ArtsEmerson.org
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023/24
We open our season with Little Amal, the global phenomenon that has become a symbol of hope and resilience. This remarkable 12-foot-tall puppet represents a young Syrian refugee girl on a sprawling journey, reminding us of our shared humanity and the importance of compassion and empathy. She begins her walk across America with us in Boston! We’ll also proudly showcase a range of captivating productions that delve into the depths of the human experience. We Are the Land is an Indigenous re-storying of 400 years of history, and The Book of Life brings joy center stage with Kiki Katese’s stunning storytelling amplified by the internationally acclaimed Ingoma Nshya, the firstever Women Drummers of Rwanda. Experience the thrilling true story behind the famous spy in The Real James Bond…was Dominican, shedding light on Porfirio Rubirosa’s extraordinary and rakish life. These are but a few shows that will activate our stages; this brochure invites you into all eight events and we hope you’ll agree that this is a Season filled with must-see theater! ArtsEmerson embraces and celebrates the profound impact of the arts and invites you to join our community. Immerse yourself in powerful performances, engage with us in conversation, and revel in the impact these experiences have on our hearts, our minds, and our city. Our theaters are an inclusive space where everyone belongs. It’s a place to hear your own story, connect with the stories of others, and leave with new stories to share. This is your theater for our collective stories. Join us for what promises to be another impactful Season! Thank you for your support. We look forward to seeing you in the theater!
David C. Howse
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Ronee Penoi
RONEE PENOI | PHOTO CREDIT: AMBER WILKIE
Get ready for a powerful journey filled with exceptional storytelling and boundary-pushing performances from 6 countries around the world. This season prompts us to engage in radical welcome, look anew at the stories of our heroes of today and the past, and to find awe, wonder, and connection. At ArtsEmerson, we are pleased to welcome you to a wide-ranging, thought-provoking, and inspiring season that fosters meaningful connections with and amongst our audiences.
DAVID C. HOWSE | PHOTO CREDIT: ASIA KEPKA
Welcome to the ArtsEmerson 2023/24 Season!
SEP 07, 2023
Little Amal The Walk Productions in association with Handspring Puppet Company / From UK Amal Walks Across America. One Little Girl. One Big Hope.
SEP 29—30, 2023
We Are the Land Wampanoag Nation / From Wampanoag Nation Experience the story of four centuries of the Wampanoag People in this beautiful pageant filled with song, dance, and spoken word.
OCT 18—22, 2023
The Book of Life
Volcano Theatre / From Canada & Rwanda Hope, harmony, and a vision of peace from Rwandan voices.
NOV 08—12, 2023
The Real James Bond... was Dominican DNAWORKS / From USA The real inspiration for 007 is revealed in this one-of-a-kind show.
JAN 23—28, 2024
Moby Dick Plexus Polaire / From Norway The classic story told anew in this radiant visual feast.
FEB 07—18, 2024
Duel Reality The 7 Fingers / From Canada The triumphant return of The 7 Fingers circus troupe with an acrobatic tour-de-force inspired by the star-crossed tale of the Montagues and Capulets.
MAR 27—APR 07, 2024
Mrs. Krishnan’s Party Indian Ink Theatre Company / From New Zealand Mrs. Krishnan is throwing an immersive, theatrical party like no other, and YOU’RE invited.
APR 19—21, 2024
Book of Mountains and Seas Huang Ruo & Basil Twist / From USA
Chinese creation myths come to life with larger than life puppetry and a polyphonic chorus in this breathtaking theatrical event.
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“One of the most AMBITIOUS live artworks ever staged.”
SEP 07
— The Observer
LITTLE AMAL THE WALK PRODUCTIONS IN ASSOCIATION WITH HANDSPRING PUPPET COMPANY
From UK
All ages
Free Event
For location and run time please visit ArtsEmerson.org
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PHOTO CREDIT: RACHEL PAPO
Little Amal is a 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl who has traveled across 13 countries meeting more than a million people, and watched by tens of millions more online. This fall, she will journey 6,000 miles across the United States in one of the largest free public festivals ever created. 35 towns and cities from Boston to San Diego and 1,000+ artists and arts organizations will create 100+ events to welcome her. Amal’s journeys of art and hope celebrate the rich stories of refugees, immigrants and displaced people, and the communities that welcome them. Everyone is welcome to walk with Amal.
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“A once in a lifetime experience.”
