ArtsEmerson

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.

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

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

• Contemporary world theater
• Performing arts presenter
• Theatrical productions
• Live theater events
• Community arts programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from single tickets, season packages, and group sales for theatrical productions and film screenings.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Boston Asian American Film FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2026New 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 CinemamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025Emmy 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 EnsemblemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2019South 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.)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2018Harvard 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 CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston'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 CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston'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 TheatricalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTony 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)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMcDonald'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 CentersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner 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

Broad 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCriYj0l_IfVuE_pjDUjIX_A
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArtsEmerson
• Instagraminstagram.com/artsemerson
• Xx.com/artsemerson
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/artsemerson-the-world-on-stage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ArtsEmerson