Aug 15th was supposed to be an Open House for the studio galleries. ???.. My wife and I spend an hour driving into the city and only 3 or 4 studios bothered to even open out of a 100 or so?.. So WHY advertise an Open House if essentially nobody wants to participate?? Is their a reason maybe you have nothing to show ?? You are artists, so dont you want people to see your work and maybe buy something?. Everyone should "relish" this opportunity! Terrible management and poor planning!. When asked why studios not opened, we're told its up to the artists to decide... so fine... get feedback say a week before to know how many will participate??.. if too little participants, then postpone or cancel !!.. Simple management!..Don't waste people's time !!! So, why are you all there in the first place???... MAD AS HELL !.... will NEVER come back! read more

On a super-wet Saturday, I braved the rain and the wind to see OperaHub's performance of DER ZWERG (The Dwarf) at Plaza Black Box Theatre located at 539 Tremont Street, Boston. OperaHub (http://www.operahub.org/) is dedicated to affordable and accessible performances of opera, and their choice of a performance space at Plaza Black Box Theatre surely led towards the intimacy and up close and personal aspect of their beliefs and commitments. Since it was General Seating, I arrived just over a half hour early to wait for the doors to open and have my pick of seats. The room was wide and relatively narrow - the stage space just a touch larger than the area taken up by the seats (I think I counted 2 sections of 5 rows of 10 chairs) set in stadium fashion to allow for a decent view for all. It was an intimate setting. I could see every actor and actress' facial expressions and moves quite well, and was impressed with the creativity of the show given their self-admittedly small budget. With a ladies' room with 4 toilets and either 3 or 4 sinks, they had an impressive ratio of toilets to possible lady patrons. Tip: If you need to pick up a ticket for a show here, most likely you'll have to stop by the neighboring Calderwood Pavilion's box office. PS - Despite the short flight of stairs in this place, it is handicap accessible. Generally, show tickets for this theatre seem to be available online at http://www.bostontheatrescene.com/index.aspx *** May 2010 visit *** For another show I attended in the Black Box, Farragut North, the stage was set in the center strip of the room with stadium seats set on either side. Talk about a room that caters to the whim of the performance! *** 2/2018 *** This space consists of two theater spaces: Plaza Black Box Theatre, which seats 90 BCA Plaza Theatre, which seats 142 Will Call has moved to the lobby on site. read more

I saw a great (long) play in one of the small black box theaters attached to the larger, newer Tanglewood. The series is put on by Company One Productions; it's the best local theater I've ever seen... but keep in mind, I'm comparing this to many childhood theater experiences in rural areas. I plan to return for the next few shows, but for now, I highly recommend catching a show in the smaller stages of BCA. read more

Going to the BCA is always a fun time. I've been coming here since I was in college, when I was first introduced to the real theater experience via Jason Slavick, who happens to be a director for Boston Theater Works (BTW). While every show I've been to have been in the Plaza. I would love to experience one of the other components of the BCA theaters. Every production has been amazing. You can see everything no matter where you sit in their seating arrangements. I think they've recently redone the seats, because the last time I went which was this past weekend, the seats were much more comfortable than I remember. So far, I've seen the following shows here (BCA Plaza): * The Shape of Things (SpeakEasy Stage Company 2002 - 2003) * My Life with the Kringle Kult (Boston Theater Works 2003) * Mr. Marmalade (Company One 2007) * A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Boston Theater Works 2007) The Leland Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts * Bits & Pieces ( Rough & Tumble 2003) I'm hoping to catch Zanna Don't before the production is over at some point. read more

Everyone checking out this listing should be informed that the Boston Center for the Arts is actually a rental house for theatres, as opposed to a theatre company itself. There are 30+ companies that rent the 4 different theatres each year - The WImberly, The Roberts (both in the Calderwood Pavilion), The Black Box, and The Plaza Theatre. The BCA has 3 resident companies right now, meaning they have a permanent home to produce theatre at the BCA: SpeakEasy Stage - http://www.speakeasystage.com Company One - http://www.companyone.org The Theatre Offensive - http://www.thetheateroffensive.org/indexB.html Check out the main BCA website here - http://www.bcaonline.org So a heads up that if you go to the BCA to see a show and like or don't like it, make sure you check out the Company that produced it, as opposed to deciding that everything at the BCA is great/bad. Enjoy the arts in Boston! read more

