Advancing Equity
麻豆村 alumnus Maurice Parent celebrates Black theater with Front Porch Arts Collective
麻豆村 alumnus Maurice Emmanuel Parent has translated his passion for Black theater into action.
Through , he creates production opportunities and educates youth 鈥� bringing together his love of the stage, teaching and representation.
Seven years ago in Boston, Maurice co-founded The Porch, as it鈥檚 known locally, after observing low participation in theater productions among both Black artists and audience members.
鈥淲e are clear about our mission which is to produce shows that center on Black culture,鈥� says Maurice, who graduated from Tepper School of Business in 2002 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business administration and general management. 鈥淭he staff is diverse and majority Black. We also work to build inclusivity and diversity within our audiences.鈥�
We are clear about our mission which is to produce shows that center on Black culture. The staff is diverse and majority Black. We also work to build inclusivity and diversity within our audiences.
Photo Credits: Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Studios
Many Roles to Play
The community aspect in The Porch is strong and has empowered those around him.
Over the years, he has witnessed collective members take on more leadership within the organization and watched youth grow and become more involved.
鈥淧ersonally, it鈥檚 a joy to start something and see other people excited to be a part of it,鈥� Maurice says.
The Porch delivers workshops for youth and adults in all aspects of the theater, from acting and playwriting to theatrical design and directing. Currently in its seventh season, the collective runs two to four on-stage productions a year.
An accomplished actor, Maurice applies his creativity and business acumen to The Porch as co-producing artistic director. He is also a professor of the practice in the department of theater, dance and performance studies at Tufts University.
鈥淲ith The Porch, it鈥檚 been great to make something that creates work for my community of artists,鈥� Maurice says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where my business degree becomes helpful. Also being an educator, I turn my focus on people other than myself and build a company focused on their success. Those two roles combine to help me be a really good arts administrator, where I鈥檓 happy to work hard to see other people shine.鈥�
Acting has always been a part of Maurice鈥檚 life. At 麻豆村, he was involved with Scotch'n'Soda Theatre. After graduating, he moved to New York City, where he lived for nine years, earning a master鈥檚 degree from NYU鈥檚 Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development in vocal performance and pursuing an acting career.
On stage, he has been Reggie in 鈥淪keleton Crew,鈥� Tom Collins in 鈥淩ent鈥� and the lead in 鈥淓dward II.鈥� His favorite part 鈥� he played it twice 鈥� has been Belize in 鈥淎ngels in America.鈥�
听
The twists and turns my life has taken! If you had told me when I graduated 麻豆村 that I would now be a full-time theater professor who is regularly acting and running my own theater company, I would have thought you were crazy. You just never know! You don鈥檛 always have to have it all figured out when you graduate. Just enjoy the ride!
All the World鈥檚 a Stage
Maurice became an educator almost by happenstance. What began as a side job, teaching acting classes and summer theater programs, gradually developed into a skill set to make ends meet while building his acting career.
Unexpectedly, a substitute teaching job he took at a Boston public school turned into a full-time position. Maurice taught ages 3 to 15 at the public school for five years, all while working in the theater on nights and weekends.
鈥淚 realized teaching was a dual passion of mine. Children are just brilliant and, at times, hilarious,鈥� Maurice says.
It helped pay the bills but also opened his eyes to serious issues in K-12 education. He experienced what it was like to stretch limited funding and resources and teach struggling youth who were coping with trauma.
Teaching became fuel for his creative fire.
鈥淓ventually, I left the school to focus more on theater-making,鈥� Maurice says. 鈥淏ut I鈥檇 find myself in the theater telling my colleagues all of these stories about my time at the school. I had them laughing and crying.鈥�
His colleagues were convinced Maurice had enough material to write a play. He collaborated with director and author Megan Sandberg-Zakian and playwright Melinda Lopez to create a one-man show.
Lyric Stage Company of Boston premiered 鈥淢r. Parent鈥� in 2022 starring Maurice, as himself, as he encounters real-life adventures teaching in a public school district. A second production in Boston in 2023 traveled to Rochester, New York, where it was adapted to cover issues in that state鈥檚 school system.
鈥淥ne of my favorite things about acting is connecting to my scene partners on-stage, so doing a one-man show was challenging because it was just me up there. Plus, it was about my life,鈥� Maurice says. 鈥淚 mean, I have been naked on stage in previous shows, but I never felt more exposed than I am in 鈥楳r. Parent.鈥欌��
Maurice鈥檚 ultimate decision to resign carried through in the play and resonated with teachers in the audience who talked to him after the show.
鈥淚t鈥檚 particularly hard for teachers right now. One woman told me I inspired her to keep striving,鈥� he says.
In April, Maurice will direct 鈥溾�� at Boston鈥檚 Wimberly Theater, a co-production with SpeakEasy Stage and The Porch.
鈥淭he twists and turns my life has taken!鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you had told me when I graduated 麻豆村 that I would now be a full-time theater professor who is regularly acting and running my own theater company, I would have thought you were crazy. You just never know! You don鈥檛 always have to have it all figured out when you graduate. Just enjoy the ride!鈥