About Us
Our History and Mission
Moonbox Productions began in 2011, when we raised the curtain for a one-weekend run of Godspell at the historic Brattle Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As the band filed in each night, an unusual warm-up act took the stage – guests from a local non-profit called StreetSafe Boston, an anti-gang-violence program of the Boston Foundation.
By sharing the spotlight for just a few minutes, Moonbox gave StreetSafe a chance to showcase the amazing work they were doing in our communities – earning them friends and funds from eager audiences moved by their story. That production became the seed of our company and its unique dual mission – to create exceptional theater using local talent and to connect our audiences with the other non-profit organizations doing wonderful work in our area.
Ten years and over twenty productions and non-profit partnerships later, Moonbox has continued creating and connecting, building an ever-widening circle of friends, partners and collaborators. Our mission has expanded, too, as we’ve broadened our desire and our ability to educate and include audiences, artists, and activists throughout Boston.
In 2016 we launched the Moonbox “Shadowbox” Mentorship Program, which provides hands-on theater experiences to emerging creative artists and theater technicians, all at no cost to them. The following year saw our test workshops for “Moonbox U”, an initiative to provide low- and no-cost continuing education and professional development for Boston-area working artists. Moonbox U’s first programs included not only traditional audition workshops and complimentary yoga classes, but also offered interdisciplinary round-tables where theater professionals from all walks of life could connect and share wisdom, with panelists ranging from opera singers to audiobook narrators, video-game music directors to musical theater mavens. After a short hiatus, Moonbox U is picking up steam again in 2021, with more exciting opportunities ahead for artists in Boston and beyond.
<p id=”access”>In 2018 we began Turning the Tide, a program designed with a two-part mission of accessibility. Turning the Tide’s first aim is to create more opportunities for theater professionals living with Deafness or disability, whether they’re working on or off the stage. Its second aim is to present stories of Deafness and disability to a wider audience. We want to prove that not only is compelling theater accessible – but also that accessible theater is, in itself, compelling. </p>
As issues of social justice and racial inequality rise in our national consciousness, we at Moonbox have responded by broadening and deepening our commitment to anti-racism and community advocacy. Beginning in November of 2020, we have: hired a Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; assembled an Advisory Board of theater professionals representing BIPOC, Deaf, and disabled perspectives; and developed a comprehensive Anti-Racism Statement that commits us to increasing BIPOC representation at every level of our company.
We’re exceptionally grateful for – and proud of – the opportunities we’ve had to connect with artists, advocates, and audiences throughout Greater Boston, and we’re also grateful for the recognition our artistic work has achieved on its independent merit. Since our founding, Moonbox has been honored by numerous laudatory reviews and raves from audiences and critics alike – garnering Moonbox numerous IRNE and Elliot Norton Awards ranging from Best Musical, Best Actor & Actress, to Best Scenic and Costume Design recognitions.
As we hunkered down over the COVID shutdown, we found an extraordinary opportunity to focus on one of our long-deferred goals: developing new works by local playwrights. As part of our Boston New Works Festival initiative, in year 1, we received more than sixty-five play proposals, from which we chose eleven original theatrical pieces by local artists for a year-long intensive workshop process culminating in fully-staged productions. This has turned into an ANNUAL event celebrating LOCAL work by LOCAL playwrights performed by LOCAL artists. We’re in year 3. Join us for Boston New Works Festival 2024!
#CreateCommunity
At Moonbox, we believe that the stories we tell are important. They sustain and preserve our community, our history, and our values. Telling racially diverse stories allows us not only to reflect – but also to reflect on – the complexities of our past. When we join together in the act of storytelling, we are united in ways that transcend the everyday. Together, we can use the power of storytelling to honor our commonalities, celebrate our differences, and address historical discrimination and injustice. We pledge to take this power seriously, and to use our voices and the stories we tell to dismantle the systemic racism and white supremacy engulfing our culture, our country, and our industry.