There is a new place to discover in Upper Manhattan. The People’s Theater has just opened its Immigrant Cultural Center in Inwood, a new 19,000-square-foot home where theater, music, art and the stories of immigrant communities will share the stage.
The official inauguration was celebrated on Tuesday, September 15, at the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, with a ribbon cutting that brought together artists, community leaders and representatives of the city, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, who accompanied the organization in this moment that marks the beginning of a new stage.
The space, located at 419 West 206th Street, will officially open to the public this Saturday, September 19, with a day for the entire community. The Community Open House & Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam will bring together music, performances and activities with Jazz Power Initiative, Dominican Writers Association, Spellbound Theatre, Dance Project of Washington Heights, Young People’s Chorus and Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance.
The opening party is just the beginning of a season that is full of proposals.
One of the first highlights will be GUAC, a bilingual production in Spanish and English created, written and starring Manuel Oliver, who turned the story of his son Joaquín “Guac” Oliver, a victim of the Parkland shooting in 2018, into a work that invites the public to reflect and talk. Preview screenings begin on September 25, the official premiere will be on October 1 and the season will continue until October 10.
For cabaret lovers, When You’re Home: An Uptown Cabaret, with Robin de Jesús and Linedy Genao, will arrive on October 6. A week later, on October 13, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes will take the stage for a conversation about theater and artistic creation.
The lineup will continue on October 17 with Wayfinding: Señas del Camino, a multilingual community production, and on October 24 with the Second Annual Uptown Fall Fest, which will bring more activities and entertainment to the new space.
But the building is also worth a look. Designed to make artistic activity part of the daily life of the neighborhood, it has a main theater with up to 208 spectators, a studio theater, four rehearsal rooms, a gallery, a café and meeting spaces. From the street, the studios allow you to see part of the rehearsals and classes.
The art begins before you even enter. At the center, visitors are welcomed by Liquid Highway, a permanent mural by Dominican-American artist Scheherazade García that explores migration, memory and identity.
After years of putting on shows in borrowed spaces, The People’s Theater finally has a home of its own. And everything indicates that in Inwood there will be a lot to see.
Complete programming and tickets are available at ThePeoplesTheatre.org.
