From the sidewalk, the Irondale Center may appear to be just a church. However, in the former Sunday school of this interesting structure, a dedicated theater company develops innovative performance art. Attend a show at the center and admire the church as well, which combines impressive architecture with an activist history worth remembering.
For 35 years, the Irondale Ensemble has pioneered performing arts with the aim of promoting education and social justice. They originally performed in unusual places such as schools, prisons, homeless shelters and other such community spaces. In 2008, the group converted the church’s unused Sunday school facility into a performance space. Enter a small door near the back of the church and climb a flight of stairs to an intimate antechamber. This area opens onto the theater space.
In this simple venue above Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, prepare for a creative, unorthodox experience that may combine puppetry with traditional theater, music and dance. Attend a Shakespeare play or observe programs featuring partnerships with community groups from schools to police organizations.
Outside, look up at the building’s imposing brownstone façade and soaring spire. Dedicated in 1862, the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church is a prime example of the Romanesque Revival architecture so popular in New York City in the mid 19th century. With a humble Presbyterian approach, the simple design of the interior was organized around the pulpit in an amphitheater style. The congregation channeled its passions into anti-slavery activism.
Notice the elegant windows. They were originally a simple, uniform yellow glass, but in the late 19th century congregants invested in 13 elaborate Tiffany stained-glass panels.
Admire the dramatic murals adorning the walls of the sanctuary. Added in the 1970s, they depict scenes from the neighborhood and reflect the contemporary church’s progressive, community-minded spirit.
Walk to the church and performance space from the Lafayette Avenue or Fulton Street subway stations both are just a few blocks away. Street parking is free, but very limited. Check Irondale’official website for a full schedule of performances and events at the center.
