Welcoming the Commons to Emerson

It is a great pleasure to welcome The Center for the Theater Commons (The Commons) to Emerson College and the Office of the Arts. Through our academic programs, Emerson College is already shaping the artists who will influence the future of the theatre. Through ArtsEmerson, the college also delivers a world class program of presenting and developing new work for the theatre.

We now add an important third branch to our theatre endeavor: a nationwide, collaborative investigation into effective practices for strengthening the infrastructure that supports new work and the artists who make it. Emerson College now combines excellence in education, practice, and research to create one of the most dynamic contributors to the future of theatre in the country. Through the programs of The Commons, playwrights, ensembles, and new play practitioners from around the country will be on our campus, not only making new work but also charting and developing new approaches to that work. Students, faculty, and our entire community will have opportunities to engage The Commons, both live and online, and by engaging inform the direction and discoveries of the Commons' inquiry.

I am excited to see the interplay between ArtsEmerson's professional programming and The Commons in creating opportunities to test and develop advancements in practice, both in support of artists and in opening new pathways to engagement with audiences.

I am excited to see the interplay between ArtsEmerson's professional programming and The Commons in creating opportunities to test and develop advancements in practice, both in support of artists and in opening new pathways to engagement with audiences. And I look forward to the discoveries of this research as they emerge into the world, through publication on HowlRound, through implementation via ArtsEmerson, and through the work of the artists who have been impacted by it through their time with us. This week on HowlRound offers a great overview of what we are up to and what we intend. I encourage you to stay tuned as we build momentum around all of that heading into the new academic year.