WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU JOIN US!
Welcome to our slate of projects for 2024 and 2025, chosen to entice and inspire. Each piece built—through performance, design, and production, to spark the creative fire within.
Join me at the theatre.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Greenidge
Director, School of Theatre
2024- 2025 Slate of Projects
Show details subject to change. Please send inquiries to theatre@bu.edu.
TICKETS TO BU PRODUCTIONS
Jump ahead…
to a specific time of the academic year to check out what shows will be playing then!
Spring 2025
Florencia en el Amazonas
Co-produced with BU Opera Institute
Music by Daniel Catán
Libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain
Conductor • William Lumpkin
Stage Director • Amy Hutchinson
Steeped in the beautiful style of magical realism, the opera follows the journey of the legendary diva Florencia Grimaldi and her fellow passengers on a boat ride down the Amazon. As they travel through the magical rainforest toward their destination, the opera house in Manaus, each passenger harbors a secret hope of what the trip will bring.
A coproduction between the School of Music’s Opera Institute and the School of Theatre, each spring the BU Community and beyond is invited to the Booth Theatre to experience the exceptional talent of the students in the College of Fine Arts in this unique collaboration.
February 27-March 2, 2025
Thursday, February 27 • 7:30pm
Friday, February 28 • 7:30pm
Saturday, March 1 • 2pm
Sunday, March 2 • 2pm
Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre • 820 Commonwealth Ave
Mercutio Loves Romeo Loves Juliet Loves
By: Gina Femia
Directed by: Shalee Mae Cole Mauleón
Ellie and Britt have been lifelong friends, lifelong haters of cheerleaders and lifelong drama geeks so when their All Girls Catholic School’s drama club does Romeo and Juliet, obviously they’ll be a part of it. But when Amber, a cheerleader with an injury unexpectedly gets the lead across from Britt, Ellie’s heart is turned upside down. Actually, all their hearts are. A new queer kinda adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
March 5-7, 2025
Wednesday, March 5 • 7:30pm
Thursday, March 6 • 7:30pm
Friday, March 7 • 7:30pm
“Jewels 1” Juliane Ethel Leilani Miller Studio Theatre
CFA352 • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Corpus Christi
By Terrence McNally
Directed by Gregg Wiggans (CFA’25)
This student thesis production continues a year-long exploration of McNally’s work, controversies, significance, and legacy. Written 27 years ago by three-time Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient Terrence McNally (1938-2020), Corpus Christi begins, ‘We are going to tell you an old and familiar story.’ However, the ‘familiar’ is quickly upended by McNally’s Jesus Christ-like figure, a man named Joshua. Born and raised in Corpus Christi in the early 1950s, Joshua grows up in isolation and torment– an object of scorn due to his sexuality. When he flees Corpus Christi in search of a more accepting environment, he gathers a group of like-minded followers who are bound to him by his message of love and tolerance. But Joshua’s teachings of radical acceptance will not deliver him from his fate. His plea– that we look upon all souls as equal in the sight of God—goes unanswered.
April 10-13, 2025
Thursday, April 10 • 7:30pm
Friday, April 11 • 7:30pm
Saturday, April 12 • 2pm
Saturday, April 12 • 7:30pm
Sunday, April 13 • 2pm
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
DESDEMONA, a play about a handkerchief
By Paula Vogel
Directed by Grant Sorenson (CFA’25)
As the wrongly accused and suffering wife of Shakespeare’s tragic Moor, Othello, Desdemona has long been viewed as the “victim of circumstance.” But as Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel demonstrates in her comic deconstruction of Shakespeare’s play—aligning tongue-in-cheek humor while raising serious questions as to the role of women through the ages—Desdemona was far from the quivering naïf we’ve all come to know. (From: dramatists.com) This play will be produced in repertory with Emilia in the Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre.
April 16-19, 2025
Wednesday, April 16 • 7:30pm
Thursday, April 17 • 7:30pm
Friday, April 18 • 7:30pm
Saturday, April 19 • 11am
Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre • 820 Commonwealth Ave
Sophomore Festival
Facilitated by Performance Faculty
The Sophomore Festival offers students a curated and intentional casting experience that is faculty-led and tied to a class curriculum and pedagogy. It is intended to help students become familiar with the rehearsal process and the actor’s creative process/practice. Three plays would be chosen with performances occurring in Studio ONE with minimal production and design elements to introduce the students to a larger space at the School of Theatre and a repertory schedule.
