The Park Theatre (Park Performing Arts Center) in Union City, is a restored historic 1400-seat theatre and is again an active performance venue.
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560 32nd Street
Union City, NJ
07087
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Located in the heart of Union City, the Park Theatre, a 1400-seat venue was built in 1931. Under the management of John Lant and Write Act Repertory, the Park Theatre is currently under refurbishment. We are excited to take on a project of this scale, and with time, the Park Theatre will return to its former glory. We hope you join us as we embark on this new journey.
HISTORY Located in the heart of Union City, the Park Performing Arts Center’s (PPAC) origins date back to 1915, when Rev. Joseph N. Grieff, pastor of Holy Family Church, produced “The Passion Play” as an offering for world peace. Long considered the premier passion play in the country, it is also the longest continuously running production of its kind in the nation. The German congregation of Holy Family Church built the Park Theatre in 1931 to accommodate the annual production. A Broadway-style theatre that could seat 1400, its acoustics and design were superb. Rev. Grieff had film projectors installed during the Great Depression and the Park Theatre screened popular movies of the day for additional revenue. Although young men – the majority of “The Passion Play” cast – were called to service during World War II, the production continued and the Park Theatre remained open. Interest in the Park Theatre waned as earlier generations left Union City and its surrounding urban areas in 1960s and 1970s. In order to preserve the historic theatre and serve a new generation of Latinos, and multi-ethnic audiences moving to Hudson County, the Park Theatre became a non-profit corporation in 1983 with a mission of providing high-quality artistic, cultural and educational programming for the diverse communities of northern New Jersey.
NOW Under the management of John Lant and Write Act Repertory, the Park Theatre is currently under refurbishment. We are excited to take on a project of this scale, and with time, the Park Theatre will return to its former glory. We hope you join us as we embark on this new journey.
