Conference, Festival Highlight Busy Theater Week

It's a big week for theater in Boston.

The Theatre Communications Group, a national organization, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a conference here.

At the same time, the homegrown Emerging America Festival is under way. It's an ambitious collaboration involving the Huntington Theatre Company, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston and the American Repertory Theatre.

The A.R.T's Ari Barbanelle is producing the fest, now in its third year.

"In the spirit of collaboration we were wanting to involve as many local artists and companies as possible, and I think this year is another testament to the growth of the festival," Barbanelle said.

The festival goes through Sunday, with more than a dozen performances that highlight cutting-edge works and rising artists on stages throughout the city.