American Repertory Theater


The American Repertory Theater is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to neglected works of the past; and to established classical texts reinterpreted in refreshing new ways. Over the past forty years it has garnered many of the nation's most distinguished awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award, and a Jujamcyn Award. In 2002, the A.R.T. was the recipient of the National Theatre Conference's Outstanding Achievement Award, and it was named one of the top three theaters in the country by Time magazine in 2003. The A.R.T. is housed in the Loeb Drama Center at Harvard University, a building it shares with the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club. The A.R.T. operates the Institute for Advanced Theater Training.
In 2002 Robert Woodruff replaced founder Robert Brustein as the A.R.T.'s artistic director. After Woodruff's departure in 2007, Associate Artistic Director Gideon Lester filled the position for the 2008/2009 season, and, in May 2008, Diane Paulus was named the new artistic director. Paulus, a Harvard alum, is widely known as a director of theater and opera. Her work includes The Donkey Show, which ran off-Broadway for six years; productions at the Chicago Opera Theatre; and the Public Theater's 2008 production of Hair, which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

History

American Repertory Theater was established at Harvard in 1979 as a permanent professional arts organization on campus that offered undergraduate courses in acting, directing, and dramaturgy, taught by professional members of the company with teaching experience. Robert Brustein served as artistic director of the theater until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff, founder of the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. In 2008, Diane Paulus became the artistic director.
During its 44-year history, it has welcomed many major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes premieres of American plays and musical productions. In the over 250 productions American Repertory Theater has staged, over half were premieres of new plays, translations, and adaptations. The A.R.T. has performed throughout the U.S. and worldwide in 21 cities in 16 countries on four continents. It continues to be a training ground for young artists, with the artistic staff teaching undergraduate classes in acting, directing, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, voice, and design. In 1987, the A.R.T. founded the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard, which offers a five-semester M.F.A. graduate program that operates in conjunction with the Moscow Art Theatre School.
The current artistic director, Diane Paulus, has focused on expanding the boundaries of traditional theater by transforming the ways in which work is developed, programmed, produced, and contextualized in order to allow the audience to participate, thereby making the experience more interactive. Productions such as Sleep No More, The Donkey Show, Gatz, The Blue Flower, Prometheus Bound, Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, Wild Swans, and Pippin have engaged audiences in unique theatrical experiences through physical interaction and unconventional staging.
The theater's productions have garnered eighteen Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical for its productions of Pippin and Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Best Musical for Once, and Best Play All The Way. The A.R.T. also received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater, the Pulitzer Prize, and multiple Elliot Norton and IRNE awards. Its premiere production of Death and the Powers: The Robots' Opera was a 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Productions

2025–2026 season

  • Black Swan. Music and lyrics by Dave Malloy, book by Jen Silverman, Music Supervision and Direction by Or Matias, and Directed and Choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. Based on Searchlight Pictures' Black Swan, Story by Andres Heinz.
  • Wonder. Music and Lyrics by Ian Axel & Chad King, Book by Sarah Ruhl, Music Supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo, Choreography by Katie Spelman, Directed by Taibi Magar. Based on the novel by R.J. Palacio and Lionsgate and Mandeville's Wonder.
  • 300 Paintings. Created and Performed by Sam Kissajukian.
  • Passengers. A Production by The 7 Fingers. Directed, Written, and Choreographed by Shana Carroll.

    2024–2025 season

  • Two Strangers . Music by Jim Barne, Lyrics and Book by Kit Buchan, and Directed and Choreographed by Tim Jackson.
  • Night Side Songs. Words and Music by Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour, Directed by Taibi Magar.
  • The Odyssey by Homer. Adapted by Kate Hamill, Directed by Shana Cooper.
  • Diary of a Tap Dancer. Directed by Torya Beard, Written and Choreographed by Ayodele Casel.
  • Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Directed by Diane Paulus, Choreography and Movement Direction by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

    2023–2024 season

  • Gatsby: An American Myth. Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, music by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett, lyrics by Florence Welch, book by Martyna Majok, choreography by Sonya Tayeh, directed by Rachel Chavkin.
  • Becoming a Man. Created by P. Carl, directed by Diane Paulus and P. Carl.
  • Real Women Have Curves. Music and lyrics by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, book by Lisa Boomer, choreography and direction by Sergio Trujillo. Based on the play by Josefina López and HBO's Real Women Have Curves.
  • The Half-God of Rainfall. Created by Inua Ellams, directed by Taibi Magar.

