WORKac Opens People's Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante in Inwood, Manhattan
After 18 years of performing in temporary locations, The People's Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante, established by Dominican theater artist Mino Lora, has inaugurated its first dedicated facility in Inwood, Manhattan. This 19,000-square-foot venue, designed by WORKac, stands as the largest Latino-owned theater in New York State. It includes the Mainstage Theatre, Ernesto Concepción Studio Theatre, and features a continuous ramp for accessibility. The lobby, which doubles as a gallery, showcases a mural by Dominican-American artist Scherezade Garcia. Office furniture was chosen by Virginia Cabral, while Andrew Freeman worked on the studio designs. The opening comes during a time of significant challenges for immigrants, marking a permanent establishment led by an immigrant woman of color.
Key facts
- The People's Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante opened this month in Inwood, Manhattan, after 18 years of using borrowed spaces.
- WORKac designed the 19,000-square-foot venue, which occupies the ground floor and cellar of Miramar, a residential complex by Beyer Blinder Belle.
- It is described by WORKac as the "first flexible theater north of Harlem" and is the largest Latino-owned and operated theater in New York State.
- The theater includes the Mainstage Theatre and the Ernesto Concepción Studio Theatre, which has direct street access for simultaneous performances.
- A continuous ramp called the Rampatorium replaces partitioned circulation, and a lightwell was created by pulling the facade back about 10 feet.
- A mural by Dominican-American artist Scherezade Garcia, Liquid Highway, anchors the lobby, which also functions as a gallery.
- The design palette references Inwood's bodega storefronts, street art, the Seaman Drake Arch, and Art Deco interiors.
- Graphic designer Andrew Freeman specified wallpapers and colors for each studio, and Charcoalblue served as theater and acoustics consultant.
Entities
Artists
- Mino Lora
- Scherezade Garcia
- Amale Andraos
- Dan Wood
- Virginia Cabral
- Andrew Freeman
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
Institutions
- WORKac
- People's Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante
- Beyer Blinder Belle
- Apollo Theater
- United Palace
- Charcoalblue
- The New York Times
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Manhattan
- Inwood
- Harlem
- Washington Heights
- Dominican Republic
- 206th Street
- 181st Street