April 27-May 1, 2025
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
The Homecoming
By Harold Pinter
Directed by Michael Kaye
Sunday, April 27 • 12pm
Tuesday, April 29 • 7:30pm
The Seagull
By Anton Chekhov
Adapted by Anya Reiss
Directed by Christine Hamel
Sunday, April 27 • 3pm
Wednesday, April 30 • 7:30pm
Much Ado About Nothing
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Clay Hopper and Christopher Edwards
Sunday, April 27 • 7pm
Thursday, May 1 • 7:30pm
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Gianni Schicchi/Suor Angelica
Co-produced with BU Opera Institute
By Giacomo Puccini
Conductor • William Lumpkin
Stage Director • Nathan Troup
Suor Angelica tells the story of a woman (Marina Costa-Jackson) who bears a child out of wedlock and is sent to a convent for penance. After seven years, she is visited by her aunt, the Principessa, who brings tragic news of her son, which sets in motion a series of dire actions that ultimately result in tragedy, forgiveness, and peace.
The comic-opera Gianni Schicchi begins with the death of wealthy Florentine Buoso Donati, and his distraught family who are upset about being forgotten in his will. So they enlist the help of fixer Gianni Schicchi who helps turn the tables, but not in the way they expect. Considered a comic masterpiece, this is a dark satire based on a real story mentioned in Dante’s Inferno and includes the famous aria “O mio babbino caro.”
A coproduction between the School of Music’s Opera Institute and the School of Theatre, each spring the BU Community and beyond is invited to the Tsai Center to experience the exceptional talent of the students in the College of Fine Arts in this unique collaboration.
April 24-27, 2025
Thursday, April 24 • 7:30pm
Friday, April 25 • 7:30pm
Saturday, April 26 • 7:30pm
Sunday, April 27 • 2pm
Tsai Performance Center • 685 Commonwealth Ave
Emilia
By Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Directed by Taylor Stark (CFA’25)
A riotous, witty reclaiming of the life of an exceptional woman. Four hundred years ago, Emilia Bassano wanted her voice to be heard. It wasn’t. Could she have been the ‘Dark Lady’ of Shakespeare’s sonnets? What of her own poetry? Why was her story erased from history? In Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s electrifying play, Emilia and her sisters reach out across the centuries with passion, fury, laughter and song. (From: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/emilia). This play will be produced in repertory with Desdemona in the Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre.
April 25-27, 2025
Friday, April 25 • 7:30pm
Saturday, April 26 • 2pm
Saturday, April 26 • 7:30pm
Sunday, April 27 • 2pm
Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre • 820 Commonwealth Ave
Senior Acting Thesis Presentations
Facilitated by Christopher V. Edwards
This is a culminating experience for Senior BFA Acting majors involving the mounting of Acting thesis projects that been developed during the Fall semester and presented in collaboration with the rest of their ensemble in the Spring.
January 25-February 23, 2025
Pod 1
Saturday, January 25 • 7:30pm
Sunday, January 26 • 7:30pm
Pod 2
Saturday, February 1 • 7:30pm
Sunday, February 2 • 7:30pm
Pod 3
Saturday, February 8 • 7:30pm
Sunday, February 9 • 7:30pm
Pod 4
Saturday, February 15 • 7:30pm
Sunday, February 16 • 7:30pm
Pod 5
Saturday, February 22 • 7:30pm
Sunday, February 23 • 7:30pm
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Senior Theatre Arts Major Productions
Featuring the Senior Theatre Arts majors of the Class of 2025
The School of Theatre presents the Senior Theatre Arts Majors’ Productions. These capstone events will be sprinkled throughout this semester and will bloom in many different guises.
David Copeland Blackbox Theatre • CFA354
“Jewels 2”: Juliane Ethel Leilani Miller Studio Theatre • CFA356
College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
Salon
Directed by Dylan Brandon Mejil
Saturday, January 25 • 5:30pm
Sunday, January 26 • 5:30pm
CFA354 • CFA356
Universal Mother, Sacred Soil
Created by Jayce Ross
Friday, February 7 • 7:30pm
Saturday, February 8 • 7:30pm
Sunday, February 9 • 2pm
CFA356
The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?
