Chelsea Square is becoming home to an expanded Apollinaire Theatre, which aims to serve as a focal point for Boston’s experimental theatre community. The theatre’s ambitious renovation project will substantially upgrade its existing facilities.
On Monday, Apollinaire founder and owner Danielle Fateaux Jacques and Development Coordinator Trip Venturella presented the expansion plans to the Record and conducted a tour of the ongoing work. The announcement coincided with MassDevelopment’s commitment of $250,000 toward the initiative.
According to Venturella, “fblikebutton_button” “We sort of started this theatre as a way to take the energy of Apollinaire Theatre and create a center of artistic energy and vitality in Chelsea Square and this is expanding it to spaces that weren’t fulfilling that desire. It was an artistic no-brainer to me. Of course, you want to bring in these innovative companies. Way back when Danielle bought the building (in the early 2000s), I think she had the vision of making this into a community hotbed for performance. This corresponded with that vision. It was sort of us seizing the moment. We are really excited for the project. It’s going to be transformative.”
The second-floor main theatre will largely remain unchanged during the renovation, Venturella explained, as it is already in good condition. Only a few bathrooms will be added to that space.
Venturella described the overall aesthetic vision: “fblikebutton_button” “The idea is that the upstairs has an Old World elegance and downstairs would be a funky burgeoning art space.”
The primary construction focus is on the first floor, where a Black Box Theatre is being built in what was formerly a furniture store. Adjacent to it, another storefront will house a dedicated youth theatre space for programming and performances—an offering Apollinaire has maintained for years.
The Black Box Theatre will not host Apollinaire’s own productions, Venturella noted. Rather, the theatre company will lease the space to performance groups that have recently struggled to find venues.
Boston has experienced a surge in theatre companies in recent years, Venturella explained, yet performance spaces remain scarce for these emerging groups. Many create innovative and unconventional work but lack appropriate venues for presentation.
Apollinaire intends to address this gap in the market.
“fblikebutton_button” “There is plenty of spaces in Boston that are huge – like 3,000 seats,” Venturella stated. “There are plenty of spaces in Boston that are 200 to 300 seats. But, there are no spaces in Boston under 99 seats. There are only a very few. One place is a repurposed building and looks it. Some of the other places are adventurous places to do theatre, such as arcades, churches, or found spaces. The Charlestown Working Theatre and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre are great, but they tend to have their own productions. There are just a lot of gypsy companies that don’t have space and have incredible potential.”
Rising rents contribute to the shortage, Venturella noted, as redevelopment in previously overlooked neighborhoods has made theatrical spaces in apartments and alternative venues increasingly unavailable. Additionally, the proliferation of theatre groups has made booking existing spaces difficult.
“fblikebutton_button” “There is an explosion of small theatre companies and I don’t know why that is,” he said. “Maybe there are more people moving to Boston who are interested in theatre. We hope that some of those companies would want to come here and use these facilities. We’re ready to welcome them. We hope it becomes a hub not only for Greater Boston performance, but also a cultural hub for Chelsea.”
Because Apollinaire owns the building, renters of the Black Box Theatre will have access to underutilized spaces throughout—rehearsal areas and basement space for set construction. Venturella indicated that companies can utilize these facilities during their preparation phase before performances.
Weekly rentals of the Black Box Theatre are envisioned, he added.
A Black Box theatre is characterized by its minimalist approach: no traditional stage exists, and audiences sit in close proximity to performers in a darkened room with theatrical lighting. This format emphasizes acting and writing over elaborate production design, sets, and costumes.
The Youth Theatre represents a long-standing goal for Apollinaire. The first-floor space will include the theatre itself, along with a gallery/foyer area and rehearsal space.
Currently, the spaces are completely gutted, with workers framing walls and revealing architectural features such as a brick wall bearing soot stains from a historical fire. Completion by August is the target, as that marks the beginning of the theatre season.
“fblikebutton_button” “This has to be completed by the summer,” Venturella stated. “The big date for us is late August – August 28. Companies start their seasons on a school schedule. It’s very important for us to have that season booked in August.”
The beginnings of the Black Box Theatre in a former storefront that once housed a furniture store.
Multiple funding sources support the project, including the major MassDevelopment grant announced recently. Additional funding has come from the City of Chelsea, building refinancing, Chelsea native Benson Riseman, and local business owners and longtime supporters.