Boston Center for the Arts

Theatre Rental Information

The BCA houses six performance spaces: The BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre, The BCA Plaza Theatre, The Roberts Studio Theatre, The Virginia Wimberly Theatre, Rehearsal Hall A and Deane Rehearsal Hall. All theatres, lobbies, the Box Office and the public restrooms are handicap accessible.

If you are interested in renting The Roberts Studio Theatre, The Virginia Wimberly Theatre, or Deane Rehearsal Hall (all located in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA), please contact Sondra Katz, Pavilion Manager, at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or 617-933-8671.

If you are interested in renting The BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre, The BCA Plaza Theatre, or Rehearsal Hall A, please contact Darren Evans, Manager of Performing Arts, at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or 617-426-2029. More information about these spaces is provided below.

Thank you for your interest in applying for theatre space at the Boston Center for the Arts for the 08-09 Season. Please download the Application (in either Word or .pdf format) which includes instructions and deadlines.

Download Theatre Rental Guidelines 2008-09

Download Theatre Application 2008-09

The BCA Plaza Theatre measures 5,118 square feet. It has a seating capacity of 142, 137 of which are fixed, allowing for up to 5 wheelchair positions. The theatre is configured in a three-quarters thrust with seating raking up from the level of the stage. . It has a tech booth, two dressing rooms and a private bathroom.

The Plaza Black Box Theatre measures 1,200 square feet. It has a legal capacity of 90 seats, none of which are fixed. It has a tech booth and one dressing room.

Rehearsal Hall A measures 1,677 square feet. It has a legal capacity of 49 seats, none of which are fixed. It does not have a tech booth, dressing room, or private restrooms. Hall A rentals include seating risers, pipe and drape, and a basic lighting and sound package.

Theatre Rental Fees

Our theatres are rented on a weekly basis only. The week begins at 6pm on Sunday and ends at 2pm on Sunday. Rentals fees cover six public performances between Tuesday and Sunday from noon to midnight of the rental week (additional fees may apply for curtain times outside of normal box office coverage). The rental fees are:

The rental fees (through June 30, 2008) are:

BCA Plaza Theatre: $2,040/week
BCA Plaza Black Box: $1,450/week
Rehearsal Hall A: $850/week

Rental fees include lighting equipment but not sound equipment. Please contact the Manager of Performing Arts (see contact info above) for a complete inventory.

All renters are obligated to pay box office fees as determined by the Boston Theatre Scene Box Office

$650 security deposit refunded after the costs of cleaning and/or damages at the end of the rental period

Fee Schedule: The BCA will require a 10% non-refundable down payment upon the signing of contracts to hold dates. Payments will then be spread equally throughout the rental period and will be due on the first of each month. Payments which are more than 30 days past due will be assessed a $25 late fee per 30 day period.

In case of cancellation, the following schedule applies:
Cancellation less than 120 days prior to beginning of the rental period 75% of rental fee
Cancellation less than 90 days prior to beginning of the rental period 100% of rental fee

Production Costs

In the production of an event, a renter will incur additional costs that may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Sound and lighting Equipment
Liability insurance
Personnel related to front-of-house services, including house managers, ticket takers and ushers
Marketing and promotion
Other costs associated with producing live theatre, dance or music

Marketing Support

If you work in the BCA's theatres we ask your help in getting us timely, accurate information. We list productions in:
Monthly calendar emails to the BCA mailing list
Monthly calendar advertisement in the Boston Globe
Glass cases in the kiosk located on the BCA Plaza.
Our website

Insurance

The BCA requires that all theatre renters carry the following insurance:

General Liability Coverage: A certificate of general liability coverage must be obtained for the period of time that installation crews, guests and/or members of the public are in attendance. The required limits of such liability insurance are: Bodily Injury not less than $1 million, combined single limit for each occurrence and in the aggregate; Property Damage not less than $100,000.

Workers' Compensation Coverage: Renters must maintain Workers' Compensation and Employer's Liability Insurance. The limit of liability should not be less than $100,000 per accident.

Automobile Liability covering owned, non-owned and hired vehicles with a limit of liability of at least $1,000,000 Each Accident Combined Single Limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage combined.

For all required insurances, the Boston Center for the Arts must be named as Additional Insured. A copy of all insurance certificates will be required one week prior to your rental period.

Sound Bleed

The BCA makes every effort to manage sound bleed between its various venues. Most significantly, groups using the Cyclorama (directly above the theatres) are not allowed to play loud music until 10:30pm. Sound checks for events in the Cyclorama will be performed.

Artists and performing arts groups in the theatres are asked to assist in minimizing lobby noise through effective crowd control during intermissions and after performances.
Adjacent tenants, including the Boston Ballet, Community Music Center and the BEEHIVE may from time to time also cause some sound bleed. The BCA makes every effort to minimize sound bleed.

BCA Complimentary Tickets and BCA Members

The BCA may reserve up to twenty complimentary tickets per show at its own discretion, but shall not do so for any sold out performance. BCA Members receive a 10% discount on all full-priced tickets.