External Rentals FAQ

What venues do you have available for rental?

Emerson College is the primary user of its venues. Those venues include: 

Cutler Majestic Theatre - 1172 seats

Emerson Paramount Center
Robert J. Orchard Stage (Mainstage) - 572 seats
Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theater - (varies)
Bright Family Screening Room - 180 seats

Tufte Performance and Production Center 
Semel Theatre - 216 seats
Greene Theater - 106 seats

For more details, please see our Venue Information.

What are the technical specifications for your venues?

For technical information related to stage dimensions, lighting, audio, and visual capabilities for each space, please see the documentation available in our Venue Information.

Can I rent a studio space?

As studios are primarily used for academic purposes, they are only available for rental pending availability. Availability in these spaces traditionally falls outside the academic year. To inquire about availability, please submit a request and select Studio 7 or Other Studios from the dropdown for Theatrical Venue.

What are the costs for renting your venues?

For more information about rental costs and packages we offer, please see our latest Rate Card. Until availability, equipment use, and technical or labor requirements are confirmed with our offices, we cannot provide a formal estimate of costs. To begin this process, submit a request, and our external rentals office and production office will collaborate on providing details as soon as possible. 

What am I required to provide to rent a space?

All non-Emerson licensees pay the “full costs recovery” rates for time, equipment, and services. Furthermore, licensees are expected to:

• Sign a standard License Agreement outlining terms and costs of use;
• Provide a current, signed IRS W-9 form;
• Pay a non-returnable deposit (20% or more) at signing;
• Use Office of the Arts as primary ticketing and box office service provider;
• Use our exclusive caterer for any food and beverage service; or an external caterer who must provide a Certificate of Insurance naming Emerson College additionally insured;
• If alcohol service is desired, use of our internal bar service provider is required; 
• Provide a Certificate of Liability Insurance 20 days before load-in, in the amount of $3MM aggregate, $1MM per occurrence. The agreement reads: "Said policies shall name as Additional Insured, “Emerson College, its affiliates, officers, directors, trustees, volunteers, students, and employees” and other such parties of which EC shall give Licensee notice from time to time. Such insurance policy shall include a waiver of subrogation against any of the Indemnitees and Licensee hereby waives any recovery against the Indemnitees related to any such matter.”
• Settle all financial matters and receive any payment of ticketing proceeds in the weeks following an event. 

Can I provide my own production staff to reduce costs?

You may provide your own production staff and bring some of your own equipment to reduce costs, however, an Emerson Technical Supervisor is required on site.

What information do you need about my event?

To request rental of one of our venues, please Submit a Request via the Office of the Arts Venue Inquiries form. The following information is required of any inquiry:

• Date(s) of engagement and requested venue. To view our venues and see pertinent details please visit the Venue Information here;
• A production schedule for a theatrical production OR a proposed schedule for non-theatrical engagements;
• Brief description of the engagement including expected attendance, desired room layout, and technical requirements (media playback, audio playback, specific lighting, etc.);
• Catering or Alcohol Requirements;
• Any other event pertinent, specific information that may help our office understand the fit of the event in our venues.  

Can we serve food and drinks?

Concessions are allowed in venues. If you wish to engage concessions for your event, please indicate in your initial request.

When can I expect an estimate of cost?

We can only provide a formal, unique, individual estimate of costs when availability, equipment use, and technical or labor requirements are confirmed with our offices. To begin this process, submit a request, and our external rentals office and production office will collaborate on providing details as soon as possible.

How far ahead does a venue request have to be made?

Confirming an event requires the input from various departments in our team, so please submit your request at the latest 4-6 weeks in advance to allow the necessary processing time.

Can I rent the venue for a wedding, photoshoot, or film-shoot?

No. College policy prohibits all weddings (and banquet-style events), as well as photo and film shoots. No exceptions can be made to this policy. 

Do you have breakout rooms?

No. Unfortunately, we do not have break out rooms available for rental.

Do you have green rooms and dressing rooms?

The Cutler Majestic, Robert J. Orchard Stage, and Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theater all have access to green rooms and dressing rooms nearby. To learn more specifics about these spaces, please see our Venue Information.

Do you have an area where we can serve meals or refreshments?

Depending on availability, we may have reception areas available. Please indicate interest in your request, as well as whether your if you require refreshments or catering. 

Do you have parking available? Do you validate parking?

Emerson College does not have a parking lot of its own. However, you may read more about our nearby parking partners, accessible parking, street parking, and garage parking here. 

Do you offer accessibility services?

To learn more about how we make our venues accessible, please see our Accessibility Services. 

Can I do a walkthrough of your venues?

First, please see our Venue Information and submit a request for your event. Once we are in contact regarding your request, we can arrange a venue walkthrough at mutual convenience. 

Who do I contact if I am a student or staff of Emerson College?

If you are an Emerson student or staff member, the process to submit a request for a space is different. If you are a student, please visit our Student Reservation Information page for more information about the process. If you are a staff or faculty member, please visit our Staff/Faculty Reservation page for more information about the process.

We look forward to working with you!