By Yours Truly and Jan Engoren
Here are eight more theaters in Miami you may have not known about in this, Part 2 of a series. The list was planned to be a “keeper” to look at when you’re thinking about a cultural or entertainment outing. And not only that, we’ve indicated in bold some upcoming productions this summer that you’ll want to consider putting on your list including a special day for children. Click here if you missed Part 1 with the first twelve theaters in Miami.
Arca Images – https://arcaimages.org
Arca Images, founded in 2001 by Alexa Kuve and Larry Villanueva , the theatre now boasts Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Nilo Cruz as its artistic director. They create, produce and promote original contemporary theater and new adaptations of classic plays for Miami’s diverse English-Spanish bilingual audiences, as well as related Hispanic performing arts including music. Arca works with local artists and presents complex works that reflect the region’s multicultural character.
Among the company’s productions are “Chambelona,” a short film written and directed by Villanueva, and his play: “Allá afuera hay fresco,” “Sueño Americano” by Eduardo Pardo and a collective creation, “Las Brujitas del Downtown.” In July they will present Nilo Cruz’s World Premiere of Kisses Through the Glass, his latest play.
Arca Images is located at the Miami Dade County Auditorium, 2901 W. Flagler Street, Miami, Florida 33135. Tel: (786) 327-4539.
Teatro Avante – www.teatroavante.org
Founded in 1979, Teatro Avante presents theatre as part of their mission to preservation its Hispanic cultural heritage. The company has staged works by Albee, Alomá, Ariza, Assad and Cabrujas, among others.
Productions for the Festival are held at different theaters around town.
Juggerknot Theatre – www.juggerknottheatrecompany.com
Founded in 1998 by Tanya Bravo, Juggerknot Theatre Company, under the direction of Tai Thompson, is the producer of Miami Motel Stories, a real-time immersive theatre experience that takes place inside hotel/motel spaces and tells the stories of those neighborhoods.
The company, under the artistic direction Bravo showcases and develops works from local and national playwrights and prides itself on pushing the boundaries and expectations of its audience.
Juggerknot Theatre is located at 2950 SW 3rd Avenue, Miami, Florida 33129. Tel: (786) 757-1986.
More Theaters in Miami
Microtheater Miami – https://microtheatermiami.com
Pressed for time, but still want that theatre experience? Check out Miami’s 15-minute short plays, one of the more novel theaters in Miami for its setting.
The concept of Microtheater was born in Spain in 2009 and landed in Miami three years later, thanks to Jorge Monje who founded Microtheatre Miami in partnership with Centro Cultural Español (CCE).
Bringing culture to the street, the group presents seven plays each season, with six productions each night Thursday – Sunday. Each play is an original 15-minute play in English and Spanish presented inside shipping containers, creating a unique experience.
From now to July 2 is Temporada LGBTIQ+.
Microtheater Miami is located at 1490 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL, 33132. Enter through 15th Street. Tel: (305) 448 9677.
Here’s a link to an earlier post about Microtheater Miami.
Miami Light Project – https://miamilightproject.com
Founded in 1989, Miami Light Project presents live performances by innovative dance, music and theater artists from around the world and supports the development of new work by South Florida-based artists. A cultural forum to explore contemporary society, the theatre is low located at The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse in Wynwood.
The innovative theatre group invites community participation in the creation of new work.
Miami Light Project is located at 404 NW 26th Street, Miami, FL 33127. Tel: (305) 576-4350.
Miami New Drama – https://miaminewdrama.org
Located on Lincoln Road in the Colony Theatre, Miami New Drama, founded by playwright and director Michel Hausmann and National Medal of the Arts winner Moises Kaufman, presents groundbreaking work that reflects Miami’s to culturally diverse community. “We make theater that is ALWAYS in conversation with our unique multicultural and multilingual community and is relevant to national discourse for social change,” they say.
Their programming consists of world-class theater productions and co-productions in partnership with top national and international organizations. They focus on world premieres they commission as well as others. During the COVID-19 quarantine, they mounted 54 productions of “7 DEADLY SINS,” transforming six vacant storefronts and the Colony Theatre loading dock into seven unique theater spaces.
Miami New Drama is located in the Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida 33139. Tel: (305) 674.1040.
Miami Theater Center (Miami Shores) – www.mtcmiami.org
Under the artistic direction of Victoria Row-Traster, Miami Theater Center stages family and children’s theater, with a focus on modern theater, dance and music performances, as well as regular kids programming and special events. Located inside an historic movie theater, past productions have included Ballet Hispanico, Inez Barlatier’s “Ayiti”, Stories and Songs from Haiti” and for children, “Dogman: The Musical” and a production of “Emil and the Detectives”.
Miami Theater Center is located at 9806 NE 2nd Avenue Miami Shores, Florida 33138. Tel: (305) 751-9550.
M Ensemble – (MEC) https://themensemble.com/
The last on the list of theaters in Miami is the longest running black professional theater company in Florida, M Ensemble Company (named for the founder’s daughter, Maria) .It was formed in 1971 on the University of Miami campus under the direction the late T.G. Cooper and his wife Grace, (both alum of the University of Miami Theatre Department) who originally both wrote the plays the ensemble performed. With a mission to preserve and promote the African American culture and experiences through the performing arts, the ensemble is currently under the executive and artistic direction of Shirley Richardson and celebrated their 50th year in 2021.
Past productions include “The Trial of One Short-Sighted Black Woman vs Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae,” “Harlem Duet,” “The Gift Horse and Knock Me A Kiss,” and Layon Gray’s “Kings of Harlem,” about an African-American basketball team in the 1930s.
M Ensemble is located in Liberty City at the Sandrell Rivers Theater, 6103 NW 7th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33127. Parking available at 6101 NW 6th Court.
Tel: (305) 705.3218.
