Kerrie Joyce 
Hudson County’s close proximity to Broadway might incline most lovers of the arts to venture across the river for entertainment. With so many big names and notorious productions, the attraction is obvious. Hudson County, though, is home to multiple award-winning collectives of artists creating innovative, original works and fresh takes on classics, allowing you to say, “I knew them when…” Read on to learn more about community theater in Hudson County, New Jersey.
Hudson Theatre Works | 4050 Park Avenue, Weehawken
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One local theatre on the west side of the Hudson is the non-profit theatre organization Hudson Theatre Works, which was founded in 2011. As part of its mission, it is committed to “Ensemble collaboration, as well as artistic risk, through its work with its permanent company, guest artists, partner institutions, and the surrounding community.” The organization also highlights its dedication to presenting productions both old and new that reflect the world we live in and tackle both new ideas and timeless lessons.
The theatre is in the process of moving locations. It is currently located in Weehawken’s historic Water Tower, while awaiting construction of a new Performing Arts Center announced by Mayor Richard Turner, located at Port Imperial. The new Performing Arts Center will house two theater organizations, including Hudson Theatre Works and Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center, Inc., also known as HRPAC.
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Artistic Director Frank Licato said, “Artists come to HTW because of past relationships in the business and auditions held by the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, of which Hudson Theatre Works is a member. We get many artists from New York as well as New Jersey.” Frank continued to describe the teamwork between artists in support of each other’s crafts, saying, “Artists participate on many levels, from helping with sets and lights to watching the concession stand.”
Frank also highlighted the collaborative workshopping program known as the Forge. The Forge is a “Private, members-only workshop where playwrights, actors, directors, etc. meet once a month to perform or to have their plays read as they develop the work.” The theatre additionally presents a PlayWorks series, allowing plays to be read before an audience, which can then provide feedback.
While no productions are being put on for the summer, they will pick back up again in the fall at the Water Tower location at 4050 Park Avenue. Construction of the new Performing Arts Center at Port Imperial is said to conclude in the next two years. The best way to support nonprofit community theater like HTW, Frank said, is to “Come to our shows and other events. We are committed to low ticket prices, which makes our work accessible to everyone in the community.”
Read More: The Film Industry is Booming in the Garden State; Here’s Why
Mile Square Theatre | 1400 Clinton Street, Hoboken
Photo Credit: Mile Square Theatre
Hoboken’s Mile Square Theatre, located at 1400 Clinton Street, is one of the most accessible spaces for people seeking to get involved in performances themselves, as it provides a range of theatre arts and dance classes for youth and adults. Children’s programs include MST Players for children between the ages of 8 and 14 to rehearse and present plays, and a summer camp that will be performing The Pirates of Penzance this year. The Mile Square Theatre states that its mission is to “Enrich and engage the region through the production of professional theatre and innovative arts education.”
As part of this mission, Artistic Director Chris Cragin-Day announced a new play-reading program beginning in September, where playwrights can have actors read their plays aloud as part of their drafting process, in preparation for their World Premiere. As far as finding talent goes, Chris said, “We have open auditions for actors, and we post that on social media and send that out to anyone who is on our email list. We also post on Backstage.com.” For playwrights, agents often play a role (pun intended) in guiding them towards MST. Chris also finds playwrights easily through the extensive network she has amassed within the Theatre Community, which she has been a part of for 25 years.
For the summer, Mile Square Theatre is launching a new weekly Wednesday night music series at its Mainstage Theater, which debuted on June 11th with a show featuring the Hoboken-born folk/bluegrass band Strangers Stopping Strangers.
Starting in early October, the theatre will show a production titled The Supreme Leader by Don Nguyen, a coming-of-age comedy imagining the adolescence of an unexpected protagonist, Kim Jong-Un. Chris said, “We think that our community is really going to love this play; it’s new, but it has a really strong, great track record, so we’re really excited.”
Chris also shared that the theater launched its first-ever season membership in July, providing a discounted rate for tickets to all shows for those who opt to purchase tickets for the 2025 season in advance.
