Dear CFA community and friends,
Boston University recently announced its decision to sell the BU Theatre and its adjacent properties. Details about the decision, the thorough discussion that preceded it, as well as next steps are well explained in the BU Today article: http://www.bu.edu/today/2015/university-to-sell-bu-theatre/. Jim Petosa and I were deeply and actively involved in conversations with the central administration throughout the process and, while we acknowledge that this is a bold step, it’s a necessary one in paving the way for the School of Theatre’s long-held dream of unifying its programs close to CFA and onto Commonwealth Avenue.
While this certainly will change the physical spaces for academic programs, we look forward to continuing to find ways to prepare the next generation of theatre artists. Engagement with the professional theatre community, including the Huntington Theatre Company, is a core value of CFA and SOT, and is reflected in the strong artistic relationships BU has with a multitude of theatre professionals.
The BU Theatre has been an important and vibrant fabric of our Theatre community for the last several decades, but Jim and I are confident that the steps the University is taking, together with us, to unify Theatre’s academic programs onto the Charles River Campus will create enormous opportunities to better serve our students in their learning. This decision is a major step forward in several ways:
#1. Moving Design and Production programs onto the Charles River Campus will increase synergies between the performance and D&P programs which haven’t been fully realized due to distance.
#2. Proceeds from the sale of the Huntington Avenue properties will enable the University to build a state-of-the-art facility with new design shops and a black box theatre close to CFA that serves our students and the changing landscape of technology, etc. Students will be working in appropriate spaces that are functional and up-to-date.
#3. A proximal, modern facility opens the door to not just new space, but to new ideas, progressive mindsets, and innovative approaches to the art forms.
I’ve heard many of your voices over the last day and I hope the discussion continues. The conversation goes beyond space and is about the opportunity academically and artistically that comes with this change of venue. I look forward to leading these conversations as we work towards plans for the new space. Here’s what we know about the new space planned:
- It will include all D&P production spaces, teaching spaces, and a professional-quality black box theatre on the Charles River Campus and in the area of CFA’s main building along Commonwealth Avenue.
- We recognize both the School of Theatre’s and Opera Institute’s mainstage needs for key performances. However, we do not have plans to build a full proscenium theatre on the Charles River Campus as part of these new facilities – it is simply too cost prohibitive. We will instead explore venues in Boston that can be rented for our large-scale productions (similar to the School of Music’s annual performances that utilize Boston Symphony Hall).
- The University’s Space Planning and Capital Expenditures Committee (the SPACE Committee) has a very well-defined process for planning new buildings, and be assured we will work hand-in-glove with them to develop plans for our new space. This planning and design process will take several months to develop with the hope that we will be ready for public discussion about them next spring. The University is committed to having the production, teaching, and black box spaces ready for student use before the start of the 2017-2018 academic year.
I welcome ongoing conversations with each of you regarding the new space and will continue to update you on the progress. Serving students is central to our mission at CFA, and I look forward to exploring the possibilities that come with this new chapter with each of you. Many of us have wonderful memories of the BU Theater, and while the experience will be different, I hope you join me in embracing the opportunity we have to create new learning platforms and spaces for our students.
Warmly,
Lynne Allen
Dean ad Interim
BU College of Fine Arts