    2022–2023 season

  • Evita. Lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, directed by Sammi Cannold, choreographed by Emily Maltby and Valeria Solomonoff.
  • The Wife of Willesden. Adapted by Zadie Smith from Chaucer's The Wife of Bath, directed by Indhu Rubasingham.
  • Life of Pi. Based on the novel by Yann Martel, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti, directed by Max Webster.
  • Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. Conceived, written, and revised by Anna Deavere Smith, directed by Taibi Magar.

    2021–2022 season

  • 1776. Music & lyrics by Sherman Edwards, book by Peter Stone, directed by Diane Paulus & Jeffrey L. Page, choreography by Jeffrey L. Page.
  • Ocean Filibuster. Created by PearlDamour, text by Lisa D'Amour, music by Sxip Shirey, directed by Katie Pearl.
  • WILD: A Musical Becoming. Book by V, music by Justin Tranter & Caroline Pennell with contributions by Erin Cannata, lyrics by Justin Tranter, Caroline Pennell, & V with contributions by Idina Menzel, choreography by Chanel DaSilva, directed by Diane Paulus.
  • Macbeth In Stride. Created & performed by Whitney White, orchestrations by Steven Cuevas and Whitney White, musically directed by Steven Cuevas, choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, directed by Tyler Dobrowsky & Taibi Magar.
  • Chasing Magic. Created by Ayodele Casel, directed by Torya Beard.

    2020–2021 season

  • Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

    2019–2020 season

  • Six. Written by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, musically supervised by Joe Beighton, musically directed by Roberta Duchak, orchestrations by Tim Curran, directed by Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage.
  • Black Light. Created by Daniel Alexander Jones, original songs by Jomama Jones. Featuring Bobby Halvorson, Laura Jean Anderson, Dylan Meek, and Josh Quat
  • Moby-Dick. Music, lyrics, book, and orchestrations by Dave Malloy, musically directed by Or Matias, choreography by Chanel DaSilva, directed by Rachel Chavkin
  • Thumbelina: A Little Musical. Book, music, and lyrics by Julia Riew, musically directed by Julia Riew & Ian Chan, choreography by Ryan Kapur, directed by Emma Watt
  • Gloria: A Life. Written by Emily Mann, directed by Diane Paulus

    2018–2019 season

  • The Black Clown. Adapted by Davóne Tines & Michael Schachter, music by Michael Schacter, musically directed by Jaret Landon, choreography by Chanel DaSilva, directed by Zack Winokur.
  • ExtraOrdinary. Written by Dick Scanlan, choreography by Abbey O'Brien, musically directed by Lance Horne, directed by Diane Paulus. Featuring Patina Miller, Norm Lewis, Rachel Bay Jones, Lea DeLaria, Gavin Creel, Carolee Carmello, and Elizabeth Stanley
  • Barber Shop Chronicles. Written by Inua Ellams, directed by Bijan Sheibani, design by Rae Smith
  • The Emperor's New Clothes. Book by Eliya Smith, music by Sasha Yakub, lyrics by Sarah Rossman, choreography by Ryan Kapur, directed by Mitchell Pononsky
  • Othello. Written by William Shakespeare, directed by Bill Rauch
  • Endlings. Written by Celine Song, directed by Sammi Cannold. Featuring Wai Ching Ho, Emily Kuroda, Jiehae Park, and Jo Yang
  • We Live in Cairo. Book, music, & lyrics by Daniel Lazour & Patrick Lazour, musical arrangements by Daniel Lazour & Michael Starobin, musically directed Madeline Smith, choreography by Samar Haddad King, and directed by Taibi Magar
Source:

2017–2018 season