Robert J. Orchard Stage
The Robert J. Orchard Stage is the crown jewel of Emerson’s Paramount Center, blending the grandeur of its past as an Art Deco movie palace with the capabilities of a contemporary performance venue. Originally opened in 1932 and later restored by Emerson College, the theater serves as a premier venue for live performance, storytelling, and artistic expression adjacent to Boston’s Theater District.
Body: With seating for nearly 600 audience members, the Robert J. Orchard Stage hosts a wide range of productions, from student performances and visiting artists to nationally and internationally acclaimed works presented through ArtsEmerson. Combining historic character with professional production capabilities, the Robert J. Orchard Stage provides an inspiring setting where artists and audiences come together to experience transformative live events.
History
The Robert J. Orchard Stage, once the historic Paramount Theatre, is an Art Deco movie palace that first opened its doors in 1932. Situated at the northern end of the original isthmus connecting Boston to the mainland, the site lies adjacent to the historic Haymarket, where merchants and travelers gathered as early as the 18th century. Entertainment has been a defining feature of the block since 1738, making it one of the oldest American theatrical sites at the center of downtown Boston.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the area evolved into a thriving hub for performance. The neighboring Lion Theatre and Adams House Hotel gave way to a collection of venues that became home to the Keith-Albee vaudeville empire, which operated hundreds of theaters across the country. Showman Benjamin Franklin Keith championed variety entertainment while creating spaces that introduced generations of immigrants to American popular culture. By the 1930s, the Paramount Theatre had risen on the site of the former Adams House Hotel, designed by renowned architect Arthur Bowditch.
Revival
Following decades of success, the Paramount closed and fell into disrepair by 1976. In 2005, Emerson College acquired the properties as part of a partnership with the city of Boston aimed at revitalizing the neighborhood and completing the College’s downtown campus. Construction began in 2007, and the transformed 180,000-square-foot Paramount Center officially opened in 2009. The restoration preserved the grandeur and architectural character of the historic theater while introducing state-of-the-art facilities for performance, education, and community engagement.
Today, the Robert J. Orchard Stage serves as the centerpiece of the Paramount Center and a home for ArtsEmerson’s vision of “The World On Stage.” In 2016, the venue was renamed from the Paramount Mainstage in honor of Robert J. Orchard, founder of ArtsEmerson, whose leadership helped establish the organization as a leading center for international theater and performance.
Awards
The Paramount Center is a state-of-the-art performance and production complex in downtown Boston that houses theaters, rehearsal and production spaces, student housing, and other amenities within a nationally recognized adaptive reuse project. The Paramount Center and Robert J. Orchard Stage have received many awards since its revitalization, including:
- National Preservation Honor Award 2011, National Trust for Historic Preservation (along with Boston Opera House, Suffolk University Modern Theater, and Boston Redevelopment Authority)
- Preservation Achievement Award 2010 for Significant Rehabilitation/Restoration, Boston Preservation Alliance