Wheelock Family Theatre
Creating inter-generational and multicultural productions that provide a shared experience for the whole family.
200 The Riverway
boston, ma 02215
About Wheelock Family Theatre
Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University creates inter-generational and multicultural productions that provide a shared experience for the whole family. Their productions celebrate the diverse range of families found in the world today and seek to unite them in the shared experience of live theatre. They are dedicated to those who are historically under-served: people of color, people with disabilities, and low-income families. They know that it is not only children who are “at risk” in our society—but entire families and communities.
They are devoted to the ideal of complete access and reject the notion that the arts should be available only to audiences of privilege. Their play selections, casting policies, affordable ticket prices, education programs and access provisions for people with disabilities reflect an unwavering commitment to inclusive, community-based theatre. They believe theatre is a crucial element of human experience. It is both a means of self-revelation and a basis for empathy with others; it inspires both individualism and responsibility through the giving and the receiving of human experience.
The History
Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University has been the Greater Boston area’s premier theatre company serving children and families, with professional, affordable productions that appeals to people of all ages.
The theatre was founded in 1981 by Andrea Genser, Anthony Hancock, Susan Kosoff, and Jane Staab with the endorsement and support of the former Wheelock College President, Gordon Marshall. In the years since its founding the theatre has staged more than 100 mainstage productions — from classic children’s shows like Charlotte’s Web or Pippi Longstocking, to family-friendly musicals like Peter Pan and The Sound of Music, to thought-provoking dramas like To Kill a Mockingbird that deal with issues of interest and concern to young people.
Since 1981, their productions have been seen by more than a half-million people. Their education programs, both in the theatre and in the Boston public schools, have provided hands-on training to tens of thousands of students. Their commitment to making their theatre accessible to people from all the diverse communities of the Boston area has won them recognition and awards at both the local and national level.
On June 1, 2018, as a result of the merger of Wheelock College and Boston University, Wheelock Family Theatre became a program of Boston University.
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