ArtsEmerson
ArtsEmerson is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit presenting contemporary world theater, film screenings, and community programs across two Emerson College venues, serving Greater Boston audiences and community groups through ticketed performances and outreach initiatives since 2010.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ArtsEmerson does
ArtsEmerson is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing-arts organization founded in 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts, operating as a presenter of contemporary world theater under the umbrella of Emerson College's Office of the Arts. The organization programs and presents theatrical productions, film screenings, and community engagement initiatives from two purpose-built Boston venues — the Emerson Paramount Center (559 Washington St) and the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre (219 Tremont St). Its 2026/27 season, the 16th anniversary, comprises eight productions featuring Tony, Grammy, and MacArthur Award-winning artists, with programming spanning international perspectives and stories addressing identity, migration, memory, and belonging.
The organization's product portfolio includes ticketed theatrical productions (single tickets starting at $25), season subscription packages offering up to 35% savings, group sales, a $5 community-access ticket tier for schools and qualifying nonprofits, and curated film series such as Projecting Connections co-presented with the Boston Asian American Film Festival. Community programs include Neighborhood Tours, Play Reading Book Clubs hosted at libraries and community centers, Community Curators, and Artist Residencies. The Gaining Ground Fund, established in 2017, provides targeted commissioning support for artists reflecting African Diasporic experiences.
Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining earned income (ticket sales, subscriptions, group sales) and contributed income (individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants from the Barr Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Shubert Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and corporate Leadership Circle donors including TJX). The go-to-market motion is event-driven: productions are announced seasonally, tickets are sold through direct box office channels (online, phone, in-person), and audience development is supported through community partnerships with neighborhood organizations, schools, and cultural institutions across Greater Boston. Distribution is regional (Northeast USA), with digital channels (YouTube, Instagram, blog, email newsletter) supporting awareness and patron engagement beyond in-venue transactions.
ArtsEmerson firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ArtsEmerson
- Legal name
- ArtsEmerson
- Website
- https://artsemerson.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ArtsEmerson is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit presenting contemporary world theater, film screenings, and community programs across two Emerson College venues, serving Greater Boston audiences and community groups through ticketed performances and outreach initiatives since 2010.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ArtsEmerson industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Live Theater
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
Keywords
Where ArtsEmerson is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ArtsEmerson business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from single tickets, season packages, and group sales for theatrical productions and film screenings.
- Donations and Fundraising: ArtsEmerson is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. The Gaining Ground Fund supports artists reflecting African Diasporic experiences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Single Tickets |
| Subscription | Annual | Season Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Community Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group Sales |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
ArtsEmerson product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ArtsEmerson is a 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization that presents contemporary world theater productions at its two Boston venues (Emerson Paramount Center and Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre). The organization curates a multi-show season featuring international artists, Tony Award winners, and MacArthur Award recipients, complemented by community engagement programs (Play Reading Book Clubs, Neighborhood Tours), film screenings, and the Gaining Ground Fund supporting African Diasporic artists.
Product overview
ArtsEmerson is Boston's leading presenter of contemporary world theater, operating as a performing arts organization rather than a traditional technology company. The organization offers a portfolio of theatrical productions, film screenings, and community engagement programs. The 2026/27 Season features 8 productions spanning rock opera, Shakespearean villainy, Irish celebration, digital grief, Scottish mysticism, and indigenous reckoning. Community programs include Neighborhood Tours, Play Reading Book Clubs, and Artist Residencies. The organization also presents the Projecting Connections film series in partnership with the Boston Asian American Film Festival. Season subscription packages offering up to 35% savings are available alongside individual show tickets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 2026/27 Season The 16th anniversary season of ArtsEmerson's contemporary world theater programming, featuring 8 productions including Taylor Mac and Matt Ray: Songs from Bark of Millions, All the Devils Are Here, Dream Feed, Wake, 2021, Scott Silven: Wonders, Kunene and the King, and The Carlisle Project.
- Taylor Mac and Matt Ray: Songs from Bark of Millions An electrifying song cycle featuring MacArthur Award-winning Taylor Mac and composer Matt Ray, presenting original songs inspired by queer figures past and present.
- All the Devils Are Here Tony Award nominee Patrick Page's solo tour-de-force performance illuminating Shakespeare's darkest characters, directed by Simon Godwin and produced by Octopus Theatricals.
- Dream Feed A genre-defying live concept album from Grammy Award-winning band The HawtPlates that blurs the boundary between dreams and waking life.
- Wake
Quantifiable outcome
- 16th anniversary season demonstrating sustained cultural impact
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ArtsEmerson
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ArtsEmerson technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ArtsEmerson partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Boston Asian American Film FestivalmajorNew England's largest Asian American film festival. Co-presents the Projecting Connections film series with ArtsEmerson, featuring monthly films and post-show curated discussions designed to build community conversation.
