(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- It’s been four long years since Jersey City residents have been able to enjoy a J CITY Theater production. Their last show, As Bees In Honey Drown, closed on May 17, 2014. It was their most successful show to date, and the production team was excited to begin planning their next season. However, they were surprised to learn that their performance space in the basement of St. Michael’s Church in Hamilton Park was to be leased to a Day Care Center and they would have to vacate their home.
Thus began a four-year search for a new stage and a crash course on the difficulty of finding performance spaces in downtown Jersey City.
“Finding a new home is extremely challenging,’ said Clay Cockrell, Executive Director for J CITY Theater. ‘We are not alone in this problem.”
Most of Jersey City’s performance groups, Art House Productions, Nimbus Dance, you name it, have had to scramble to find new homes at the last minute. And while the Visual Arts also has had difficulty, performance arts have a unique problem as we must find a large and unused space to create the work (rehearsal) and then the space for the performance for an audience. In this hot real estate market, it is difficult to find a large enough space that can be devoted to only one purpose for up to 7 weeks.
“Several years ago, there were many performance groups in Hudson County,’ said Mr. Cockrell. “We even had an association – The Hudson County Theater Alliance, that worked to build community and assistance between the many groups. Now, there are only a few of us left – all the others have been shut out due to lack of space.”
Fortunately, J CITY Theater has created a relationship with the Barrow Mansion at 83 Wayne Street that will allow them to resurrect their organization. Artistic Director, Sandy Cockrell says, “The Barrow Mansion has been incredibly welcoming and supportive of us. They have an amazing space that allows us to create our work on the highest levels and we look forward to building a great relationship with them.”
Before losing their home in Hamilton Park, J CITY Theater was one of the leading theaters in Hudson County, known for producing plays that were engaging and thought-provoking. With over 10 years of audience-pleasing performances, their successes saw great reviews in both The New York Times and The Star Ledger. They are a professional company, employing actors and stage managers that are members of the Actor’s Equity Association. Their productions have focused on re-staging Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize Award-winning scripts.
“Our audiences have always been our greatest champions,’ said Ms. Cockrell. “There hasn’t been a week gone by that we haven’t received an email or been stopped on the street by a former audience member to tell us that they miss us and hope we come back soon. Their support and encouragement have kept us going for 4 years, and we are so excited to see them again in our new home!”
Audience members won’t have long to wait. J CITY Theater is currently in rehearsals for their new play: Clark Gable Slept Here, which opens on May 4th. For tickets and more information, see their website: www.jcity.org
