 2018
Best of Boston Theater: 2018 Edition
WET — ArtsEmerson brought Alex Alpharaoh's one-man show about the realities of his life as an American without papers and helped to humanize the ongoing political debate.
The White Card - Co-produced by ArtsEmerson and American Repertory Theater, the world premiere of Claudia Rankine's book was a challenging, timely, and necessary work that deserved both our undivided attention and praise.
The Arts Fuse | Dec 2018
Theater Feature: Best Stage Productions of 2018
WET: A DACAmented Journey, written and performed by Alex Alpharaoh. Presented by ArtsEmerson, Boston,MA.
In his one-act monologue, which reflects today’s headlines, actor/writer Alpharaoh recounts his battle to obtain citizenship, a difficult (and perilous) process faced by most Central Americans seeking asylum in a politically fractured United States. His superb performance dramatized the experience’s sorrow, bravery, heartache, and limited moments of triumph.
Ada/Ava, written and performed by Manual Cinema. Directed by Drew Dir. Score and Sound Design by Kyle Vegter and Ben Kauffman.
The Manual Cinema staging presented by ArtsEmerson at Emerson Paramount Center’s Robert J. Orchard Stage. An inspired re-invention of silent cinema/animation, as well as a refreshing modernization of the venerable art of shadow puppetry.
DIG BOSTON | Dec 2018
Best of Boston Theater: 2018 Edition
Measure for Measure, Cheek By Jowl/Pushkin Theatre at ArtsEmerson: One of Shakespeare’s notorious problem plays was rendered practically perfect in this sleek and stylish production by Declan Donnellan. Breathless, stark, and vividly moving, this production was flat-out electric.
The Boston Globe | Dec 2018
Don Aucoin’s Top 10 in theater in 2018
“Measure for Measure" Pushkin Theatre Moscow and Cheek by Jowl, presented by ArtsEmerson“The Peculiar Patriot" National Black Theatre and Hi-Arts, presented by ArtsEmerson
WBUR, THE ARTERY | Dec 2018
The Best Theater 2018 Brought To Boston's Stages
ArtsEmerson-presented “The Peculiar Patriot,” a shout-out to disproportionate number of African-Americans who are incarcerated, the urgent concerns of people of color have been addressed...and in “WET: A DACAmented Journey,” a talented Dreamer told his piercingly human story.
Wicked Local | May 2018
Scituate Public Schools to host performance on diversity, hope and cultural identity
Scituate Public Schools, in partnership with METCO and ArtsEmerson, will host a performance of ‘Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour’ on Tuesday, May 8 at the Scituate Center for the Performing Arts.
The Boston Globe | May 2018
Many Mass. arts organizations to benefit from Barr Foundation initiative
James Canales, president and trustee of the Barr Foundation, said the initiative would enable the foundation and its partners “to come together and elevate a set of issues fundamental to the arts — excellence, relevance, risk-taking, and civic leadership — and to better understand how these concepts mesh to create new impact in communities.”
On The Blog | Apr 2018
ArtsEmerson Announces Deborah Smith as Senior Development Officer
ArtsEmerson proudly announces that Deborah Smith will serve as its new Senior Development Officer. She started in March and comes to ArtsEmerson after serving at both CitiGroup and State Street.
The Boston Globe | Dec 2017
Put the spotlight on arts in Boston’s conversation on race
By David C. Howse and David Dower
The Spotlight series on racism in Boston lays out painful truths that too many of us would prefer to deny or deflect. An additional chapter could be written on the arts sector.
Edge Media Network | Dec 2017
Clinton Campbell's Top Ten for Boston Theater 2017
"Beauty Queen of Leenane" - Druid Theatre Company's 20th anniversary production performed at ArtsEmerson reunited Tony winning director Garry Hynes with Best Actress winner Marie Mullen, who this time took on the role of the despotic mother. It was an evening of fireworks.
