Our Mission
Fresh Ink Theatre Company is committed to developing fresh, inclusive, innovative new work with theatre artists in the New England area. We believe that representation onstage and community-building offstage has the power to inspire audiences, shift worldviews, foster understanding, and challenge the status quo. We are dedicated to programming artistic work and curating artistic collaborations that uplift and celebrate the diverse range of voices in New England. We seek to empower writers with the tools to craft plays that showcase their creative vision, and we challenge the Boston community to engage in the evolution of dynamic new work as it transforms from first draft to first production, and beyond.
We value artistic excellence, institutional transparency, community involvement, and ongoing collaboration. In our room, we require respect towards other collaborators and a deep desire to learn from every point of view present.
Playwright Jess Foster participating in Scriptpocalypse at the 2014/2015 Season Launch Party
“Working on a Fresh Ink production means the title of ‘collaborator’ is bestowed upon me instead of ‘actor.’ Having this level of influence on the development of a new play has exponentially increased my appreciation for the many individuals and steps involved.”
“Fresh Ink is a Boston playwright’s dream. No other local company takes scripts through the complete process—from reading to workshop to production, supporting and nurturing writers every step of the way. I saw my work from every angle, got to play and experiment and try out changes—all with a crack team of talented, fun, and caring artists dedicated to making the best theater we can.”
Staged reading of Revolutionary Spirits by Finley K Foster, 2023
Managing Director, Jazzmin Bonner, during the Ink Spot Festival 2023
“I have had the privilege of working with Fresh Ink as both an actor and a playwright, and I can say from both perspectives that they approach their work in a unique way. They do not treat new work as charity, and the playwright is not considered lucky to even get a production out of them. They respect the playwright and the work. Fresh Ink has a unique sense of fun and play mixed with a high level of professionalism and that is what makes the team so great to work with. ”
Our Story
Fresh Ink Theatre is a company dedicated to the development of new work on the Boston small theatre scene in a collaborative, playwright-centered manner. The company was born in the summer of 2011 and debuted at the Factory Theatre the following December with the nearly sold-out run of Priscilla Dreams the Answer by Walt McGough. In the years following, Fresh Ink has worked with over 30 playwrights via a unique submission model and development process, workshopping and producing plays by David Valdes, Francisca Da Silveira, MJ Halberstadt, Cecelia Raker, Lila Rose Kaplan, MJ Kaufman, Patrick Gabridge, and many more. Fresh Ink also created the Ink Spot staged reading series as another avenue to showcase new work in process, as well as the annual Mad Dash 24-hour play festival, which brings together theatre artists from across Boston to create eight new plays in a single day. Now, after producing at the Factory Theatre, the Boston Playwrights' Theatre, and First Church Boston, Fresh Ink is thrilled to be a company in residence at the Boston Center for the Arts.
Cast of Pigeon House by Kara Hadden, during the Ink Spot Festival 2023