theatre

In partnership with the Boston Foundation and the Barr Foundation, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture will provide $25,000 unrestricted grants to 17 Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) arts and culture organizations around Boston. The grants are meant to provide some relief for the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teatro Chelsea, Boston’s newest bilingual theater company, debuts the North American premiere of “Sonia se fue,” Jan. 14-17. In this Spanish translation of “Sonia Flew” by local playwright Melinda Lopez, Sonia is reminded painfully of her childhood in Cuba when her son decides to enlist in the army in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

On Dec. 17 at 7 p.m., Stephen Sampson and Alex Jacobs reprise their performance of “The Petition” in a new Zoom format. Written by Cliff Odle and originally performed at the Old State House in 2019, the production explores the life and work of abolitionist and free Black man Prince Hall. The Zoom rendition is free to the public with online registration.

This year, The National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA)’s annual production of “Black Nativity,” one of the longest running in the country, celebrates 50 years on stage. Written by Langston Hughes, the performance tells the Nativity story through gospel music, dance and narration.

Opera originated more than 400 years ago, spun from the threads of classical Greek drama. Many facets of the medium, including who is permitted to participate and what stories are told, are still struggling to catch up to 2020. Boston Lyric Opera is bringing opera into the contemporary art world with new programs that challenge accessibility, race and representation on stage and the hurdles of public performance during a pandemic.

New Repertory Theatre has commissioned two new plays by local female playwrights of color in the theater company’s continued mission to support diverse voices and keep theater talent working during the pandemic. Dubbed the “Showstopper Virtual Play Series,” the double premiere features “A Very Herrera Holiday” by Alexis Scheer and “[keyp-ing]” by Miranda Austen ADEkoje in one dynamic 75-minute performance running through Dec. 13.

Amir Nizar Zuabi’s play “This Is Who I Am” was made for 2020. In the show, an estranged father and son cook and talk during a Zoom call, getting to know each other again while preparing a family recipe. PlayCo and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company present the timely and moving production Dec. 5 through Jan. 3 in association with American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, the Guthrie Theater and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

"Urban Nutcracker,” a holiday show produced by Tony Williams and the City Ballet of Boston, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, on screen. A recorded version of the 2019 production will stream online four times between Nov. 28 and Dec. 24.

Every Sunday through Jan. 3, Akiba Abaka Arts presents weekly discussions with Jamaican theater artists in collaboration with RAW Management and Howlround. The series, “10 Weeks in Jamaica: Theatre Conversations from Jamaica to the World!” broadcasts Jamaican artists to the global stage and allows members of the Caribbean diaspora to connect with artists and narratives of home.

William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” is getting a very 2020 makeover in the Hub Theatre Company adaptation, running virtually in four performances Nov. 14, 15, 20 and 21.

“Downtown Crossing,” a world premiere theater performance written by David Valdes and produced by Company One Theatre hits the virtual stage on Oct. 22. Streaming live (and for free) for five performances, the play explores the experience of undocumented immigrants in Boston.

New Repertory Theatre will present a series of socially-distanced, outdoor historical plays this fall in collaboration with Watertown Free Public Library and the Historical Society of Watertown. Running Sept. 26–Nov. 8, these plays, presented in a walking format with safety precautions in place, will highlight historical figures from the Watertown area, beginning with Black Civil War hero Charles W. Lenox.