SEP 29—30
— Holly Wigmore, The Doughnut UK
WE ARE THE LAND WAMPANOAG NATION
from Wampanoag Nation
1 hour 15 minutes
6
10+
Tickets start at $25
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
PHOTO CREDIT: DOM MOORE PHOTOGRAPHY
Experience the story of four centuries of the Wampanoag People in this beautiful play filled with song, dance, and spoken word. The Wampanoag people have been stewarding their land for over 10,000 years across several eastern states, including Massachusetts. After colonization, their voice was silenced. We Are The Land is part pageant, part play, where audiences will hear directly from Wampanoag people telling their story of their relationship to the soil, how it was taken away, and how the nation has re-established themselves in a way that both honors their ancestors and looks toward the future. In collaboration with a multi-talented cast of Wampanoag artists, actors, historians and storytellers, Mashpee Wampanoag tribal members, Siobhan Brown, Hartman Deetz and Kitty Hendricks have brought this incredible event to fruition. After its premiere in Plymouth, UK, We Are the Land comes to Boston for a very special two performance engagement.
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“A sweet-tempered testament to the POWER OF STORY.”
★★★★
OCT 18—22
— The Guardian
THE BOOK OF LIFE
VOLCANO (CANADA) & THE WOMAN CULTURAL CENTRE (RWANDA)
From Canada & Rwanda
1 hour 25 minutes
8
10+
Tickets start at $25
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
PHOTO CREDIT: JON DAVEY
Hope, harmony, and a vision of peace from Rwandan voices. In 2019, a group of Rwandan and Canadian artists came together in Kigali to develop a show about recovery from trauma. Combining original music from Ingoma Nshya—Rwanda’s first ever women’s drumming group—an extraordinary collection of letters written by ordinary Rwandans, the wisdom of Kiki Katese, and a story about talking animals, the profound result is called The Book of Life. As Kiki Katese explains: “We still have the possibility of undoing the genocide in some small way, to bridge the hole that’s been left, not with bones or the clothes they wore when they died, but with their lives. The dinners. The lovers. The dates. The joy. How do we undo the un-undoable? We let them live again.” At a time when our world is racked with tragedy, hatred and struggle, The Book of Life offers real, tangible hope, unlocking life after trauma, and finding a humane way forward. Join us this fall for this remarkable show with its sights set on a more just and peaceful future. Support for this production of the Book of Life has been provided by: The Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Kingfisher Foundation.
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“Pumped full of the most AMAZING STORIES [and] chalk full of humor and depth.”
NOV 08—12
— The Column Online
THE REAL JAMES BOND... WAS DOMINICAN DNAWORKS
1 hour 10 minutes
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from USA
Tickets start at $25
14+
Emerson Paramount Center, Robert J. Orchard Stage
PHOTO CREDIT: LAURA BUSTILLOS JAQUEZ
The real inspiration for 007 is revealed in this one-of-a-kind show. What happens when a James Bond-obsessed Dominican boy in Queens (who won’t go anywhere without his nerf gun), finds out that the real James Bond was Dominican? Learning that Bond creator Ian Fleming drew upon the life and career of Porfirio Rubirosa—a Dominican diplomat, international polo champion, race-car driver, pilot, and spy— as the inspiration for the classic 007 character shook performer Christopher Rivas’ very foundation and set him on a quest to find his true self. Join Chris as he digs deeper into the world of Bond, its inspiration, and what it meant to him as an actor in Hollywood. Before Connery and Craig, there was Rubirosa. Developed with and Directed by Daniel Banks. Don’t miss the Boston premiere of The Real James Bond…Was Dominican.
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“A stunning work of art.”
JAN 23—28
— The New York Times
MOBY DICK PLEXUS POLAIRE
1 hour 25 minutes
12
From Norway
Tickets start at $25
14+
Emerson Paramount Center, Robert J. Orchard Stage
PHOTO CREDIT: CHRISTOPHE RAYNAUD DE LAGE
The classic story told anew in this radiant visual feast. Herman Melville’s immeasurably influential novel is brought to life in this radiant stage production featuring seven actors, fifty puppets, video projections, a drowned orchestra and a life-sized whale. Renowned director Yngvild Aspeli stages this eye-popping visual adaptation of Melville’s classic book with the help of the endlessly inventive Norwegian theater company, Plexus Polaire. Moby Dick is, on its surface, the simple tale of a whaling expedition, but the story’s haunting themes of unparalleled obsession lead us all to question the unexplained mysteries of life and of the human heart. In this groundbreaking production, the classic is reborn with a freshness and urgency that makes it truly unforgettable.
