The New Repertory Theatre (New Rep) is a Boston-area regional theater company founded in 1984, it has produced more than 70 East Coast, US, or World premieres.[1] Since 2005 New Rep has been the resident company at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA.[2] It creates productions for the 340-seat Main Stage Theater, the 90-seat Black Box Theater, and its outreach program, New Rep Classic Repertory Company, performs for over 14,000 students, many from underserved communities, each year.[3] In 2019, Michael J. Bobbitt was appointed as executive artistic director.[4] In April 2021, New Rep named M. Bevin O’Gara its interim executive artistic director,[5] as Bobbitt moved to the position of executive director for the Massachusetts Cultural Council.[5]
New Rep's Next Voices Playwriting Fellowship sponsors playwrights each year to develop new work.[6] Recent fellows include Walt McGough,[7] John Minigan,[8] Ellen O'Brien,[9]Lila Rose Kaplan, and Patrick Gabridge.[8] In 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, New Rep transitioned from live to virtual performances and later the next year featured outdoor performances at the Arsenal on the Charles.[10] In July 2021, the theatre announced it would be suspending operations due to pandemic related challenges.[10] In 2022, the company announced it would be producing two shows for the 2022 season; We Celebrate: Storytelling through Song, Music, and Sound at the Mosesian Center Main Stage, and Solo Moments in New Reps Black Box Theater.[10]