- Manual CinemamajorEmmy Award-winning Chicago performance collective known for shadow puppetry and cinematic techniques. Commissioned and presented The 4th Witch, their fourth collaboration with ArtsEmerson following Ada/Ava, The End of TV, and Frankenstein.
- Isango EnsemblemajorSouth African theatre company from Cape Town that reimagines classics from the Western theatre canon within a South African context. Presented The Magic Flute at ArtsEmerson with marimbas and African musical traditions.
- American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.)majorHarvard University's professional theater company. Co-presentation partner for The White Card, world premiere written by Claudia Rankine and directed by Diane Paulus.
- Front Porch Arts CollectivecoreBoston's first Black theater company dedicated to Black voices, artists, and audiences. Co-production partner for In Old Age (Play 8 of Ufot Family Cycle). ArtsEmerson's first co-production with Front Porch, presenting the penultimate chapter of Mfoniso Udofia's nine-play saga.
- The Huntington Theatre CompanycoreBoston's leading professional theatre company and 'motherboard' of the 2-year, city-wide Ufot Family Cycle. Leads activation partners including ArtsEmerson, providing resources and connection for the collaborative production.
- Octopus TheatricalscoreTony and Grammy Award-winning producing company founded by Mara Isaacs. Producer of multiple ArtsEmerson shows including Kunene and the King and The Carlisle Project. Collaborates with artists and organizations to foster compelling theatrical works.
- McDonald's (Chin Family)minorMcDonald's franchise owners Carol and Andrew Chin featured in documentary film Home Plate presented in honor of the Chin family's community contributions during Profiles of Boston Chinatown screening.
- Community Libraries and CentersminorPartner locations for Play Reading Book Club including Hostelling International, Dudley Branch Library, Public Library of Brookline, BCYF Jackson/Mann Community Center, and UMASS Boston Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ArtsEmerson competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Public Theater: Larger, established New York presenter of contemporary work that shares ArtsEmerson's curatorial focus on bold, globally-inspired theater but operates at significantly larger scale and broader national footprint.
Others
- Emerson College: Parent academic institution that provides venues, branding, and operational support to ArtsEmerson, making it a structural enabler rather than a peer but a key relationship for organizational continuity.
- Mass Cultural Council: Major public funder of ArtsEmerson and a comparable funder of other Boston-area performing arts organizations, representing an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.
- Octopus Theatricals: Tony and Grammy Award-winning producing company founded by Mara Isaacs that produces multiple ArtsEmerson shows (Kunene and the King, The Carlisle Project, All the Devils Are Here), making it a core producing partner and ecosystem participant.
Direct peers
- Berkeley Repertory Theatre: Mid-sized regional theater presenting contemporary world theater productions with comparable venue scale, season structure, and presenting (rather than producing) model.
- Huntington Theatre Company: Boston's leading professional theatre company and the lead producing partner of the Ufot Family Cycle, making it the closest direct peer in both market and collaborative footprint.
- Front Porch Arts Collective: Boston's first Black theater company, co-producing partner on In Old Age (Ufot Family Cycle), operating in the same Boston contemporary theater space with overlapping mission around African Diasporic storytelling.
- American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.): Harvard-affiliated professional theater in Cambridge that has co-presented productions with ArtsEmerson (e.g., The White Card) and competes for the same Boston contemporary theater audiences.
Regional players
- Arena Stage: Washington D.C. regional theater where ArtsEmerson's interim leader Ronee Penoi previously held a Senior Producing Fellow role, providing comparable venue and institutional scale in a different geography.
- Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based regional theater known for contemporary American work with comparable mid-sized institutional scale and ensemble-driven programming, though not a direct Boston competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ArtsEmerson social profiles
Digital presenceArtsEmerson financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ArtsEmerson leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
ArtsEmerson funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ArtsEmerson M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ArtsEmerson
What does ArtsEmerson do?
ArtsEmerson is a 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization that presents contemporary world theater productions at its two Boston venues (Emerson Paramount Center and Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre). The organization curates a multi-show season featuring international artists, Tony Award winners, and MacArthur Award recipients, complemented by community engagement programs (Play Reading Book Clubs, Neighborhood Tours), film screenings, and the Gaining Ground Fund supporting African Diasporic artists.
Is ArtsEmerson a public or private company?
ArtsEmerson is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ArtsEmerson founded?
ArtsEmerson was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ArtsEmerson based?
ArtsEmerson is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does ArtsEmerson make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising.
Who are ArtsEmerson's main competitors?
The Public Theater is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Emerson College, Mass Cultural Council and Octopus Theatricals. Direct peers are Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Front Porch Arts Collective and American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.). Regional players are Arena Stage and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Does ArtsEmerson have an API?
No public API is recorded for ArtsEmerson.
What industry is ArtsEmerson in?
ArtsEmerson's product category is Performing Arts / Live Theater. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of MPAGABAB, Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies. Its NAICS code is 711110 and its SIC code is 7990.