Boston Theater Company CHUANG Stage is Highlighting Stories for Everyone
CHUANG Stage aims to change how art is consumed and who gets to consume it as it creates space and accessibility for pan-Asian stories in downtown Boston.
For many, the theater is simply a place to go and see a play or musical. But for CHUANG Stage, theater is more than a performance and rather about breaking barriers and building community. Located in the city of Boston, this Asian American theater company is reinventing how art is consumed and who gets to consume it.
Founded in 2018, CHUANG Stage was created as a student organization by three theatermakers from Emerson College to fill a gap in Asian American perspectives and representation within the school. Shows at CHUANG Stage became extremely popular within the Emerson community, with sold-out shows steadily becoming the norm after the organization’s first productions. After noticing a growing following outside of the Emerson community, Alison Yueming Qu, a co-founder and current executive director of the theater company, saw a need for CHUANG Stage to be shared with the greater Boston area.
“It was something that Boston didn’t have,” Qu says when talking about how CHUANG Stage became the first Asian American theater company in the New England area. Within a year of its creation, she explains, the team made CHUANG Stage a professional theater company, independent from the college, by gaining residency at Boston Center for the Arts.
A Mission of Accessibility
Most art that people consume costs money, whether that’s movies, museums, or even home decor. Access to these things requires access to money, inherently making art a luxury not everyone can afford. Given the rising economic crisis, many Bostonians are spending most of their salary on necessities, leaving artistic enrichment on the back burner.
“The average theater ticket costs $85 in Boston,” Qu says when pointing out the reasons why many people are prevented from enjoying the arts. “I think the monetary exchange is necessary, but then at the same time, [it] also prevents a lot of people from accessing the show.”.
Jenny S. Lee, CHUANG Stage’s associate producer since 2023, highlights these socioeconomic barriers further. “Asian people often don’t have access to the theater,” she says. “For example, the people of Chinatown may not speak the language written on the posters — nor would they have the time or financial flexibility to join a typical American theater subscriber mode.” That’s why, she explains, ticket and event prices are donation-based at CHUANG Stage.
Unlike any other Asian American theater company in the nation, CHUANG Stage additionally aims to make plays more accessible by breaking language barriers, prioritizing multilingual work in its mission. Lee says, “There has been a big growth and understanding of the needs of the Asian diasporic community that has turned the CHUANG Stage into what it is now.” While multilingual productions originally only featured Mandarin, the company has expanded over the years to include languages such as Korean, Tagalog, and Nepalese in its productions.
Qu mentions that accessibility for every audience member has and will continue to be a priority for CHUANG Stage. “The essence of our existence is that we are here to make art for the people,” she emphasizes.
Building a Sense of Belonging
CHUANG Stage not only prioritizes community engagement, but also emphasizes belonging. “Everything has been curated to make you feel at home,” Lee clarifies when asked about the company’s programming in addition to its seasonal performances.
With a permanent residency and rehearsal and office space at Boston Center for the Arts, CHUANG Stage honors its mission of accessibility to the greater Boston area by holding its productions and events throughout the city. One of its most recent outdoor concert concepts, “Stories on Our Streets,” was held in Chinatown on June 21, 2025.
Additionally, during each of its full-length productions, CHUANG Stage offers pre-show and post-show events — an intimate experience that helps immerse and engage its audience beyond the play. In past events, audience members have had the opportunity to see local musicians and dancers and eat Asian snacks and concessions, while talking to the cast and crew about the upcoming performance.
“Every night, when you come to see a show, there is something different happening,” Qu shares.
Stories for Everyone
Despite how stressful and tedious planning these events and producing an entire play can be, the company’s three-person staff says it’s worth all the trouble due to the positive impact it’s making.
“My art is the way I take care of the community,” Qu details. “It is about opening our doors and making sure that we’re producing joy for people.”
From veterans to first-time theatermakers across Boston, CHUANG Stage’s company invites people of all different career paths to join its productions. Many of its community members have chosen to continue their work with the company as they love the type of community it fosters.
“Not only is CHUANG Stage building a community with theatermakers, but also building a community with just people in Boston,” conveys Katie Kuan-Yu Chen, a contracted audio and sound designer for CHUANG Stage who has been involved with the company’s three most recent productions. “Anyone can go see [a show].”
While CHUANG Stage’s mission is to create a space for Asian American voices and audiences to be heard in theater, the company’s staff says these stories are meant to be consumed by everyone.
“People don’t think that Asian stories are universal,” Lee says. “Telling a good story means being really specific. What’s awesome about a good story is that you can find universality in the hyperspecific.”
CHUANG Stage has undoubtedly started an accepting, evolving community that will only continue to flourish as its presence becomes established. CHUANG in Mandarin means “to start,” and so far, this theater company has lived up to its namesake. In six years, CHUANG Stage has created the first space in New England for Asian American voices to be heard and seen in theater in a way that makes it possible for everyone to be immersed.
Learn more about CHUANG Stage and its 2025-26 season on the theater’s website.
