Inwood’s new immigrant arts center announces inaugural season
Photo by Luis Luque/Capture Imaging
A new theater dedicated to immigrant-centered works opening in New York City this fall released its inaugural schedule of performances. Located on West 206th Street in Inwood, Centro Cultural Inmigrante provides a permanent home for The People’s Theatre, the first immigrant cultural center in New York. The season begins on September 19 with a community open house and jazz power jam, followed by the play “GUAC,” written and performed by Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquín “Guac” Oliver was killed in the Parkland shooting in 2018.
Now in its 18th season, The People’s Theatre showcases multilingual and multi-generational programming that highlights immigrants, people of color, and queer communities.
The new 19,000-square-foot permanent home for the organization will be located within the mixed-use development called Miramar. Designed by WORKac, Centro Cultural Immigrante includes a mid-size theater, a smaller performance venue, rehearsal studios, a practice room, a gallery space, and areas for educational programming.
The theater, which broke ground in October 2023, was promised as part of the 2018 Inwood rezoning.
A free community open house kicks off the season on September 19, which will unveil “Liquid Highway,” a new mural by Dominican artist Scherezade Garcia, and include a concert by Jazz Power Initiative.
Manuel Oliver’s “GUAC” will run from September 25 through October 10; tickets start at $35.
On October 6, Broadway’s Robin de Jesús and Linedy Genao will perform in the concert, “When You’re Home: An Uptown Cabaret.” The event is described as “part Broadway concert, part Latin music fever dream, and part family party where the playlist moves from Juan Gabriel to ‘Sunday in the Park with George.'” Tickets start at $45.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes of “In The Heights” will join The People’s Theatre for a conversation on the Tony Award-winning musical and the future of Latino theater on October 13. The event is free to attend, but tickets are required.
“Our inaugural season in our new home invites immigrants, Latinos, theater lovers, and all New Yorkers to experience extraordinary talent and productions in an exciting new venue, activated by art and civic energy,” Mino Lora, founder and executive artistic director of The People’s Theatre, said.
“From intergenerational concerts and Broadway artists to fearless new theatrical work, this season honors creativity, resilience, and our cultural heritage, while establishing Uptown as a must-visit destination.”
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