On The Blog | Oct 2017
ArtsEmerson's 2nd Annual World Alive! Celebration Benefits New Gaining Ground Fund
On October 11th, we gathered for the 2nd annual World Alive! Celebration. This year, donors came together to support the recently launched Gaining Ground Fund – a newly established resource that allows us to more readily support artists whose work reflects the African Diasporic experience in America.
Frieze.com | Oct 2017
Rankine’s current project is The White Card, a play she is writing with dramaturge P. Carl, which was motivated by ‘the desire to have a conversation that kept going, and nobody slammed the door’.
The Boston Globe | Oct 2017
ArtsEmerson’s P. Carl awarded prestigious fellowship
P. Carl, the co-artistic director of ArtsEmerson, is one of 25 artists and cultural leaders awarded “Art of Change’’ fellowships by the Ford Foundation.
The Boston Globe | Sep 2017
‘We choose: hope, love, respect,’ Paramount Theatre marquee says
One message on the Paramount Theatre marquee: “When hate is allowed to flourish, it threatens everyone’s freedom,” which was attributed to Emerson president Lee Pelton.
The Boston Globe | Aug 2017
Screens and screams (and stages)
Next month, ArtsEmerson launches its latest “Stage to Screen” series featuring a lineup that includes the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre Live, the Old Vic, Stratford Festival, and Stage Russia.
The Boston Globe | Jul 2017
Speaking volumes onstage, often without words
ArtsEmerson, one of the most prominent presenting organizations in the city, opened last season with two consecutive circus productions and will kick off its 2017/2018 season in September at the Cutler Majestic Theatre with the US premiere of “Reversible," by the Montreal-based circus troupe Les 7 Doigts de la Main.
WBUR, The ARTery | Jul 2017
Trump's Call For 'Heightened Vetting' May Be Affecting International Artists, Lawyers Say
"We're not naive about the fact that it may cause us challenges ahead. But the larger challenge would be to start to walk away from our own values and what we know to be important in our community." - David Dower
The Boston Globe | May 2017
New Rankine play to highlight ArtsEmerson season dedicated to Cutler
Founded in 2010 by Robert J. Orchard, ArtsEmerson is a presenting and producing organization that operates under the auspices of Emerson College and presents shows at two theaters housed within the Paramount Center (one of them named after Orchard) as well as at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, also owned by Emerson.
The Boston Globe | Sep 2016
The Boston Globe | Sep 2016
ArtsEmerson renames Paramount stage to honor founding director Orchard
Emerson College Thursday announced the Paramount Theatre Mainstage will be renamed the Robert J. Orchard Stage in honor of the retired founding director of ArtsEmerson and creator of its “The World on Stage” program.
The Boston Globe | Jul 2016
Thrilling circus show ‘Cuisine & Confessions’ is a captivating meal
Innovative and challenging productions have made ArtsEmerson...an indispensable force on the performing arts landscape
Bay State Banner | Jul 2016
Dinner and a show - ArtsEmerson serves up a culinary circus experience
ArtsEmerson has established itself in recent years as a purveyor of the new and unique.
The Boston Globe | Apr 2016
Circuses, operas, Melinda Lopez premiere in store at ArtsEmerson
In its 2016-17 season, announced Monday evening, ArtsEmerson will present new works by several theater artists who have previously made memorable appearances on the organization’s stages, while also providing a showcase for an opera trilogy and a new solo play by Boston dramatist-actress Melinda Lopez.
Boston Magazine | DEC 2015
Best of Boston: Best Theatre in Boston
ArtsEmerson certainly brings the world to its stages. Most impressive, ArtsEmerson realizes its global vision while remaining audience-focused and community-centric.
Edge Media Network | NOV 2015
ArtsEmerson continues to push the boundaries of what to expect out of them
White Rhino Report | NOV 2015
It is like nothing else I have seen before - which is something I often find myself thinking and saying when I drink at the rich fountain of ArtsEmerson's offerings.
WBUR, The ARTery | DEC 2013
Rob Orchard and David Dower have, in four years, made ArtsEmerson one of the most important cultural institutions in New England.