Teatro Yagüez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Teatro Yaguez
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 Location in Puerto Rico
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| Location | Calle Candelaria y Calle Dr. Basora Mayagüez, Puerto Rico |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1909 |
| Architect | Sabas Honore et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003086 |
| Added to NRHP | December 2, 1985 |
The Teatro Yagüez in Puerto Rico is a historic building. Today, it is a place where people enjoy performing arts like plays and concerts. It is located in the city of Mayagüez, at Candelaria Street and Dr. Basora Streets. The theater has two main parts: the Lucy Boscana Hall and the Roberto Cole Cafe Theater.
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The Theater's Early Days
The Teatro Yagüez was first built in 1909 by Francisco Maymón Palmer. His parents had moved to Puerto Rico from Italy in the 1800s. Francisco was an entrepreneur who loved to travel. He visited Europe and the United States when he was in his 20s.
Francisco first tried to build a theater in the town of San German. But people there thought a theater was a "bad influence." So, he moved to Mayagüez. There, he became a pioneer in the movie business for Puerto Rico. He brought the new art of cinematography to the island in the early 1900s. He showed silent films in nearby towns. He also became the only distributor for 'Nicholas Power Co.' movie projectors in the Caribbean.
With his business partners, Mr. Jose Rahola and Mr. Fundador Vargas, Francisco imported movies from Europe. They showed these films in town squares and at the old Mayagüez Municipal Theater. That old theater was destroyed in an earthquake in 1918 and was never rebuilt. Because of this, the Teatro Yagüez became the main place for opera, plays, concerts, and silent movies in the city.
Building the First Teatro Yagüez
Francisco bought the land for the theater around 1905. Construction of the first Teatro Yagüez began around 1907. It officially opened in 1909. Materials for the building came from far away. The cement was imported from Germany, and the inside ceilings came from Italy. Tiles and carpets were brought from Spain.
The Teatro Yagüez was a beautiful building. It started as a neo-baroque style opera house. Years later, it became a silent movie theater. Some people mistakenly called it "art deco" style. However, the art deco movement became popular years after the theater was first built and then rebuilt.
The Fire and Rebuilding
On June 19, 1919, a big fire destroyed the Teatro Yagüez. It was a great loss for Francisco Maymón. Records from that time suggest that many people died in the fire. Investigations after the fire cleared Francisco of any blame. Some theories pointed to local groups who wanted the land where the theater stood. However, these were never proven.
A more recent theory suggests the fire was likely caused by nitrate films stored inside the theater. These old films were very flammable.
The Teatro Yagüez was finally rebuilt. It reopened on March 21, 1921. The new building was designed by a very talented architect named José Sabàs Honoré.
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Later Years and Restoration
Francisco Maymón's children, Miguel A. Maymón Camuñas and Petra Maymón Cernuda, inherited the Teatro Yagüez in 1954. In 1959, Miguel bought his sister's share and became the sole owner.
In 1976, the U.S. government sent a Bicentennial Commission to Puerto Rico. This group declared the Teatro Yagüez an important landmark. In 1980, the city of Mayagüez bought the theater. They worked to restore it to its original beauty, finishing in 1984. The theater was then added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Today, the Teatro Yagüez is fully restored and still in use. It is a wonderful reminder of the history of theater and arts in Puerto Rico from the early 1900s. In December 2008, the stage and auditorium were renamed the Lucy Boscana Hall. This was done to honor Lucy Boscana, an actress and teacher born in Mayagüez.
Francisco Maymón called the Teatro Yagüez: La Catedral Del Arte Sonoro. This means "The Cathedral of Sonorous Art." This nickname is still used today because the Yagüez truly looks like a grand cathedral.
See also
In Spanish: Teatro Yagüez para niños
