American Repertory Theater Unveils New Student Engagement Initiative

The American Repertory Theater has unveiled the Lavine Learning Lab (“the Learning Lab”), a new public high school initiative that will sustain and deepen student engagement with the theater. The program is supported by a $5 million gift from the Crimson Lion / Lavine Family Foundation, which was founded by Bain Capital Chair Jonathan Lavine and Jeannie Lavine to support nonprofit organizations focused on leveling the Playing Field for individuals and families.
 
Built around A.R.T.’s groundbreaking theatrical programming, the Lavine Learning Lab fosters intergenerational dialogue, community, and lasting relationships between the theater and public high schools in the greater Boston area through season-based engagement. The Learning Lab exemplifies the type of community-centered, accessible programming A.R.T. will offer from its new home, the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance. Currently under construction at 175 N. Harvard Street in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, the Center is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.
 
Rooted in A.R.T.’s core values of inquiry and collaboration, the Lavine Learning Lab will use A.R.T. productions as the foundation for three student workshops at each that bridge the arts, humanities, and social and emotional learning. In addition, two educators from each participating school will join a Professional Learning Community (PLC) in which A.R.T. facilitates ongoing collaborative learning and provides professional development.
 
Instead of attending a morning matinee designated for school groups, Learning Lab students will attend evening performances of every show in A.R.T.’s season to build their familiarity with theatergoing and sense of belonging at the theater. Students will sit in groups of 2 - 4 throughout the auditorium alongside the general evening audience to cultivate a culture of lifelong theatergoing. To increase accessibility by removing common barriers, A.R.T. will provide transportation between the schools and the theater and a pre-show dinner onsite. A.R.T. will work with the PLC to identify and address additional barriers to theatergoing.
 
Throughout the 2023/24 school year, A.R.T. facilitated a pilot with six public high schools to develop the current model.
 
“Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine recognize the importance of reaching young people and the transformative power of theater, and their galvanizing support is making it possible for A.R.T. to fulfill our vision to center community in our artistic programming,” said Paulus. “The theater is where we develop our muscles for inquiry, empathy, and debate. Thanks to the Crimson Lion / Lavine Family Foundation, the Lavine Learning Lab will be a gymnasium where high school students will come to exercise their humanity so they can become the most impactful citizens and participants in our society.”
 
“We’ve been struck by A.R.T.’s commitment to expanding access to theater,” said Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine. “We are delighted to play a part in engaging Boston’s students and teachers in the essential questions sparked by A.R.T.’s world-class programming and in supporting A.R.T., whose work inspires people all throughout our city and this country.”
 
“When we attend a performance, we aren’t impacted only by what we see onstage, but also by our fellow audience members,” said A.R.T. Associate Artistic Director Dayron J. Miles. “The Lab’s students will diversify A.R.T.’s audience in multiple dimensions, turning our theater into a space for intergenerational dialogue among people with different lived experiences and perspectives. Empathy is a necessary tool for responsible democratic participation, and that’s what we can cultivate with this model.”
 
“I feel like a lot of my analytical skills have been reinforced and retaught in the Learning Lab, but I’ve also taken the vulnerability that I feel when I’m in the Lab and applied it to other parts of my life,” said Malden High School student and Lab participant Addison McWayne. “This experience has provided me with opportunities to speak up for myself and to share my opinion, which has made me a stronger and more confident person.”
 
“The Lab is one of the ways that A.R.T. shares the resources of Harvard University with our community, but the A.R.T. community gains so much, too,” said Dinkins. “The students bring their anticipation and excitement, which translates into a galvanizing energy on the sidewalk, in our lobbies, and in the theater itself that enhances the experience for everyone. Thanks to this incredible support from the Crimson Lion / Lavine Family Foundation, A.R.T. is positioned to bring our mission into public high schools across Boston for years to come.” 
 
“When the Lavine Learning Lab works in Boston, we hope it will be a model for other cities, because A.R.T. has led the way in so many areas, and A.R.T. can help lead the way in providing this kind of access and inspiration to students all over the country,” said the Lavines.