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Central Square Theater

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Central Square Theater is a unique collaboration between two non-profit professional theater companies – The Nora Theatre Company (The Nora) and Underground Railway Theatre (URT) – with a combined track record of 50 years of excellence in producing theater and educational programming for the Greater Boston community.

URT was founded in 1978 and The Nora in 1988, yet neither had a permanent venue until now. Increasing audience demand for show tickets combined with limited access to affordable production space made the search for a permanent location a critical concern.

In July, 2008, The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater moved into their first permanent theater home, the new state-of-the-art Central Square Theater, located in one of Cambridge’s most vibrant neighborhoods.
Central Square Theater is not only a theater space, but also a model artistic and managerial partnership in which each resident company is maintaining its unique identity while working in tandem to fuel long-term sustainability, stimulate creativity, and add value to the community.

The Boston Foundation recognized Central Square Theater in its ground-breaking report. Culture is Our Common Wealth, citing Central Square Theater as a “model partnership” and “best practice.” It also highlighted Central Square Theater in its 2008 publication There for the Arts as one of “the organizations that has contributed to making Greater Boston one of the most culturally rich cities in the world.”
 

• At-a-
  Glance

  • Contact Info

    Central Square Theater

    450 Massachusetts Avenue
    Cambridge, MA 02139

    Email   |   Official Website

  • Current Events

    02/09/12- 03/04/12

    Photograph 51 Central Square Theater Photograph 51 Presented by Central Square Theater at Central Square Theater February 9-March 4, 2012 In 1951, British biophysicist Rosalind Franklin became a research associate at King’s College in London, where her X-ray imaging revealed DNA’s double helix structure, leading to the Nobel Prize – but not for Franklin. As told with wit and urgency by a chorus of scientists who relive the competitive race to be the first to map the DNA molecule, Photograph 51 is the story of the fiercely independent spirit of a young, ambitious scientist and her unsung, trailblazing achievements. Winner...

  • Upcoming Events

    02/13/12

    You and I: A Cabaret Central Square Theater You and I: A Cabaret Presented by Central Square Theater at Central Square Theater February 13, 2012 One way or another, every song is a love song. Either it's exultation and happiness or heartbreak and devastation. Are we miserable because we've listened to all these heartbreakingly romantic love songs or we heartbroken because we have idealized love from letting our emotions take us away? Share the joy and laugh away at the pain with us as we explore Valentine's Day and our own experiences through...

• Current &
  Upcoming Events

  • Current Events

    02/09/12- 03/04/12

    Photograph 51 Central Square Theater Photograph 51 Presented by Central Square Theater at Central Square Theater February 9-March 4, 2012 In 1951, British biophysicist Rosalind Franklin became a research associate at King’s College in London, where her X-ray imaging revealed DNA’s double helix structure, leading to the Nobel Prize – but not for Franklin. As told with wit and urgency by a chorus of scientists who relive the competitive race to be the first to map the DNA molecule, Photograph 51 is the story of the fiercely independent spirit of a young, ambitious scientist and her unsung, trailblazing achievements. Winner...

  • Upcoming Events

    02/13/12

    You and I: A Cabaret Central Square Theater You and I: A Cabaret Presented by Central Square Theater at Central Square Theater February 13, 2012 One way or another, every song is a love song. Either it's exultation and happiness or heartbreak and devastation. Are we miserable because we've listened to all these heartbreakingly romantic love songs or we heartbroken because we have idealized love from letting our emotions take us away? Share the joy and laugh away at the pain with us as we explore Valentine's Day and our own experiences through...

