Long Wharf Theatre ​“Comes Home” To Audubon

Audubon Street burst into party mode Saturday as Long Wharf Theatre celebrated its move from a Sargent Drive stage to offices downtown — as well as the beginning of a new itinerant model of presenting works across various locations in Greater New Haven.

That was the scene Saturday afternoon Audubon Street between Whitney Avenue and Orange Street at an event that included music and activities for all ages.

The block party marked Long Wharf Theatre’s upcoming move from its long-time home at 222 Sargent Dr. to new offices at 70 Audubon St. as part of a larger shift towards an ​“itinerant” approach to theater making.

It also came one day after several dozen theater staff and patrons gathered at the Sargent Drive stage Friday night for a farewell party that included tours of the prop room, monologue readings from past Long Wharf productions, and the sharing of roughly six decades’ worth of memories of dramatic art made at New Haven’s industrial food terminal. (Click here to read an article by the New Haven Arts Paper’s Lucy Gellman about that Friday night event.)

Meanwhile, on Saturday, representatives from the creative hubs that already call Audubon Street home — including Neighborhood Music School, Creative Arts Workshop, the New Haven Ballet, the Educational Center of the Arts, and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven — gathered on the downtown arts block to help ring in Long Wharf’s new era for an event called ​“Home(Coming)”.

Proyecto Cimarron was already sharing its infectious bomba beats on the stage set up in front of ECA when the ​“sneaker walk” arrived from Whitney Avenue. 

A gathering of staff from Long Wharf Theatre, led by artistic director Jacob Padrón and managing director Kit Ingui, made their way down Audubon carrying a ribbon-filled installation that held messages gathered from long-time Long Wharf audience members, artists, workers, and board members in response to three prompts: ​“Long Wharf theater is… Long Wharf Theatre will be… My wish for Long Wharf Theatre is…” 

The blue ribbons specifically held the names of plays produced over the theater’s 58 years, as well as the seasons of theater and an excerpt from the last play that will be read at the Sargent Drive space next week — Flying Bird Diary, by Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel. 

Kica Matos, of Proyecto Cimarron, thanked the theater after the song was over, expressing her joyful anticipation of the new changes, adding that she was ​“excited to see their new frontier.” Then she said to the audience, ​“this is Puerto Rican bomba music. Do you want to hear more?” After the crowd responded loudly in the affirmative, Carlos Cruz requested everyone come into the dance circle and ​“join in,” which many did while full of smiles.

Padrón and Ingui then took to the stage to introduce themselves and express their honor to be welcomed to the neighborhood.

“The Audubon Arts District will be home to Long Wharf’s new offices and it is a dream location, one that welcomes community, partnerships, and spaces that foster creativity, learning, and imagining,” Ingui said. ​“What a gift to be alongside such inspiring organizations.”

“Today we’ve invited some of our favorite artists to celebrate with us, sharing their talents and joining us in marking this momentous day,” said Padrón. 

Ingui introduced New Haven artist and ​“Long Wharf theater family member” Thabisa Rich, who performed her original song ​“Imagine” accompanied by Anthony Regets on guitar. She made her way off the stage and through the crowd, connecting with adults and children alike as she sang her message of hope. 

Artists Fior Rodriguez and Betzabeth Castro both came to the stage to commemorate the theater’s past and explain the meaning of the installation to the audience, inviting everyone to add their own ​“hopes and dreams” to it at a table nearby that held more ribbons and markers. Padrón added that anytime anyone comes to an event during the first season, they would see the installation as ​“a reminder of the community’s power in remembering the past, honoring the present, and dreaming the future.” 

“As an itinerant theatre company, we will be on the move, popping up in spaces and locations across the Greater New Haven region,” Ingui said. ​“We can’t wait to see you in spaces that celebrate the beauty and history of our city.”

They also introduced the ECA Brass Band, who stood in front of the stage 11 members strong, rousing the crowd with their celebratory sounds while children got their faces painted, collected balloon animals, and created chalk art on the sidewalks. Food and drinks were available at a variety of tables including Many Donuts, and Lotta Studio had set up a photo booth.

The next portion of the event was dedicated to ​“honoring the present.” Rodriguez spoke of how the theater met challenges presented in the past three years by hosting online events, including readings, a work in progress commission, and a concert performance of Jelly’s Last Jam. The next performer, Justin Sudderth, had performed in that concert; on Saturday on Audubon Street, he performed the song ​“Home” from The Wiz. His rich and heartfelt voice soared over the street and elicited some of the loudest applause of the day. 

A group photo was then taken to commemorate the day as Padrón asked everyone to come closer to the stage and wave any of the party favors they had received throughout the event. Before that, Ingui shared a poem that was written by ​“dedicated Long Wharf subscriber and community member” Mary S. Mitchell — who was also an audience member at their very first show, The Crucible, in 1965. 

The poem, titled ​“Goodbye Long Wharf Theatre, Act One. Hello Long Wharf Theatre, Act Two,” included the lines: ​“It’s a truism never yet disproven. A theatre is not a building. A theatre is the magic moment of realizing some part of what it means to be human.”

Anne Coates, executive director of Creative Arts Workshop, and Noah Bloom, executive director of Neighborhood Music School, came to the stage next to welcome the theater to the neighborhood. Coates presented Padrón and Ingui with a gift from the arts organizations in the neighborhood: a birdcage, in honor of the birdcage factory that used to be on Audubon Street before it was an arts district. ​“Let us be your net and let us welcome you here,” she added. 

Bloom noted that ​“each week thousands and thousands of people come from all across New Haven and more than a hundred cities to come to this street, and learn and experience together through the arts, and having Long Wharf join us is an amazing addition to our arts ecosystem.”

He then introduced ​“the president of the street,” musician and educator Jesse Hameen II, who would be performing with Anton Kot, an alumnus of both ECA and Neighborhood Music School, for a ​“musical welcome” to the street.

Hameen said they would be playing a West African rhythm, from Mali. ​“This is a rhythm that’s welcoming a good guest, important person, important family member,” he added. ​“This is welcoming Long Wharf to Audubon.” 

After that invigorating performance, Padrón led a final toast that included bursts of confetti, offering more thanks and encouraging everyone to enjoy more music from the Anton Kot Band, as well as an open house at Creative Arts Workshop and a DJ dance party following the band’s set. 

And as the festivities proceeded, he also had one word specifically on his mind that he wanted to share: gratitude. 

“Just gratitude,” he said, ​“To be so warmly welcomed to the community, and for all the support. I hope people keep supporting us.”

For more information about Long Wharf Theatre’s upcoming events please check out their website here.