By Edward Albee
Directed by Gabrielle Cadden and Shai Vaknine
Friday, February 14 • 7:30pm
Saturday, February 15 • 7:30pm
Sunday, February 16 • 2pm
CFA354
Two Gentlemen of Verona
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Gaby Tovar-Borghini and Zack Mallgrave
Saturday, February 22 • 2pm
Saturday, February 22 • 5pm
Sunday, February 23 • 11am
Sunday, February 23 • 5pm
CFA356
American Buffalo
By David Mamet
Directed by Clay Hopper
Friday, February 28 • 7:30pm
Saturday, March 1 • 7:30pm
Sunday, March 2 • 2pm
CFA354
Bachelorette
By Leslye Headland
Directed by Ava Laroche
Friday, March 28 • 7:30pm
Saturday, March 29 • 7:30pm
Sunday, March 30 • 2pm
CFA354
Richard III
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Shai Vaknine
Friday, April 25 • 7:30pm
Saturday, April 26 • 7:30pm
Sunday, April 27 • 7:30pm
CFA356
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Fall 2024
Springboard Projects
The School of Theatre New Play Initiative presents public readings of new offerings to the world of theatre. Directed music stand/table readings of the play with a short rehearsal period. Each reading will include a short talk-back at the end with the playwright and the cast.
Springboard Projects 2024
The Frat Boy Monologue by Rory Shea (CFA’26)
Saturday, September 14, 4pm
Monday School by Mimi Brown (CFA’25)
Saturday, September 14, 4pm
My Brother’s Keeper by Jaden Bridges (CFA’25)
Saturday, September 14, 7pm
Lollie by Macy McGrail (CFA’25)
Saturday, September 21, 4pm
Babylon to Rough by Amanda Reynolds (CFA’26)
Saturday, September 21, 7pm
It’s Only Tuesday by Robbie Rodriguez (CFA’25)
Sunday, September 22, 11am
Sacred Heart by Lucy Leahy (CFA’26)
Sunday, September 22, 2pm
Universal Mother, Sacred Soil by Jayce Ross (CFA’25)
Sunday, September 22, 4pm
David Copeland Blackbox Theatre
CFA354• College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Next Stage Workshops
The School of Theatre New Play Initiative presents a series of Next Stage workshops, scenes, and plays. These Next Stage pieces will be directed by our Undergraduate Directors and will flower as the next step in the fruition of these new plays by BU students.
The nature of the presentation and the work is determined by the needs of the play. Curated by Kirsten Greenidge, this “on-its-feet” workshop or play experience focuses on different areas of the writing or specific parts of a project in the process of development.
Next Stage Workshops 2024
Manspread by Ava Laroche (CFA’25)
Sunday, September 22, 5pm
Pyrrhic Victory by Alexa Connors (CFA’25)
Saturday, September 28, 3pm
Llorona, or The Weeping Women by Gaby Tovar (CFA’25)
Saturday, September 28, 7pm
Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre • 820 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Fringe Festival: Entry (or, you think you know me)
By S. Thomasin Barsotti
Directed by Taylor Stark (CFA’25)
Some time after a personal tragedy, Coye and Whit retreat to a lakeside cottage to rest and recover. There, what begins as a benign vacation morphs into a nightmare as they begin to obsess over strange entries in the cottage’s guestbook–entries that describe their emotional experiences; entries that detail their actual grief; and even entries that appear to have been written by them. As they begin to lose themselves in the narratives of the book and confuse their own stories with those they are reading, they are tossed into a whirlpool of the uncanny in which identities shatter, memories change, and the darkness of the past threatens to swallow the future. Before they can leave this place, they must confront how well they really know each other, and whether they will ever find each other again.
The Boston University Fringe Festival, is a collaboration between the College of Fine Arts School of Music: Opera Institute and School of Theatre. The festival’s mission is to produce new or rarely performed significant works in the opera and theatre repertoire, bringing performances and audiences together in unique theatrical settings. For over two decades, Fringe Festival at Boston University has celebrated and amplified new work, shown in spare and minimal productions.