• Past
  Events

  • Past Events

    01/28/12- 01/29/12	“Money Matters,” presented by Youth Underground and Cambridge Savings Bank Central Square Theater
    12/12/11	Journey Home: A Cabaret Central Square Theater
    09/07/11- 10/02/11	The Hound of the Baskervilles Central Square Theater
    07/07/11- 08/14/11	Matt & Ben Central Square Theater
    05/19/11- 06/19/11	Silver Spoon Central Square Theater
    02/10/11- 03/13/11	Ti-Jean & His Brothers Central Square Theater
    11/18/10- 12/19/10	The Fever Chart: Three Visions of the Middle East Central Square Theater
    10/07/10- 11/07/10	A Moon for the Misbegotten Central Square Theater
    09/08/10- 09/26/10	Truth Values: One Girl’s Romp Through MIT’s Male Math Maze Central Square Theater
    08/12/10	You Can Tell at Lunch Roxbury Center for the Arts
    07/22/10- 08/22/10	The Hound of the Baskervilles Central Square Theater
    05/13/10- 06/26/10	The Lady With All The Answers Central Square Theater
    04/19/10- 04/23/10	April Vacation Week Theater Intensive Central Square Theater
    03/31/10- 05/02/10	From Orchids to Octopi Central Square Theater
    02/15/10- 02/19/10	February Vacation Week Theater Intensive Central Square Theater
    02/11/10- 03/14/10	Not Enough Air Central Square Theater
    01/09/10- 03/13/10	The Actor's Toolbox Winter Session Central Square Theater
    01/07/10- 01/31/10	Harriet Jacobs Central Square Theater
    11/19/09- 12/27/09	Tru Grace: Holiday Memoirs Central Square Theater
    10/08/09- 10/25/09	CRAVINGS: Songs of Hunger and Satisfaction Central Square Theater
    10/01/09- 11/01/09	The Caretaker Central Square Theater
    09/26/09- 11/14/09	The Actor's Toolbox Fall Session Central Square Theater
    09/23/09- 01/27/10	Page to Stage Central Square Theater
    09/15/09- 10/24/09	The Loudest Voice Advance Actor Training Central Square Theater
    09/15/09- 10/24/09	The Loudest Voice Advance Actor Training Central Square Theater
    09/10/09- 09/27/09	Truth Values Central Square Theater
    07/20/09- 07/31/09	Central Square Theater Summer Classes: Stage III Central Square Theater
    07/06/09- 07/17/09	Central Square Theatre Summer Classes: Stage II Central Square Theater
    06/29/09- 07/03/09	Central Square Theatre Summer Classes: Stage I Central Square Theater
    05/28/09- 06/21/09	On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) Central Square Theater
    05/02/09	The Improbable Research Cabaret Central Square Theater
    04/20/09- 04/24/09	Underground Railway Theatre April Intensive Central Square Theater
    04/10/09- 05/17/09	The Life of Galileo Central Square Theater

• Media
  Reviews

  • Media Reviews

    • Event Name: Not Enough Air
      Article: A murder, a playwright, and the creative process
      Boston Globe/Boston.com - Feb 22, 2010
      By Louise Kennedy

      CAMBRIDGE - Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 play, “Machinal,’’ is a masterpiece of American Expressionism that was nearly forgotten until the 1990s. With any luck, local playwright Masha Obolensky’s finely crafted play about “Machinal’’ and Treadwell, “Not E… Expand

      CAMBRIDGE - Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 play, “Machinal,’’ is a masterpiece of American Expressionism that was nearly forgotten until the 1990s. With any luck, local playwright Masha Obolensky’s finely crafted play about “Machinal’’ and Treadwell, “Not Enough Air,’’ won’t suffer the same fate Collapse

    • Event Name: Not Enough Air
      Article: ‘Not Enough Air’ is breathtaking
      Boston Herald - Feb 22, 2010
      By Jenna Scherer

      The act of writing is seldom as romantic or dramatic as portrayed in popular media. You know the trope: a divinely inspired author sits at his typewriter with a flourish and beats out a story like a symphony.
      
      No, the act of creation is a… Expand

      The act of writing is seldom as romantic or dramatic as portrayed in popular media. You know the trope: a divinely inspired author sits at his typewriter with a flourish and beats out a story like a symphony.
      
      No, the act of creation is a lot messier and uglier than that. In Masha Obolensky’s “Not Enough Air,” the writing process is portrayed in all its grotesque, compulsive fervor. It’s based on a true story, but Obolensky knows that, once in your head, the shadows of real people tend to take on a life of their own. Collapse

    • Event Name: Harriet Jacobs
      Article: In ‘Harriet,’ a story of a slave girl’s resilience
      Boston.com - Jan 12, 2010
      By Don Aucoin

      In “Harriet Jacobs,’’ Lydia R. Diamond’s searing dramatization of America’s legacy of slavery, Diamond mobilizes her gifted pen and her powers of empathy to tell the story of one extraordinary woman. Expand

      In “Harriet Jacobs,’’ Lydia R. Diamond’s searing dramatization of America’s legacy of slavery, Diamond mobilizes her gifted pen and her powers of empathy to tell the story of one extraordinary woman. Collapse

    • Event Name: Harriet Jacobs
      Article: ‘Harriet’ gives voice to slave girl
      Boston Herald - Jan 12, 2010
      By Jenna Scherer

      There are some aspects of our history that defy the power of language to describe, and slavery is one of them. It’s only right that “Harriet Jacobs,” the story of a slave girl, begins with eight voices raised in wordless song. Expand

      There are some aspects of our history that defy the power of language to describe, and slavery is one of them. It’s only right that “Harriet Jacobs,” the story of a slave girl, begins with eight voices raised in wordless song. Collapse

• Member
  Reviews

  • Member Reviews

    • Event Name: Matt & Ben
      "Matt & Ben"
      Comment posted by: Don from Peabody, MA, Aug 14, 2011
      

      A thoroughly enjoyable play. The 2 woman show gave us several laughs, while it took a quirky view of the origin of "Good Will Hunting". Traffic going INTO Cambridge and finding parking on a Friday... Expand

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      A thoroughly enjoyable play. The 2 woman show gave us several laughs, while it took a quirky view of the origin of "Good Will Hunting". Traffic going INTO Cambridge and finding parking on a Friday night was surprisingly easy. We look forward to going the Central Square Theatre again. Collapse

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    • Event Name: Matt & Ben
      "Re: What did you think of Matt & Ben?"
      Comment posted by: Carol from Cambridge, MA, Jul 18, 2011
      

      Mostly I enjoy productions at the Central Square Theater, but somehow "Matt and Ben" did not grab me. Perhaps I was confused by the fact that women played the two men.