Art House | 345 Marin Boulevard, Jersey City
Art House in Jersey City, located at 345 Marin Boulevard, is home to a variety of artistic media, including both visual and performing arts, spanning from circus to stand-up comedy. Art House Marketing Director Sunjay Venkatraman said, “We do it all… We do a variety of different programming, including comedy, dance, live music, poetry, puppetry, and anything under the sun that’s arts-related. Our goal is to showcase emerging artists, artists that have been in the scene for a while, and give a space for artists to showcase their work. That includes visual artists as well.” Sunjay elaborated on the visual arts scene in which the organization is deeply immersed, saying that the space hosts monthly visual arts exhibits, with June’s exhibit highlighting works focused on accessibility and disability rights.
Per Sunjay, the biggest event of the year is the annual Jersey City Comedy Festival, which took place from June 10th to June 14th. The festival featured acclaimed headliners and acts as a competition featuring local comics, who were judged by audiences and talent bookers in the industry, for a prize of $500 and spots on high-profile comedy showcases.
The Art House organization was formed shortly following 9/11 and has since played a crucial role in the development of local artists, especially those in theatre arts. Art House runs a playwriting INKubator program in which the organization accepts submissions in early fall from playwrights, new or established, centered around developing new plays with the help of program director Alex Tobey to develop their ideas into a full script on an eight-month timeline. At the end of this incubation period, each Spring, writers can present their brand-new works to the public as part of the annual INKubator New Play Festival.
Notably, in a conversation about Jersey City Pride, festival producer Eddie Baez remarked on the communal overlap between Art House and the Jersey City LGBTQ+ community, with Sunjay saying that the organization has planned Pride events for Jersey City’s Pride Month this August.
New Jersey City University Center for the Arts | Multiple locations
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New Jersey City University’s Center for the Arts shows productions out of two theaters: Margaret Williams Theatre located at 2039 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City and West Side Theatre located at 285 West Side Avenue, Jersey City. Per Visit Hudson, the Margaret Williams Theatre was first opened in 1931, located in the Hepburn building on NJCU’s main campus. The 1,000-seat theatre was renovated in 1968 and 1998 and is professionally equipped with theatrical sound and lighting systems. The West Side Theatre, located in the NJCU Business Development Incubator building, has a capacity of 120 seats and is used for intimate productions.
The NJCU Center for the Arts offers a “Knight Pass” which is a season pass to all of their performances including opera, concerts, musicals, dance recitals, and more. More information about the Knight Pass can be found here. For the winter 2025 season, the Margaret Williams Theatre will host a Studio 2039 Pop and R&B ensemble concert on Friday, December 19th.
Jersey City Theater Center | 165 Newark Avenue, Jersey City
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Jersey City Theater Center was founded in 2006 by Olga Levina and Ben LoPiccolo. The center is currently located at 165 Newark Avenue. There is also a new location in the works, which is planned to be “The world’s tallest arts-focused community center,” standing at a towering 31 stories high. Per the center’s Facebook page, the center will include performing arts facilities, including a mainstage theater, affordable artist housing units, rehearsal studios, children’s programming, dance studios, visual art galleries, a mainstage theater, dance theater, black-box theater, and more.
The center plans to resume programming in September.
Hudson County Community College Performing Arts | 70 Sip Avenue, Jersey City
Hudson County Community College runs an impressive theatre arts Associate’s degree program with classes taught by “Award-winning faculty, who also work professionally in the field while Guest Artists are additionally brought in from New York to conduct workshops. Each semester ends with a Theatre Festival, which showcases scenes, monologues, and songs presented in our state-of-the-art Studio Theatre classroom,” the program states via its website. As part of the educational program, students perform each semester before live audiences, which are open to the public.
Theatre Arts Program Director Joseph Gallo stated that while students are off for summer vacation, programming will resume in the fall.
West Hudson Arts + Theater Company (WHATCo) | 15 Frank East Rodgers Boulevard South, Harrison
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The West Hudson Arts + Theater Company (WHATCo) is a community-driven theater group that serves as a cultural resource. The company has a Main Stage, Youth Stage, River’s Edge Stage, and Summer Stage. It produced a Summer 2025 production of The Tempest that was performed throughout Hudson County.
See More: A List of Performing Arts Centers in Essex County
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