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U.S. PREMIERE!
“I have no word for how SPECTACULAR Duel Reality was.”
FEB 07—18
— @cruisewithamber
DUEL REALITY THE 7 FINGERS
Originally produced and created with
from Canada
VIRGIN VOYAGES 1 hour 15 minutes
14
All Ages
Tickets start at $25
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
PHOTO CREDIT: EINAR KLING ODENCRANTS
The triumphant return of The 7 Fingers circus troupe with an acrobatic tour-de-force inspired by the star-crossed tale of the Montagues and Capulets. Welcome to Circus on a whole new theatrical level. The 7 Fingers’ reputation and fandom in Boston has grown with each stunning production they’ve previously brought to ArtsEmerson. Now, the globally beloved contemporary Circus troupe brings their 7th show to our stages, an epic love story that echoes Romeo & Juliet and will dazzle the senses and stir the heart. Competition can be playful at times, but it can also be dangerously serious. Is it a game? Is it a war? Is it love? Duel Reality has all the answers. Past productions by The 7 Fingers in Boston include Passengers (2019), Reversible (2017), Cuisine & Confessions (2016/17), Traces (2014/15), Sequence 8 (2012/13) and PSY (2010/11).
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MAR 27—APR 07
MRS. KRISHNAN’S PARTY INDIAN INK THEATRE COMPANY
1 hour 15 minutes
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From New Zealand
Tickets start at $25
10+
Emerson Paramount Center, Robert J. Orchard Stage
— Waikato Times Mrs. Krishnan is throwing an immersive, theatrical party like no other, and YOU’RE invited. Mrs. Krishnan is renting an apartment to a larger-than-life DJ, James. James has invited a few friends into the back room of Mrs. Krishnan’s corner shop as a special surprise to celebrate Onam—an ancient Hindu festival of Kerala that celebrates rice harvest—and the return home of her son. But when dozens and dozens of strangers turn up (you, the audience), Mrs. K has no choice but to throw the party of her life! This is an immersive experience like no other; join the party with music, dancing, and more. Watch as the cast juggles cooking, music, and welcoming guests in an unfolding drama where no two performances are ever the same. Performers Kalyani Nagarajan and Justin Rogers have reviewers and audiences singing their praises and leaping to their feet in appreciation at the end of the party. From Indian Ink Theatre Company comes this utterly disarming new comedy that celebrates life, death, and rebirth. It’s joyous. It’s heart-warming. It’s Mrs. Krishnan’s Party.
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PHOTO CREDIT: NIMMY SANTHOSH
“So different, so original, so creatively fresh and so much fun no one wanted to go home.”
APR 19—21
BOOK OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS HUANG RUO & BASIL TWIST PRODUCED BY BETH MORRISON PROJECTS
1 hour 15 minutes
18
from USA
Tickets start at $25
14+
Emerson Paramount Center, Robert J. Orchard Stage
“An exquisite masterpiece of suggestion, an immersive tapestry of sound and image .”
PHOTO CREDIT: TEDDY WOLFF
— Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal
Chinese creation myths come to life with larger than life puppetry and a polyphonic chorus in this breathtaking theatrical event. Book of Mountains and Seas is a daring, new work by award-winning composer Huang Ruo and MacArthur Fellow puppeteer/artist Basil Twist. In this pitch perfect collaboration, the show takes on ancient Chinese creation myths—first transcribed in the 4th Century BC—which are strikingly relevant to our current climate change emergency. An ensemble of massive puppets, as beautiful as they are intimidating, and the chorus of Ars Nova Copenhagen harness music and a stunning visual tableaux to offer a portrait of the natural world and our vital, yet tenuous, relationship to it. Basil Twist is a third-generation puppeteer and object theater artist, renowned globally for his visionary adaptations of opera, dance, and theater. Chinese-born American composer Huang Ruo has been called “one of the world’s leading young composers” and was formerly Composer in Residence at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
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FILM ArtsEmerson’s film programming invites everyone to engage in a more contemporary narrative of Boston as a truly global city. In addition to hosting film festivals such as the Roxbury International Film Festival, CineFest Latino Boston, Wicked Queer, Baltic Film Festival, and Boston Asian American Festival, we also present recurring series through the season, such as Emerson’s own Bright Lights Film Series presented by the Visual and Media Arts Department. It all happens at the Bright Family Screening Room inside the Paramount Center in downtown Boston.
