Emerson College Unveils New Theatre Complex

A deal that has been in the works for decades will be realized Wednesday as Emerson College unveils programming for the school's new state-of-the-art theater complex.

When Emerson claimed the edge of Boston Common in the mid-1990s, it promised to pump creative life back into the city's run-down, historic theater district.

The trade-off was a significant amount of dorm space in buildings adjacent to the Paramount Theatre and the Cutler Majestic Theatre in the area.

The new four-venue complex — including the restored Paramount Theatre — represents Emerson's fulfilled promise to the city.

"So the message to the city from a public point of view is that the college has provided a gift, if you will, of these four theaters," said Robert Orchard, executive director of the Arts at Emerson College. "And I'm programming them with work that is also new to the city that adds to the cultural choices of the community."

Next year's season at the ArtsEmerson complex will include more than 100 performances of 17 different productions.