Park Performing Arts Center facts for kids
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Park Theatre
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| Address | 560 32nd Street Union City, NJ US |
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| Coordinates | 40°46′26″N 74°01′50″W / 40.77389°N 74.03042°W |
| Owner | Archdiocese of Newark |
| Capacity | 1400 (est) |
| Opened | 1931 |
The Park Performing Arts Center is a special place in Union City, New Jersey. It's a cultural center where you can enjoy many kinds of art. This center hosts local, national, and international artists. It also holds fun community events.
The Park Performing Arts Center started in 1931. It was first built by a church. In 1983, it became a non-profit group. This means it's run to help the community, not to make money. The center also has a small museum about embroidery. Plus, it offers classes in performing and visual arts. Each year, it puts on the longest-running passion play in the country. Many of its shows celebrate the Hispanic culture of the area.
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History of the Park Performing Arts Center
The Park Theater was built in 1931. It was part of the Holy Family Church complex. A church leader, Msgr. Joseph Grieff, loved theater. He helped create this beautiful building. The church itself was built in 1887. It was one of the few stone churches in the area.
The building has amazing neo-Gothic style. It features beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were made in Austria. They were fully restored in 2008. After the theater was finished, a new school was built. It had a public hall, an auditorium, and dressing rooms.
The Park Theater is one of the few old, large theaters still open in North Jersey. Others include Newark Symphony Hall and Loew's Jersey Theater. The main part of the Park is its 1,400-seat theater. It has a high, arched ceiling, like a vault. This theater was built in a special "atmospheric style." It makes you feel like you're outdoors under the stars.
The theater also has a huge pipe organ. It has 1,390 pipes! This organ was restored in 1991. Now, it is kept in great condition. The center also has a smaller "black box" theater. This is a simple room used for plays. There are also art exhibition spaces, classrooms, and rehearsal rooms. In 2010, the big sign outside, called the marquee, was replaced.
The Performing Arts Center became a non-profit group in 1983. The church still owns the building. But the non-profit group manages it with a long-term agreement. The goal was to use this great community resource more often. By 1991, it was a full-time arts organization. The center gets some funding for education and staff. An event called "Art for the Park" is held yearly. It raises money with art shows and performances.
The church and its office are historic places. But the theater building itself is not officially listed. In 2019, the theater was named one of the 10 most endangered historic places in New Jersey. This was because the building was getting old and not used much. The church thought about selling it. They hoped a new owner would restore it. They wanted it to become a busy entertainment spot again.
A big restoration project finished in 2020. The goal was to make the center active again. A grand re-opening happened in March 2020. It included music, tours, and a ribbon-cutting. But soon after, the theater closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in October of that year.
Performances and Exhibits
America's Oberammergau: A Special Play
A passion play is a theater show. It tells the story of the last days of Jesus Christ. These plays are often performed during Lent. The famous Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany has been performed since 1634.
Around 1900, many German immigrants lived in North Hudson, New Jersey. They started their own Catholic churches. By the 1910s, two churches began annual passion plays. These plays were put on by many volunteers from the community.
One play was called "Veronica's Veil." It started in 1915. This show was known as America's Passion Play. It ran until 1999.
The other play was started by Holy Family Church. It has been performed every year since 1915. This makes it the longest-running passion play in the United States! The show has been at the Park Theater since it was built. Because of this, the Park's play is nicknamed America's Oberammergau.
Some people have worried that passion plays could be unfair to Jewish people. But the Park's production has changed over time. In 1997, a Black actor named Desi Arnaz Giles played Jesus. This was a big deal. Some people were upset, but many others supported it. Ticket sales even went up! His performance was very popular.
The Cultural Thread/El Hilo: Embroidery Art
"The Cultural Thread/El Hilo" is an exhibit at the center. It's all about the art of embroidery and lace-making. For a long time, the towns in North Hudson were the "Embroidery Capital of the United States." They made over 70% of all US embroidery!
German and Swiss immigrants brought this craft to the area. Then, a special machine called the Schiffli machine arrived in 1902. This helped the industry grow even more. Embroidery work gave jobs to many immigrants. This included people from Central and South America. The embroidery industry slowed down in the 1990s.
Stage Performances and Shows
The Park Performing Arts Center has hosted many different shows. These include Broadway shows, music concerts, and dance performances. They also have film screenings and talent shows. The resident theater group, Hudson Exploited, has used the center's black box theater since 1992. The center also celebrates Three Kings Day every year.
Many famous musicians have performed here. These include Johnny Cash, Paquito D'Rivera, and El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Dance groups like José Greco and Ballet Folklórico de México have also performed.
The theater has also been used for filming. In 1986, the bands Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. filmed their music video for "Walk This Way" here. Comedian George Carlin recorded his HBO special at the theater in 1988.
Visual Arts and Exhibitions
Besides the passion play, the Park also hosted the Multi-Arts Festival. This festival started in 1981. It was created by an art teacher, Agnes Dauerman. The festival was a place for students and the community to share their art. It included workshops, exhibitions, and performances. The festival was held at the Park until 2010.
The center also has the embroidery museum. It hosts other art shows too. These shows feature work by local artists. Some of these artists are known nationally or internationally. Since 2004, a show called "NoHu Vision" has displayed art. It features artists who live in North Hudson.
In September 2020, a new art gallery opened. It's called "The Gallery at the Park." It showed paintings by New Jersey artist Cara London. Her exhibit had opened in March. But it closed quickly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
See also
- Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel
- Schuezten Park
- Stanley Theater