October 4-6, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
Fringe Festival: Dark Sisters
Co-produced with BU Opera Institute
Music by Nico Muhly
Libretto by Stephen Karam
Arranged by Nate Thatcher
Conductor • Gordon Cheung
Music Director • Allison Voth
Stage Director • Rose Freeman
Dark Sisters follows one woman’s dangerous attempt to escape her life as a member of the FLDS Church (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints), a sect that split from mainstream Mormonism in the early 20th Century largely because of the LDS Church’s renunciation of polygamy. The male founders of the Mormon faith (Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, chief among them) loom large in American history; Dark Sisters puts the women front and center. Presented under license from G. Schirmer, Inc. o/b/o Chester Music Ltd./ St. Rose Music Publishing Co.
The Boston University Fringe Festival, is a collaboration between the College of Fine Arts School of Music: Opera Institute and School of Theatre. The festival’s mission is to produce new or rarely performed significant works in the opera and theatre repertoire, bringing performances and audiences together in unique theatrical settings. For over two decades, Fringe Festival at Boston University has celebrated and amplified new work, shown in spare and minimal productions.
October 11-13, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
Fringe Festival: Siren Song
Co-produced with BU Opera Institute
Music by Jonathan Dove
Libretto by Gordon Honeycombe and Nick Dear
William Lumpkin, Conductor
Matthew Larson, Coach & Music Preparation
Claire Choquette, stage director
Siren Song is a bizarre, true story. A young sailor on HMS Ark Royal exchanges letters with a beautiful and successful model. Over time a romantic and passionate relationship develops, but a meeting proves increasingly difficult to arrange... Presented under license by Peters Edition Limited, copyright owners.
The Boston University Fringe Festival, is a collaboration between the College of Fine Arts School of Music: Opera Institute and School of Theatre. The festival’s mission is to produce new or rarely performed significant works in the opera and theatre repertoire, bringing performances and audiences together in unique theatrical settings. For over two decades, Fringe Festival at Boston University has celebrated and amplified new work, shown in spare and minimal productions.
October 19-20, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
Julius Caesar
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Grant Sorenson (CFA’25)
“Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare is a timeless tragedy set in ancient Rome, revolving around the conspiracy and assassination of the titular character, Julius Caesar, by a group of senators led by Brutus and Cassius. The play delves into themes of power, betrayal, ambition, and the consequences of political intrigue. Following Caesar’s death, Rome is plunged into chaos as the conspirators grapple with their actions and their aftermath. Mark Antony, Caesar’s loyal friend, delivers a stirring funeral oration that ignites civil war, leading to further tragedy and the demise of many of the play’s central characters. “Julius Caesar” is renowned for its compelling characters, intricate plot, and profound exploration of human nature and the complexities of leadership.
November 15-17, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
The Sweet Science of Bruising
By Joy Wilkinson
Directed by Sarah Shin
London, 1869 Four very different Victorian women are drawn into the dark underground world of female boxing by the eccentric Professor Sharp. Controlled by men and constrained by corsets, each finds an unexpected freedom in the boxing ring. As their lives begin to intertwine, their journey takes us through grand drawing rooms, bustling theatres and rowdy Southwark pubs, where the women fight inequality as well as each other. But with the final showdown approaching, only one can become the Lady Boxing Champion of the World. An epic tale of passion, politics and pugilism.
November 16-17, 2024
“Jewels 1” Juliane Ethel Leilani Miller Studio Theatre
CFA352 • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
The Rink
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Directed by Gregg Wiggans (CFA’25)
This innovative musical is set in a sort of Coney Island of the mind, on the ragged fringe of the New York show-biz world. Anna Antonelli’s roller rink is about to be demolished, and with it Anna’s sour memories of her Lothario of a husband and her painfully shy daughter Angel. The rink becomes an arena in which mother and daughter examine their past, present and future. Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera originated the roles of Angel and Anna on Broadway.
THE RINK is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com
November 22-December 8, 2024
Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre • 820 Commonwealth Ave
The Skriker
By Caryl Churchill
Directed by Carla Mirabel Rodriguez
“The Skriker” by Caryl Churchill is a dark and surreal play that blends elements of folklore, mythology, and contemporary urban life. The story follows an ancient and malevolent fairy creature known as the Skriker, who takes on various guises as she haunts two young women named Lily and Josie. The Skriker’s motives are mysterious and sinister as she manipulates and torments the women, weaving a web of deception and chaos around them. Set in a modern, dystopian world, the play explores themes of ecological collapse, psychological trauma, and the erosion of human connection in an increasingly fragmented society. Through its poetic language and eerie atmosphere, “The Skriker” immerses the audience in a haunting and hallucinatory experience that challenges conventional notions of reality and identity.
