Quick Links: Productions | Connectivity | PlayLab Circuit | Stage One
Welcome to our community,
where every audience member, artist, student, and supporter can come together to experience what’s next in Boston theatre while also having the opportunity to fight for social justice. That’s the C1 way.
For 25 years, C1 has brought our diverse city together in the theatre, in the classroom, and in all of the neighborhoods we serve. These times are challenging for the American theatre, but Company One has weathered the storm of the pandemic by doubling down on our commitment to equity, education, the development of new work for the stage, and making financially accessible theatre that is designed to disrupt, connect and invigorate our communities.
Thanks to the generous support from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and our producing partners, this is our first full season where all plays and events are 100% free with the option to purchase Pay-What-You-Want tickets. This means anyone and everyone across the city can get involved with no financial barriers. Our shows, events, and programs this year reflect our persistent shift towards supporting Public Art for Public Good, a shift we hope will become the framework for the future of professional theatre in Boston.
This season’s plays are defiant statements of purpose that showcase how compassion can be an act of resistance. These playwrights, all alumni of our PlayLab Circuit professional development programs, are pushing the narrative of what it means to be an active member of the community. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate 25 years. We invite you, our community, to look inward, reach outward, and come together for C1, Boston’s Theatre for the People.
PRODUCTIONS
The Interrobangers
a new play by M Sloth Levine
directed by Josh Glenn-Kayden
dramaturgy by Regine Vital
in collaboration with the Boston Public Library and The Theatre Offensive
January 26 – February 24, 2024
Rabb Hall @ Boston Public Library’s Central Library in Copley Square
Something’s lurking deep in the woods of Foggy Bluffs. And as usual, it’s up to four groovy teens and a dog to get to the bottom of it. But in order to solve the mystery, the old friends must delve into their chilling past and uncover their town’s darkest secrets.
M Sloth Levine puts a thrilling new spin on a classic tale with The Interrobangers, a queer coming of age story about exploring identity, creating community, and finding that men behind the masks are the scariest monsters of all. And they might have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for these meddling kids!
Morning, Noon, and Night
a new play by Kirsten Greenidge
directed by Summer L. Williams
dramaturgy by Ilana M. Brownstein
with Boston University’s College of Fine Arts
April 26 – May 25, 2024
Boston Center for the Arts, Plaza Theatre
Mia just wants her daughter to listen without talking back. Dailyn just wants her mom to quit being so judgemental. And they both just want everything to be perfect for when older sister Alex comes home for her birthday. But when a mysterious visitor from a digital dimension arrives on Mia’s doorstep, the very concepts of home and perfection are challenged.
Reality and social media blur together in the newest play from Boston’s own master playwright Kirsten Greenidge. An eccentric reflection of post-pandemic life, Morning, Noon, and Night navigates familial reckoning, digital surveillance, and the ways we can love each other after four long and traumatic years.
Hoops
a new play by Eliana Pipes
adapted from The HOOPS Project by Nicole Acosta
directed by Tonasia Jones
dramaturgy by afrikah selah
in partnership with Boston Playwrights’ Theatre and the City of Boston’s Office of Arts & Culture
July 12 – August 10, 2024
The Strand Theatre (543 Columbia Road, Boston)
Hoop earrings are way more than just an accessory. They represent family, resilience, and self-expression. They represent the freedom to shine in a world that’s constantly trying to dim the lights. From Chicago to Oaxaca to right here in Boston, these earrings shout “I’m here, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Eliana Pipes brings 5,000 years of history to life with Hoops, a joyous celebration of Black, Latine, and Indigenous culture. Based on a series of intimate interviews, this vibrant and playful choreopoem-esque collage of self-adornment and heritage shows off just how much power a pair of hoops can hold.
CONNECTIVITY
C1 is Boston’s hub for community connection.
Connectivity provides opportunities for audience intersection with the people and organizations who are working to create a just and equitable Boston.
Better Future Series
Become an active voice for your community! Our Better Future Series returns for its fourth season, bringing together Boston’s artists, changemakers, and community leaders. Convening in the City Hall Plaza Pavilion, participants will engage in community organizing through participatory workshops, conversations, and events that bring community voices to the City’s door.
Join us in 2024 at City Hall Plaza Pavilion!
>> February 7 — Threads of Migration: A Community Sip n’ Stitch Supporting Boston Refugees
>> March 23 — Seeds in the Dirt, Fists in the Air: A Kid-led Call for Climate Justice
>> June 13 — Joy in Motion: A Queer Dance Class & Clothing Pass
>> August 3 — Voices for a Better Future: An Open Mic for Boston Youth
Learn more about our Better Future series at companyone.org/better-future
Dig deeper into our shows!