PROJECTING CONNECTIONS: CHINESE AMERICAN EXPERIENCES uses film as a lens to reflect on the vast lived experiences of the Chinese community in the Greater Boston Area. This special series features films and post-show discussions designed to build and foster meaningful community conversation.
Through our programming and partnerships, we support community through cinema.
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SHARED STORIES is a monthly film series in collaboration with the Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), CineFest Latino Boston, and the Roxbury International Film Festival (RoxFilm) seeking to build community, shared conversation, and experiences through cinema. The series aspires to create a shared space to find commonality across experiences, and encourage the exchange of stories and ideas.
Join our mailing list and be the first to know about these incredible programs!
ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
At ArtsEmerson, art is the provocation and conversation is the point.
PLAY READING BOOK CLUBS PRBCs take a play outside the four walls of a theater and provide unique and radical access to the script, artists, and conversation. Over the course of several weeks, participants explore the play from multiple angles. Trained teaching artists, many from the Emerson College Masters in Theatre Education program, facilitate and work with the group. PRBCs offer participants a rare opportunity to meet new people and expand their social and cultural networks—all at no cost.
WELCOME TO BOSTON CAST PARTIES Instead of making cast parties an exclusive/exclusionary event, ArtsEmerson has reinvented them as inspirational, inclusive gatherings. Our visiting artists from around the country and the world are welcomed to Boston with special performances by local poets, vocalists, dancers, actors and entertainers before sharing a sneak peek of their own work. Rooted in the tradition of visionary arts leader, humanist, Roxbury native, and Emerson college alumna Ms. Elma Lewis, the cast parties are co-hosted by neighborhood organizations around the city.
THE POINT At ArtsEmerson, the art is the provocation; conversation is the point. The Point is a conversation series that invites audiences to explore big questions in intimate settings. Hosted by a member of the ArtsEmerson team, local and national luminaries will offer their points of view on the urgent questions raised by the artists on our stages.
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PHOTO CREDIT: RANDALL GARNICK
OUR STORY
Mission We engage all communities through stories that reveal and deepen our connection to each other. By cultivating diversity in the art and in the audience, we ignite public conversation around our most vexing societal challenges as a catalyst for overcoming them.
Vision A thriving world where art ignites empathy for ourselves and each other.
Our History ArtsEmerson is the professional presenting and producing organization at Emerson College, based in the heart of downtown Boston. Founded in 2010—the year the U.S. Census confirmed there was no single cultural majority in Boston—we set out to foster positive change in this historically segregated city. We did not see this change as a byproduct of the work, but rather, as the primary purpose. ArtsEmerson aims to tear down traditional cultural divisions and invest in a vibrant, connected Boston. Our initial seasons focused on building a world-class cultural institution, raising awareness of our existence and work, and forging a reputation for artistic excellence. In 2013 we expanded our focus through a variety of civic engagement activities, setting out to become an effective partner in Boston’s efforts to foster social cohesion. ArtsEmerson was first named “Boston’s Best Theater” by Boston Magazine following its 2012/13 season. When naming ArtsEmerson “Boston’s Best Theater” again in 2015, Boston Magazine wrote, “Most impressive, ArtsEmerson realizes its global vision while remaining audience-focused and community-centric.” In 2019 WBUR recognized ArtsEmerson as a “A Model For Equity In The Arts”, stating, “From its inception, ArtsEmerson has instituted programs at the intersection of civic dialogue and artistic exploration that have expanded its audience and engaged communities that arts organizations have historically ignored.” Since then, we have worked to build diverse audiences that reflect Boston as a whole. While borders, intolerance, and isolation may try to separate, art and conversation connects people over differences. Through the lens of contemporary works from around the globe, audiences throughout the city are inspired to reflect on what’s happening here at home and in the larger world. In this way, we all step into someone else’s shoes and engage with questions of equity and justice. Our globe-spanning theatrical performances, films, and public dialogues invites each of us to be part of a Boston that is more creative, equitable, and connected. We hope that you will join us.
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MAKE AN IMPACT The 23/24 Season is here and we couldn’t be more excited! Join us as we showcase international theater, Gaining Ground funded projects, and collaborations with Indigenous artists—partnerships that are both urgent and overdue. We are so proud to do this work, but we are only able to make it all possible with YOUR help.
