September 24, 2019 | Theatre, Notes From Leadership,

Welcome to ArtsEmerson’s 10th Season!

A note from Artistic Director, David Dower, and Executive Director, David C. Howse:

Passengers (SEP 25-OCT 3) marks the seventh time The 7 Fingers have appeared in our season. Contemporary circus, in fact, has been presented in eight of our ten seasons and is a cornerstone of our programming. ArtsEmerson is one of the leading presenters of the form in the country, and one of the only presenters where these performances have multi-week runs.

Why this commitment to contemporary circus?

First of all, the performances are incredibly vibrant, virtuosic, surprising and distinctive. It’s fun! And it’s a display of extraordinary skill and artistry each time.

Of equal importance to the ArtsEmerson team is how effective the form is at telling the story at the heart of our mission. We exist to engage all communities through stories that reveal and deepen our connection to each other. No form more fully expresses that mission than circus. Watch what happens on stage and you will see. In circus, if one performer decides to break the connection with their colleagues someone could die. Literally, connection one to the other is a matter of life and death.

The company of Passengers also embodies our commitment to putting the world on stage. This group of performers hails from Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Canada and the U.S.

The show itself follows a loose arc about train travel, moving from instances of leisure travel through the joys of commuting, and quietly through a moment that reminds us that the majority of people traveling in the world today are not doing so for fun or for work, but in flight from circumstances that have chased them from their homes. This is our world: diverse, connected, on the move and at risk. All expressed, with almost no words, by these delightful, astonishingly talented young artists.

Our promise to you, whenever you join us at one of our events, is that you’ll explore new worlds and discover your own. So please make a habit of being here. You don’t need a passport! And you can get here on the train.