Teatro La Perla facts for kids
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La Perla
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Teatro La Perla
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| Address | Calle Mayor and Calle Cristina (NE corner) |
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| Location | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Coordinates | 18°00′44″N 66°36′42″W / 18.012139°N 66.611757°W |
| Owner | Autonomous Municipality of Ponce |
| Operator | Carmen Martinez Aja, director |
| Type | Indoor theater |
| Genre(s) | music, concerts, theatre |
| Seating type | soft seat, reserved seating |
| Capacity | 1,047 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1860 |
| Built | 1860-1864 |
| Opened | 28 May 1864 |
| Closed | 1918-1941 (earthquake) 2006-2008 (renovations) |
| Reopened | 2008 |
| Architect | Juan Bertoli Calderoni |
| Tenants | |
| Festival Luis Torres Nadal | |
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La Perla Auditorium and Public Library
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| NRHP reference No. | 100007054 |
| Added to NRHP | 27 September 2021 |
Teatro La Perla is a famous historic theater in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It first opened its doors in 1864. This makes it one of the oldest theaters in Puerto Rico. Many people believe it is the biggest and most important theater in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. The theater is called La Perla, which means 'The Pearl'. It was named after the Virgin of Montserrat, who is sometimes called "The Pearl of the Mediterranean." You can find it in the Tercero neighborhood, within the historic part of Ponce.
Contents
Theater Design and Look
The design for Teatro La Perla was created in the 1860s. The architect was Juan Bertoli Calderoni, who was from Ponce and had Italian family roots. The building has a beautiful neoclassical style. This means it looks like ancient Greek and Roman buildings. It has a grand entrance with six tall columns.
A big earthquake in 1918 badly damaged the theater. But it was rebuilt in 1940. The builders used the original plans to make sure it looked the same. When it reopened in 1941, it had much better sound quality. The theater closed again in 2006 for more updates. It reopened on March 14, 2008, after these renovations.
A Look at History
Teatro La Perla was built because Francisco Parra Duperón and Pedro Garriga wanted it. It officially opened on May 28, 1864. The very first play performed there was La campana de la Almudaina. This play was written by Juan Palou y Coll from Majorca. The Segarra & Argente theater company performed it.
Teatro La Perla was more than just a place for plays and music. It was also a meeting spot for people who cared about social issues. This was true for Ponce and all of Puerto Rico. It served this purpose when Spain still ruled. It continued to be important in Puerto Rico's early years as a United States territory.
In 1901, something special happened here. A Frenchman named Eduardo Hervet showed the first silent film ever seen in Puerto Rico. The theater's first technical director for lighting was Félix Juan Torres Ortiz.
The theater needed repairs over the years. Lorenzo J. Vizcarrondo, an engineer, rebuilt parts of it before 1913. This helped fix problems from not being fully maintained. Between 1977 and 1979, it was updated again. This cost over $500,000. After Hurricane Maria, the theater closed for a year. It reopened on November 1, 2019. Teatro La Perla was added to the US National Register of Historic Places on September 27, 2021. It was listed as "La Perla Auditorium and Public Library."
Theater Capacity and Museum
Teatro La Perla can seat 1,047 people. Today, it is a popular place for many events. You can see concerts, operas, and plays there. It also hosts community and school events, like graduations. In the theater's lobby, there is a small museum. This museum tells the story of the building and shows from the past.
Important Events at the Theater
Teatro La Perla has been the site of several important moments:
- March 7–9, 1887: A political meeting took place here. This meeting led to the creation of the Puerto Rico Autonomist Party.
- April 16, 1896: The famous musician Juan Morel Campos had a stroke while performing on stage. He passed away three weeks later.
- February 1987: The Festival de Teatro Luis Torres Nadal began here.
See also
In Spanish: Teatro La Perla para niños
- List of theaters of Ponce, Puerto Rico