“The arts invite us to BE CURIOUS, to reflect, and to reimagine.” — David C. Howse, Executive Director
Gifts to ArtsEmerson are critical to our mission as ticket sales only cover part of our funding needs.
You can support our work by making a tax-deductible gift to ArtsEmerson today! Scan the QR code below to give online and support the fund that’s most meaningful to you or add on a gift with your ticket purchase or subscription today!
For more information Email: shannon_worthington@emerson.edu
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SEASON PACKAGES
THE BEST SEATS AT THE LOWEST PRICES!
FULL SEASON / SAVE 35% PREMIUM FLEXIBILITY ALL UPCOMING SHOWS FROM AS LOW AS $132.75 You choose the dates you want to attend.
CHOOSE 4 / SAVE 20% LOWEST PRICE ANY 4 SHOWS FROM AS LOW AS $99 TOTAL! Pick your shows and dates with no restrictions.
THREE WAYS TO BUY: PHONE 617.824.8400 ONLINE ArtsEmerson.org IN PERSON Emerson Paramount Center Box Office
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ArtsEmerson offers ASL Interpreted, Audio Described, and Sensory Friendly programming at designated performances throughout the year. All venues are fully accessible and assisted listening devices are available.
☐ FRI, SEP 29 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, SEP 30 AT 2PM
THE BOOK OF LIFE
☐ WED, OCT 18 AT 7:30PM ☐ THU, OCT 19 AT 7:30PM ☐ FRI, OCT 20 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, OCT 21 AT 2PM ☐ SAT, OCT 21 AT 8PM ☐ SUN, OCT 22 AT 2PM
THE REAL JAMES BOND... WAS DOMINICAN ☐ WED, NOV 08 AT 7:30PM ☐ THU, NOV 09 AT 7:30PM ☐ FRI, NOV 10 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, NOV 11 AT 2PM ☐ SAT, NOV 11 AT 8PM ☐ SUN, NOV 12 AT 2PM
MOBY DICK
☐ TUE, JAN 23 AT 7:30PM ☐ WED, JAN 24 AT 7:30PM ☐ THU, JAN 25 AT 7:30PM ☐ FRI, JAN 26 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, JAN 27 AT 2PM ☐ SAT, JAN 27 AT 8PM ☐ SUN, JAN 28 AT 2PM
Single tickets for We Are The Land, The Book Of Life, The Real James Bond... was Dominican, and Moby Dick available to the public August 15th, 2023.
DUEL REALITY
☐ WED, FEB 07 AT 7:30PM ☐ THU, FEB 08 AT 7:30PM ☐ FRI, FEB 09 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, FEB 10 AT 2PM ☐ SAT, FEB 10 AT 8PM ☐ SUN, FEB 11 AT 2PM ☐ WED, FEB 14 AT 7:30PM ☐ THU, FEB 15 AT 7:30PM ☐ FRI, FEB 16 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, FEB 17 AT 2PM ☐ SAT, FEB 17 AT 8PM ☐ SUN, FEB 18 AT 2PM
PERFORMANCE DATES
WE ARE THE LAND
MRS. KRISHNAN’S PARTY ☐ WED, MAR 27 AT 7:30PM ☐ THU, MAR 28 AT 7:30PM ☐ FRI, MAR 29 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, MAR 30 AT 2PM ☐ SAT, MAR 30 AT 8PM ☐ TUE, APR 02 AT 7:30PM ☐ WED, APR 03 AT 7:30PM ☐ THU, APR 04 AT 7:30PM ☐ FRI, APR 05 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, APR 06 AT 2PM ☐ SAT, APR 06 AT 8PM ☐ SUN, APR 07 AT 2PM
BOOK OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS ☐ FRI, APR 19 AT 8PM ☐ SAT, APR 20 AT 8PM ☐ SUN, APR 21 AT 2PM
Single tickets for Duel Reality, Mrs. Krishnan’s Party, and Book of Mountains and Seas available to the public September 15th, 2023.
ArtsEmerson.org
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THE BOOK OF LIFE, PHOTO CREDIT: J.L. PREECE
SEASON PACKAGES NOW ON SALE! THE BEST SEATS AT THE LOWEST PRICES!
SEE 4 SHOWS FROM JUST $99!
ArtsEmerson.org / 617.824.8400
120 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02116