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      Mostly I enjoy productions at the Central Square Theater, but somehow "Matt and Ben" did not grab me. Perhaps I was confused by the fact that women played the two men.

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    • Event Name: Silver Spoon
      "Silver Spoon"
      Review posted by: Sam from Wellesley, MA, May 23, 2011
      

      Silver Spoon was a wonderfully engaging and entertaining musical with some very interesting perspectives. We loved it. All the actors were terrific and convincing. The actress playing Polly Bullock... Expand

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      Silver Spoon was a wonderfully engaging and entertaining musical with some very interesting perspectives. We loved it. All the actors were terrific and convincing. The actress playing Polly Bullock should go right to center stage on Broadway, but only after she finishes performing in Cambridge, of course. Every movement and expression, sad or funny, was a delight. The mother was a scream. The lines were engaging and the music very good. We are not professional theater goers. This play was a winner and lots of fun. Collapse

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    • Event Name: The Fever Chart: Three Visions of the Middle East
      "Fever Chart review"
      Review posted by: Anne Simone from Cambridge, MA, Dec 21, 2010
      

      This is a passionate and poetic exploration of the tensions that exist between Israelis and Palestinians. It gets to the underlying political tensions but through deeply personal relations between... Expand

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      This is a passionate and poetic exploration of the tensions that exist between Israelis and Palestinians. It gets to the underlying political tensions but through deeply personal relations between individuals. Three haunting and beautiful stories, with powerful actors and it shouldn't be missed! Collapse

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    • Event Name: The Fever Chart: Three Visions of the Middle East
      "Critical Acclaim"
      Review posted by: Susan from Waltha, MA, Dec 21, 2010
      

      Terrific acting. However, I think the strongest piece, the middle one with the nurse with the transplanted organs, took too long to get to the crux of the issue. Suggest some editing. I think the... Expand

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      Terrific acting. However, I think the strongest piece, the middle one with the nurse with the transplanted organs, took too long to get to the crux of the issue. Suggest some editing. I think the Iraqi act (last one) did not belong with the first two. I am making these comments in the hopes that it might be helpful. Collapse

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    • Event Name: A Moon for the Misbegotten
      "Wonderful Evening!"
      Review posted by: Katy from Boston, Oct 26, 2010
      

      We really enjoyed it, from the moment we entered the lobby and were greeted by a nice Irish reel playing in the background. I'll follow Bill Meleady anywhere! He was outstanding. Wonderful!

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      We really enjoyed it, from the moment we entered the lobby and were greeted by a nice Irish reel playing in the background. I'll follow Bill Meleady anywhere! He was outstanding. Wonderful!

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    • Event Name: A Moon for the Misbegotten
      "Terrific show."
      Review posted by: Bernard Horn from Framingham, MA, Oct 25, 2010
      

      Everything about this production was terrific, including the play itself, the set by Anthony Phelps, the directing by Richard McElvain, and the acting. Particularly noteworthy were the mercurial... Expand

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      Everything about this production was terrific, including the play itself, the set by Anthony Phelps, the directing by Richard McElvain, and the acting. Particularly noteworthy were the mercurial changes is tone and feeling by Will McGarrahan as Jim and Ramona Lisa Alexander as an extraordinary Josie. Collapse

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    • Event Name: A Moon for the Misbegotten
      "excellent cast is superb"
      Review posted by: boston man from cambridge ma, Oct 11, 2010
      

      We thoroughly enjoyed the presentation of "Moon for the Misbegotten." The cast was superb...we were so completely enthralled in the performance.

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      We thoroughly enjoyed the presentation of "Moon for the Misbegotten." The cast was superb...we were so completely enthralled in the performance.

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    • Event Name: The Hound of the Baskervilles
      "a hoot"
      Review posted by: Brian from Ottawa, ON, Aug 20, 2010
      

      a deliughtful farce

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      a deliughtful farce

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    • Event Name: The Hound of the Baskervilles
      "Hound of the Baskervilles"
      Comment posted by: John from MA, Aug 17, 2010
      

      Not your usual ACD script. If you enjoy SH material you will like this performance. Worth the trip from the Cape to Cambridge.

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      Not your usual ACD script. If you enjoy SH material you will like this performance. Worth the trip from the Cape to Cambridge.

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