The final public piece of the reconstruction of the World Trade Center, the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC), will be opening in September 2023. Executive Director Khady Kamara and Artistic Director Bill Rauch announced recently that the facility would be opening after 20 years of labor to create a new heart of culture in lower Manhattan.
The vision for the PAC began almost 20 years ago as a part of the original master plan for reconstructing the World Trade Center during Michael Bloomberg’s time as mayor of NYC. Bloomberg currently acts as the chair for the project. Named after Ronald O. Perelman, a businessman, philanthropist, and benefactor, the building was designed by the architecture firm REX, with many interior spaces being designed by Rockwell Group.
According to a recent article by the New York Times, the building has gone through a lot of changes over its 20-year development. Even without formally changing the name of the building, the institution has switched from calling it “the Perelman” to “the PAC.” Though the namesake of the PAC, Ronald Perelman, has his name on the building, former mayor Bloomberg has now contributed more capital, totaling at $130 million.
Our goal in developing the artistic program is to innovate – providing exciting new ways
Artistic Director of PAC Bill Rauch
for artists to create, collaborate, and share their work with a broad public – while representing and celebrating the humanity of our city in all its fullness. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, we want you to be able to find yourself in the PAC and find your connection to everyone else who shares in the work we do.
A defining feature of the building’s façade are the 5,000 panels of bookmatched marble. They allow for light to cast an amber glow into the building in the day and for the building to produce an amber glow at night. The panels were quarried and cut in Portugal, fabricated with glass in France, and assembled into panels in Germany.
The interior design is also unique, with three modular stages that can quickly merge or separate depending on the venue’s requirements. Independently, the three stages include: the John E. Zuccotti Theater, which seats up to 450; the Mike Nichols Theater, which seats up to 250; and the Doris Duke Theater, which seats up to 99. Altogether, their capacities range from 99 to 950 people.
The interior of the eight-story structure is divided into three main sections. The “public” level includes the John C. Whitehead Lobby, which features a stage for free performances, a restaurant, a bar, and the Dalio Family Terrace. The “artist” level has the necessary support spaces for artists at the center, whereas the top level, the “play” level has the three theaters and a rehearsal space.
Leading PAC is Executive Director Khady Kamara, who has more than 24 years of theater management experience. Prior to being executive director at PAC, Kamara was executive director for Second Stage in NYC. She would go on to win a Tony Award in 2022 as a member of the leadership team for “Take Me Out.” As a part of her extensive non-profit background, Kamara had a 20-year career with Arena Stage in Washington DC.
Responding to the sanctity of the World Trade Center site and the humanistic
Joshua Ramus, founding principal of REX
aspirations of the PAC’s mission, our design empowers artistic teams to imagine and create a vast range of performances and audience experiences, within a building that addresses its setting with respect and warmth.
Bill Rauch acts as PAC’s artistic director, and has worked as a theater director in venues ranging from small community centers to the largest in the country. He has been a part of productions of the Tony Award-winning “All The Way” and its sequel “The Great Society,” as well as directed seven world premieres of plays.
While details for the opening Fall shows have yet to be announced, more information and updates can be found on the PAC’s website.
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