Not a lot of people go see plays and even less are aware that Boston's Theater District is crap. All those fancy shcmancy high profile Broadway shows at the 3 prominent theaters are overrated and overpriced. Although, if you go half a mile from here down Tremont Street you'll come across one of the best theaters in all of Boston. The BCA is a great place to catch a performance for half the cost of whatever's playing at the "popular" places downtown. Even more so if you can get student rush or any other special promotions at the box office. Some of the theater spaces are a bit smaller and more intimate, like the Black Box theater where every seat is a good seat. But you do have the Calderwood, which is the theater's main stage. Every show I've been to here has been a treat. Some a little more entertaining than others but whenever I get the feeling to see a show that doesn't have me staring at a screen wearing oversized glasses, with big ass explosions I come here. The crowd is usually old folks because, well catching a movie is cheaper but if you look for discounts at the box office or the Arts Boston kiosk you can usually find last minute tickets for $20 and under, which is a really nice price for an alternative evening out. read more

Went to a play in the Black Box Theater last night. While the play was good, the seats were uncomfortable (they looked like church basement chairs from e 70's) and the floor was sticky. The event space was nice though -an intimate theater experience. It reminded me of the smalldance//theater preformance spaces in the east village. $23 seemed steep for such an informal theater, but they are paying for the real estate. One of the perks of going to a show here is you have no shortage of places to eat your pre-show meal. I'd go back if a friend needed a cheering section or if there was something i REALLY wanted to see, but it wouldn't be my first choice in venue. read more

The one great thing I thought I would never be able to replace was excellent theater. This isn't quite the theater district, and they will certainly never put on Wicked, but I'm the kind of person who sees the foreign film at the MFA, instead of the kind who sees the latest blockbuster on opening day at the AMC. If this sounds like you, read on. I'm one of those conforming non-conformists (unintentionally). It's no doubt that anyone from New York City grows up to be a snob about a lot of things (oh, and I am), so I went to my first event here, over a year ago, still a skeptic then. After seeing In the Heights once in the black box theater, I subsequently returned...a month later...to see it *again.* I never saw In the Heights in NYC, but I no longer feel as if I missed my opportunity. The show was so good, that I'm not at all upset I wasn't able to see a Broadway cast perform it in NYC. I was just there this Sunday for a staged reading of a show from the Summer Workshops. I recognized the actresses from some of the shows I had previously seen at this location. It's nice to see real people with passion for theater perform. This is obviously not Broadway, and there are no traveling Broadway Shows here, but the BCA hosts a lot of excellent productions. I have never been disappointed by any show I've seen here (The Last Five Years, The Whale, The Color Purple, Smart People, In the Heights...among others). But oh man-- concessions are expensive. I think the tiny 90-110 calorie bottle of Coca Cola was over $3. I could understand this inflated pricing if the bottle were normally sized, or if we were getting cans and not bottles, but these are 'baby bottles' of soda for a ridiculously high price (please do not give your babies soda; it's terrible for them... it's also terrible for adults, but my fate is sealed at this point). I have never been to a show that had more than 5 or 6 seats open. I buy my tickets far in advance, because I'm used to not getting what I want due to signing up last minute. If you wait too late, you'll end up with single seats instead of in grouped seating with people you know. Oh, and a lot of the events are 35 below, because apparently 30s *are* the new 20s (sorry Meg Jay), so you can get discounted tickets through your mid 30s. Students also get discounts. I really can't believe how many people don't know about the BCA; I'm no ambassador, but I'd hope the great work done by the people here finds a larger fanbase. A lot of the actors have long, long, long credits to their names. Malcolm Jamal-Warner (Theo Huxtable!) will play the lead role in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner this fall. Oh, I have tickets to that too. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys theater. read more

The little theater that could and did! This is the place to see great, little productions. When scouring the thearer district for domething different, don't overlook this tiny gem! read more

Bored? Put down the damn remote and go see some live theater! Yes, theater. It's that thing that's performed LIVE. As a performer and theater goer, there are few things more exciting than walking up to the BCA. It's smack center in the South End on a busy, bright and entertaining street. The area surrounding the BCA is filled with great resturarunts, funky bars and characters galore. This center is a host to so many diverse theater groups, near and far, who bring a revolving door of endless entertainment to Boston. With so many different spaces, you never know if you'll walk into a grand stage or a shoebox. However, whatever you walk into, you're sure to come out with a story or two to tell. Yes, tickets prices can be expensive. Though a lot of the companies offer special deals (pay what you can, student nights) that allow you to see a cheap show or two. The BCA website is helpful in directing you towards those deals. Keep up the FABULOUS work, BCA artists and creators! read more