When you come to a C1 production, you’re getting more than just a good show. We’re connecting with partner organizations from across Boston to highlight the crucial themes and content. Through post-show conversations, lobby installations, and events, you’re invited to engage with our productions and take action to better your community.
Branch Out with C1
We’re taking the themes of our productions outside the theatre! Featuring workshops, performances, and opportunities to learn from our community partners, Branch Out with C1 events are pop-up gatherings across Boston’s public spaces that allows everyone to become active in the change they want to see!
Be on the lookout for exciting experiences surrounding each of our productions this season!
PLAYLAB CIRCUIT
Through a combination of personalized dramaturgy, group workshops, and professional development classes, C1’s expansive PlayLab Circuit program is an incubator of new work for writers of varied experience levels and backgrounds.
Open Writes
C1’s Virtual Open Writes are free, monthly Saturday morning meetings open to all writers and theatre makers dedicated to new work. Led by Resident Playwright Kirsten Greenidge, each meeting features a special guest writer who leads exercises and writing time.
This season, our Open Writes focus on The Art of Criticism. How do we hold space to examine and explore how we create and respond to art in our craft?
Join us each month on Zoom from 11am-1pm!
>> December 16, 2023
>> January 20, 2024
>> February 17, 2024
>> March 16, 2024
>> May 18, 2024
>> June 15, 2024
>> July 20, 2024
Volt Lab
This year’s Volt Lab aims to help early career playwrights, designers, directors, and dramaturgs build strong peer relationships through forming a cohort of civically-engaged, antiracist new play makers who can change the Boston theatre ecology through shared values and vocabularies. The cohort will meet monthly in-person from January to May 2024 to dream, write, devise, rewrite, and develop pieces created both collaboratively and individually, culminating in an in-person showcase in June.
Save the date for our Volt Lab in-person cumulative showcase!
Saturday, June 1, 2024
Location TBA
Flux Lab
The Flux Lab is a home for C1’s resident artists whose work is being actively developed towards production. This year, we’ll be developing Morning, Noon, and Night by Kirsten Greenidge, Hoops by Eliana Pipes, and Haunted by Tara Moses.
Join us for our public workshop readings!
Haunted by Tara Moses
March 30, 2024
at Balch Arena Theatre, Tufts University
Hoops by Eliana Pipes
May 19, 2024
at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
presented by Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in partnership with Company One Theatre
STAGE ONE
C1’s Stage One programming focuses on developing authentic relationships with, and among, young people and early career artists, fostering a sense of belonging where they are encouraged to access their voices and express themselves.
In-School Residencies
Theatre Elective Residencies
Classes for grades 9-12 designed to center the stories and experiences of young people of color, with a focus on personal and social development skills.
Theatre Integration Residencies
Theatre instruction supporting multilingual learners ages 11-22 develop their voices through literacy and creative development.
After-School Residencies
Programs for grades 6-8, helping students develop their creative voices by creating original work meaningful to their communities.
Anti-Racism Residencies
Short-term residencies designed to engage young people and educators in conversations about racism and injustice.
Youth Matinees
Each of our productions in Season 25 will feature morning performances exclusively for youth and student groups. These performances include a post-show discussion with actors and members of the creative team. Curriculum guides are provided to use for debriefing and deepening the learning around the show’s themes.
For more information, email boxoffice@companyone.org
Professional Development for Actors (PDA)
The Professional Development for Actors course provides a low cost alternative to expensive theatre classes offered by higher education institutions. Stage One aims to bridge the wealth gap often associated with training in the arts. Performers will hone their craft across eight weeks through in-depth character script analysis and monologue work, preparing for future auditions and roles. The course culminates in a public, in-person showcase.
Spring 2024 PDA Important Dates
>> Auditions: Tuesday, April 2
>> Classes: Every Tuesday from April 30 – June 18, 6:30-9:30pm
>> Showcase Dress Rehearsal: Monday, June 24
>> Showcase Performance: Tuesday, June 25
Interested in our Spring 2024 session? Email training@companyone.org!
Teen Internship Program
C1’s Teen Internships provides opportunities for leadership and work experience in a community arts setting. Teens learn literacy skills, college and career readiness skills, and changemaker skills.
“Without knowing it, you help[ed] me believe in myself and give me confidence…Because of you I’m not afraid anymore to make my voice my strongest weapon.”
– Former teen intern Lucy Jura