La Perla Theater
Encyclopedia
Teatro La Perla is a historic theater in the city of Ponce
, Puerto Rico
. Inaugurated in 1864, it is the second oldest theater of its kind in Puerto Rico, but "the largest and most historic in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean." The theater was named La Perla in honor of
the Virgin of Montserrat
(Spanish: La Virgen de Montserrat), known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean." It is located in barrio Tercero
.
(an Italian
resident of the city) in the 1860s and it bears a neoclassical
structure with an impressive six-column entrance. The building was badly damaged by the 1918 earthquake
. However, it was rebuilt in 1940 using the original plans and reopened in 1941 with better acoustics technology. It closed in 2006 for renovations and reopened on March 14, 2008.
and Pedro Garriga in May of 1864.
of 1,047 and it is now a regular venue for concerts, opera
, plays
, and various civic and educational activities such as school graduations. The lobby of the theater has a small museum
dedicated to the history of the building and past shows.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Inaugurated in 1864, it is the second oldest theater of its kind in Puerto Rico, but "the largest and most historic in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean." The theater was named La Perla in honor of
the Virgin of Montserrat
Virgin of Montserrat
The Virgin of Montserrat is a statue of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ venerated at the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery in the Montserrat mountain in Catalonia....
(Spanish: La Virgen de Montserrat), known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean." It is located in barrio Tercero
Tercero (Ponce)
Tercero is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Together with Primero, Segundo, Cuarto, Quinto, and Sexto, Tercero is one the municipality's six core urban barrios.-Location:...
.
Design
The theater was designed by Juan Bertoli CalderoniJuan Bertoli Calderoni
Juan Bertoli Calderoni was a nineteenth-century Puerto Rican architect from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He designed Teatro La Perla, Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña and the building currently housing the Centro Cultural de Ponce among various other historic structures.-Legacy:Among Bertoli's most...
(an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
resident of the city) in the 1860s and it bears a neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
structure with an impressive six-column entrance. The building was badly damaged by the 1918 earthquake
1918 Puerto Rico earthquake
The San Fermín earthquake, also known as the Puerto Rico earthquake of 1918, was a major earthquake that struck the island of Puerto Rico at 10:14am on October 11, 1918. The magnitude for the earthquake has been reported at around 7.5 ; however, that might not be an exact number...
. However, it was rebuilt in 1940 using the original plans and reopened in 1941 with better acoustics technology. It closed in 2006 for renovations and reopened on March 14, 2008.
History
The theater served as a stage not only to give life to the theatrical artistic culture in the region, but it also served as a place of assembly for those who were dedicated to the social issues in Ponce and in Puerto Rico as a whole. It served this function both at the end of the Spanish regime and in Puerto Rico’s early years as a United States territory. The Teatro was built under the initiative of Francisco Parra DuperónFrancisco Parra Duperón
Francisco Parra Duperón born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico was a lawyer and banker. He became a lawyer at a young age and moved from Mayagüez to Ponce, Puerto Rico where he established his law practice....
and Pedro Garriga in May of 1864.
Capacity and museum
The theatre has a seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 1,047 and it is now a regular venue for concerts, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, and various civic and educational activities such as school graduations. The lobby of the theater has a small museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
dedicated to the history of the building and past shows.