Boston University Sells Home of Huntington Theatre Company For $25 Million

Since its inaugural 1982-83 season, Boston's Tony Award Honored Huntington Theatre Company has developed into one of America's most prominent regional theatres.

Its pre-Broadway productions include Lydia R. Diamond's STICK FLY, Patrick Barlow's adaptation of THE 39 STEPS and six of August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle plays: JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE, THE PIANO LESSON, TWO TRAINS RUNNING, SEVEN GUITARS, KING HEDLEY II and GEM OF THE OCEAN.

But as reported today on Boston University's website, the BU Theatre, which has served as the Huntington Theatre Company's home since its inception, is now under agreement to be sold for $25 million to an investment group that is working with Boston-area developer John Matteson. The sale includes the 890-seat theater at 264 Huntington Avenue and the adjoining buildings at 252 and 258 Huntington Avenue. The theatre has been on the market since October of 2015.

Boston University Senior Vice-President for operations, Gary Nicksa, says the sale will help finance a new 250-seat studio theater and production spaces on the school's Charles River Campus, planned to open in the fall of 2017.

The Huntington Theatre Company has been using the BU Theatre rent-free since it was put up for sale, and may continue to do so until June 2017.

Matteson says he is currently talking to the Huntington Theatre Company about the possibility of its continued use of the property after the June 2017 date. "The conversation with the theater group, with assistance from City Hall, is going very well," he says. "We are fans of the theater. We would like to make sure that we maintain a theater on the Avenue of the Arts, as that part of Huntington Avenue is designated."

Originally named the Repertory Theatre of Boston, the space was opened in 1925 as a permanent home for the Henry Jewett Players‚ a Boston-based repertory theatre company. It was purchased by Boston University in 1953.

Jean Morrison, University provost and chief academic officer, says the decision to sell the buildings came down to determining the best way to serve BU's theater students and faculty, who are currently separated from their acting, fine arts, and music colleagues on the Charles River Campus whenever they are working at the theater.

Morrison says that while the University has no plans to build a new proscenium theater, its fully staged operas, musicals, and other major shows will be performed at proscenium stages around Boston through rental agreements similar to those of the School of Music's biannual performances at Boston's Symphony Hall.

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Photo: Nile Scott Shots