theatre

“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.

Live, socially distanced performances are now taking place under the stars in Central Square. Starlight Square, a parking lot repurposed as a community space, provides a hub for safe public art, performances, markets and dining.

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, ArtsEmerson and Step Afrika! will recognize the 281st anniversary of the Stono Rebellion with the world premiere of “Stono.” The 30-minute digital theater piece brings a dynamic new layer to Step Afrika!’s oeuvre of stage-based performances.

On Thursday Aug. 20, Gloucester Stage presents the Massachusetts debut of “No AIDS, No Maids: Stories I Can’t F*ckin’ Hear No More,” a one-woman show written, directed and performed by Dee Dee Batteast.

SpeakEasy Stage launched its virtual play discussion series, “Celebrating the Black Narrative,” on July 23. Hosted and moderated by actor Crystin Gilmore, who appeared in SpeakEasy’s production of “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play,” the group delves into a different play by a Black female playwright each week.

On June 12, Company One Theatre (C1) launched their Better Future Series, a monthly online discussion among artists, community organizers and policymakers about the future of neighborhoods around Boston.

Keith Mascoll and his partner Roxann Mascoll have launched “Living a Triggered Life,” a podcast that explores how this trauma impacts relationships.

The Huntington Theatre Company has commissioned and launched a series of five-minute audio plays written by local playwrights Kirsten Greenidge, Kate Snodgrass, Brenda Withers and Melinda Lopez and performed by local actors.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been a dormant time for some artists, Roxbury native SekouWrites has been spurred into action with his revitalized choreopoem, “Brown Boy Mad.”

On Friday, June 19, cultural organizations around Boston came together to celebrate Juneteenth with song, dance, spoken word, panel discussions and visual art. This year’s celebration reached corners of the art world all across the city, creating one of the largest collective Juneteenth celebrations ever in the Boston art community.

Puppet Showplace Theater in Brookline has opened applications for a new Black Puppeteer Empowerment Grant & Creative Research Residency for summer 2020.