I've seeen two great shows at BCA: For Colored Girls (probably 2006) After the Quake (last week) After the Quake was particularly amazing- I was so impressed by how they transformed two Murakami stories into one cohesive play (especially since one of those stories is really rooted in fantasy-- about an enormous frog saving Tokyo from an earthquake), and by how actors were able to convincingly play multiple roles. I also loved how smartly the director was able to integrate music into the play. More than anything, I love this space-- there isn't a bad seat in here (hell, there aren't many seats in here). There's nothing fancy or flashy about the BCA- it's just about the work, and I appreciate that. Oh, and the people who work at BCA seem to just adore the place. They are the nicest people ever, the kind of people who, when they ask you if you want to be a member, make you want to say yes. read more

This review is for an event held at the BCA. Not the actual facilty. Went to my LAST Shecky's Girls Night Out BOSTON. I've been coming to these events for about 5 years now. They used to be fantastic and have slowly become less and less with each passing year. PROS -Still have some great deals on nice stuff but there seams to be the same type of stuff. Not a lot of variety. CONS -Used to get the swag bag for $10 now it will cost you $30 and I hear they are no where near as good. -Used to get 5 drink tickets that were real drinks. This year it's 3 tickets with your choice of a half a beer or a pre mixed drink. -Lines were way too long even though the drinks were chintzy. I brought a friend with me who did buy a couple of things but we were out of there in under an hour. I will not be back nor will I recommend it anymore. Pretty sad.... read more

A beautiful venue. There is not a bad seat in the house. The only problem is that parking can be next to impossible. The South End has terrible parking to begin with and the T is far away. My suggestion is that you allow for extra time to get here. On street parking is difficult, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Nearby garages also fill up. So, allow plenty of time to get to your event. read more

This place is all about what the event/artists/organizers do with the space. Its a piece of offbeat Cambridge dropped in Boston's South End, conveniently by all kinds of yummy restaurants. read more

What an amazing space! Just visiting for the Icons event last weekend made me want to break out my finger paints. Several nice restaurants surrounding the Center make it an all-evening destination. If this show was any indication, the BCA has something great and intriguing to offer Boston. The BCA is a must-see. read more

Gotta love the BCA aka Cyclorama for consistently having really cool and diverse events. I've gone here for everything from a Russian puppet show, to over the top Diesel and Redbull parties, to graffiti artists showcases and I always come away inspired. The space is just so huge and open that with good event design and production each event has a totally unique look and feel. I highly recommend checking out the BCA next time you get a chance! read more

a cool venue, but it really depends on the show - i'm with Shannon, the ICONZ event made me want to get my craypods out! rough acoustics in here, its like a big expo center type space but in-the-round. read more

the only times i've been here is to see The Theater Offensive (queer theater company- check them out!) and for the Bazaar Bizarre, both of which are awesome, so for that, i give the BCA props. http://www.thetheateroffensive.org/ http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/boston.html read more

I saw "Little Shop of Horrors here once, and haven't felt the need to come back. I don't know which stage I saw it on (the Black Box?), but it was a really tiny stage in the semi-round, a fine space by all means, but not worth the $50 they were charging for what appeared to be a predominantly student production, and barely worth the $25 I paid at Bostix. It was a fun show, but I think a one time experience for me. read more

The Four-Note Opera production was the best show I've seen in a long time! This venue was a great spot to host it. It looked even better than it did when OperaHub put on Der Zwerg last March. Jordan was so funny at the end. I wish those guys luck in their new iteration (as Hub Collaborations). read more

watched a play (You For Me For You) at the plaza theatre awhile back. it was a great experience, nice and casual. affordable prices. (im sad to lose my college id privileges next month). surprisingly empty audience. the theatre we watched it in was tiny, but i dug it cause it makes us closer to the actors. id gladly revisit if it wasnt so far away from me! also, theres great food within several minutes walk from the theatre! read more

We saw After the Quake here for a little girls night out. It was an interesting play and the acting was quite good. The story was a little strange and sometimes dragged on, and the ending sex moment was a little weird. The room we were in was small so pretty much any seat is a good seat, you will be up close and personal with the actors no matter what. The play started about 10 minutes late which was good for us since we were actually late but if you were on time or early I could see it being annoying. Overall a pretty good experience. And they have student priced tickets - yay for that! read more

This is a wonderful place to see live theater. The venue is very clean and modern and the staff and accomodating and polite. The theaters are small and intimate and it makes for a very special experience. The seating is a little uncomfortable but it's well worth it to see shows in such a small space. read more

Love this place and their mission to support local artists to create, exhibit and perform. Some of the best exhibitions I've seen in town have been at the Mills gallery. Love the Cyclorama and their theatre productions are always cutting edge and exciting. Plus the neighborhood is super charming. read more