Stage Company

Where We Belong Lighting Designer Ben Rush took a moment to share the behind-the-scenes magic of lighting the New England premiere – including his “magic sheet” that encapsulates the working elements of the black box theater’s lights.

Rush’s design does not simply illuminate the set designed by Baron E. Pugh; it paints and transforms its surfaces and contours with changing colors, textures, and contrast in order to support the play’s moving story. 

A regular member of The Umbrella Stage Company design team, SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal began this season as Lighting & Projections Designer on Network, and later on Now. Here. This. which runs in rotation in the Black Box. We caught up with him to ask him about the especially dzzling use of multimedia and projection on Network, under the direction of Ashley Kelly Tata.

“In these dangerous times, where it seems the world is ripping apart at the seams, we can all learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the face everyday. [We] should reach out to each other and bond as a community rather than hide from the terrors of life at the end of the millennium.”

Jonathan Larson, written shortly before his sudden death during the night before Rent’s Off-Broadway premiere.

The Umbrella has been thrilled to once again welcome audiences back to our theater! Although enhanced safety COVID safety measures have meant a night at the theater looks and feels a little different, the pleasure of coming together for live concerts and shows is unmistakable, for audiences and artists alike.

In recognition of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in a year that has been particularly trying for so many members of our community, The Umbrella appreciates and supports the work of AAPI artists who have shared their talent with us before and especially throughout the pandemic.

The arts world of Boston has been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, with theaters taking an especially hard blow. In light of this, the Greater Boston Stage Company, with the help of StageSource and the Creatives Who Care Initiative, has teamed up with 53 other local theater companies (including The Umbrella Stage Company!) for limited-edition "Boston Plays Wicked Hard" T-shirts.

New Play Series

The Umbrella Stage Company is seeking submissions from local playwrights of new work written specifically for a digital platform. Submissions should be 30-40 minutes in length and should leverage technical opportunities unique to a virtual performance environment to create a fully realized, digital audience experience. 

Plays should feature fewer than 6 actors and may be of any genre of the playwright’s choosing. Playwrights will be asked to participate in a talk-back with audiences following each performance.