Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College's student newspaper

The Berkeley Beacon

Illustration by Molly Boyke

‘I Always Come Back’: The Theatrical Success of ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’

By Molly Boyke, Beacon Correspondent
November 1, 2023

Opinions expressed in Beacon Op-Eds are not necessarily shared by the entire staff. It is the responsibility of Opinion editors to elevate each individual’s unique voice.  I’ve been playing cat...

Courtesy T Charles Erickson

The Huntington’s production of Fat Ham remixes a classic tale for today’s world

By Karenna Umscheid
September 27, 2023

From “10 Things I Hate About You” to “She’s The Man” and “West Side Story,” modern Shakespeare adaptations have been weaving comedic stylings to reinvigorate classic tales. “Fat Ham,”...

Constellations’: the multiverse of what if’s

‘Constellations’: the multiverse of ‘what if’s’

By Shannon Garrido, Editor-in-chief
April 12, 2023

Boston’s Vermillion Theater staged their interpretation of “Constellations,” portraying young love throughout different universes—highlighting the fragility of “what-ifs.” Originally written...

Courtesy Jesse Barnett

Emerson’s historic “Jelly’s Last Jam” comes alive after four-year roadblock

By Meg Richards and Maddie Barron
April 5, 2023

Though the cast of “Jelly’s Last Jam” wasn’t mic'd, their powerful voices resonated throughout the Semel, echoing Emerson’s first all-Black musical’s central mission: the elevation of unsung...

Vermilion Theater’s second production of “Constellations” highlights the importance of queer love on stage

Vermilion Theater’s second production of “Constellations” highlights the importance of queer love on stage

By Shannon Garrido, Editor-in-chief
April 5, 2023

The legacies of queer love stories on stage have been breaking barriers for theater since Broadway’s 1983 production of “La Cage.” This weekend, Boston's Vermillion Theater is taking queer storytelling...

The set of Mary, Sweet Mary

‘Mary, Sweet Mary…’ brings modern queer themes to the Elizabethan era

By Sasha Zirin, Assistant Living Arts Editor
March 9, 2023

“Mary, Sweet Mary, or The Final Tragedy of Christopher Marlowe” entered the hearts and minds of the public last weekend, lighting up the stage with an enchanting storyline ignited by ferocious acting. Written...

Emshakes directors look back on a fall semester of revitalizing classics in student theater

Emshakes directors look back on a fall semester of revitalizing classics in student theater

By Karenna Umscheid, Assistant Living Arts Editor, Campus
January 24, 2023

Theater is transformation and reflection, a mirror held up to one’s society in the most dramatic form. The productions of Emshakes—formerly known as the Emerson Shakespeare Society—are no exception....

Emerson Stage to present ‘Marie Antoinette’ this weekend

Emerson Stage to present ‘Marie Antoinette’ this weekend

By Mariyam Quaisar, Editor-at-large
November 18, 2021

Emerson Stage will conclude its fall season with a production of “Marie Antoinette,” that aims to present audiences with a revolutionary and contemporary take on the life of the final Queen of France...

Emerson Stages production of The Late Wedding marked the return of live theater on Emersons campus.

Live theater returns with production of “The Late Wedding”

By Sophia Pargas, Content Managing Editor
October 4, 2021

After 559 days of closed curtains and empty theaters, Emerson Stage kicked off its fall season with a production of “The Late Wedding,” a play about love, marriage, and all of its complexities.  The...

Cutler Majestic Theater, one of ArtEmerson’s performance venues.

ArtsEmerson hosts first event since March 2020

By Sophia Pargas and Mariyam Quaisar
September 9, 2021

ArtsEmerson’s first in-person event in 18 months—an open house in the Cutler Majestic Theatre on Wednesday—aimed to reintroduce the public to theater and encourage them to get excited about this...

Ricky Downes III performing on stage

Alum Ricky Downes III writes and performs his own Lion King parody

By Sophia Pargas, Content Managing Editor
September 9, 2021

“The Lion King but it’s Just One Guy” began when Ricky Downes III ‘15 was a junior at Emerson—now, the production, a one man show, is free to stream on YouTube after it completed a successful...

The Colonial Theatre

Colonial Theatre to reopen in September with new programming

By Camilo Fonseca, Editor-at-large
July 8, 2021

The Emerson Colonial Theatre will open its doors to the public in September 2021 for the first time in seventeen months, the Ambassador Theatre Group announced on Thursday. The historic theatre—which,...

Chair of the Performing Arts Department Bob Colby, who died April 5, 2021

Late performing arts chair leaves behind legacy of empathy

By Camilo Fonseca, Editor-at-large
April 8, 2021

After 44 years at Emerson, students and colleagues fondly recalled Robert Colby as a committed theatre practitioner, a trusted mentor, and by many, a valued friend. The longtime faculty member served...

AMC Theater by the Common.

Movies don’t need to be a cinematic masterpiece to be worthwhile

By Lucia Thorne
April 8, 2021

As we all start slowly returning to sitting in front of the big screen, a once-wide selection of movie showings is lacking as a result of the pandemic. We can either see screenings of classics or movies...

The exterior of Cutler Majestic Theatre.

From stages to classrooms: Emerson theaters during COVID-19

By Alexander Vassilopoulos
March 24, 2021

In March 2020, the stages of Emerson College fell silent for the foreseeable future. One year later, in March 2021, these stages are still just as empty.   Fortunately, the college has utilized the...

Kyle Labe - Graphic by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

Remembering Matthew Shepard 21 years later

By Kyle Labe
October 29, 2019

My high school selected The Laramie Project for its fall production during my senior year. This was a shock to me, knowing my town and the conservative suburbs that surrounded the school. Moisés Kaufman’s...

Junior Alison Qu (center) said many other Boston colleges, such as Boston University, have their own Chinese student theater groups and Qu decided Emerson needed their own. - Photo by Xinyi Tu - Beacon Staff

Emerson Chuang Stage founders hope to break down cultural barriers

By Katiana Hoefle
April 9, 2019

Every day for the past four months, 27 Chinese students at Emerson spent several hours working to create their own student-run play, If I were not me. Junior Alison Qu, graduate student Qianru Wang,...

Junior Sydney Elise Johnson posing with co-stars Tasha Smith from Empire and Telma Hopkins.  Photo Courtesy of Sydney Elise Johnson

Junior makes primetime debut in BET political thriller

By Monika Davis
December 6, 2018

When junior Sydney Elise Johnson’s agent told her about a potential role in an original primetime television movie, Johnson frantically learned lines in between classes. After learning three scenes...

Alex Alpharoah portrays the stories of Dreamers in the one man show WET: A DACAmented Journey. Courtesy of Ray Shaw

Review: ArtsEmerson’s one-man show documents realities of DACA

By Ally Rzesa
November 18, 2018

I sprung to my feet at the end of ArtsEmerson’s WET: A DACAmented Journey. I watched a Tupac-loving teenage girl, a Spanglish-speaking mother, a Guatemalan consulate worker, and many more tell one story...

Fifth Estate Entertainments production of Rock of Ages stars alum Chris Renolds 15 as Franz. / Courtesy of Fifth Estate Entertainment

Alum’s production company debuts with “Rock of Ages” national tour

By Ally Rzesa
October 24, 2018

Small-town girl Sherrie met city boy Drew 10 years ago on Broadway. Now audiences can meet the duo again in the Rock of Ages Tenth Anniversary Tour. Rock of Ages follows Drew, Sherrie, and others...

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