November 24-26, 2024
Sunday, November 24, 2pm
Sunday, November 24, 7:30pm
Tuesday, November 26, 7:30pm
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Sophomore Acting Project
Facilitated by Patrese McClain
This projects emerges out of the artistic collaboration in the Acting 3 class, and helps to introduce the Sophomore Acting Majors to a rehearsal and performance process.
December 7-8, 2024
David Copeland Blackbox Theatre
CFA354 • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
La Bête
By David Hirson
Directed by Clay Hopper
“La Bête” by David Hirson is a comedic play set in 17th-century France, known for its witty dialogue and satirical portrayal of artistic rivalry and intellectual pretension. The story revolves around the clash between two characters: Elomire, a respected playwright and leader of a prestigious theater troupe, and Valere, a crude and bombastic street performer who is appointed by the royal court to join Elomire’s company. The play explores themes of artistic integrity, the clash between high and low culture, and the nature of creativity. Through a series of hilarious and thought-provoking exchanges, “La Bête” challenges the audience to consider the value of tradition, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence in the arts.
December 8-10, 2024
Sunday, December 8, 2pm
Sunday, December 8, 7:30pm
Tuesday, December 10, 7:30pm
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Aurora Borealis: A Festival of Light and Dance
In collaboration with the BU Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance
Artistic Co-Directors: Yo-El Cassell and Micki Taylor-Pinney
Aurora Borealis: A Festival of Light and Dance is a vibrant exploration of the relationship between light and form with a focus on collaboration and experimentation, featuring multiple dance and movement pieces.
December 9, 2024
Boston University Dance Theatre
Fitness & Recreation Center • 915 Commonwealth Ave
All tickets free, general admission at the door
Tickets & Discounts
Did you know that Boston University students, faculty, and staff can get free and discounted tickets? Email theatre@bu.edu for more info.
Community Discounts
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Behind the Scenes
There are a number of special partnerships and initiatives in the School of Theatre. Learn more about them, along with our incredible venues and facilities, here!
Initiatives
- FRINGE FESTIVAL • New work, shown in a spare and minimal production — the Fringe offerings can be plays, operas, or other work. They also can be shown in a variety of venues.
- GRADUATE COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS • These projects emerge out of the artistic collaboration of the teams in the Graduate Collaborative Forum course. They are developed in the Fall class and then performed in each quarter of the Spring semester
- NEXT STAGE WORKSHOP • An “on-its-feet” workshop that may focus on different areas of the writing or specific parts of a project in process of development. Not necessarily a full production.
- SPRINGBOARD • Directed music stand/table readings of the play with a short rehearsal period.
Partnerships
- BOSTON PLAYWRIGHTS’ THEATRE (BPT) • SOT partners with BPT at 949 Commonwealth Ave to produce and perform the plays written by the graduate MFA playwrights at BU CAS. The plays are performed at the BPT theatre space, have different rehearsal and production schedules, and they are eligible for AEA Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) points. BPT rehearsal hours: Tuesday-Friday 7:00pm-11:00pm, Saturday and Sunday (5 hours each day, specific time TBD)
- OPERA INSTITUTE • We often partner with the School of Music’s Opera Institute to design, stage-manage, build, and/or production-manage the opera productions. Learn more at bu.edu/opera.
- WHEELOCK FAMILY THEATRE (WFT) • SOT students may have the opportunity to work on WFT productions as designers and actors.
Performance Venues
- BOOTH THEATRE • A flexible-seating studio theatre at 820 Comm Ave. Opera, SOT productions, and community and University-wide events. Seating capacity is approximately 100-200.
- Studio ONE • Black Box located at 855 Commonwealth Ave with flexible house seating with a variety of productions. Seating capacity is approximately 80.
- STUDIOS ON 3 • Jewels 1 (352), Jewels 2 (356), Copeland Studio (354). All are Black Box spaces with a seating capacity of approximately 30. These shows are focused primarily on text, crafting performances, and bodies in relation to space.
- ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE SPACES • Studio 102, Studio 109, Studio 808, plus any other alternate performance space other than above are all large dance/rehearsal/classroom spaces, which are also used for performances. Seating capacity is approximately 30+.
