Join the Paterson Performing Arts Development Council for its Mainstage production of By the Light of the Ghetto Moon.

As part of the 2024 lineup for its 4th Annual Hamilton Arts Festival (June 13 – 22, 2024), PPADC is thrilled to premier this dramatic play by its 2024 Playwright-In-Residence is Susan Justiniano, also better known as RescuePoetix, on Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22 at the Paterson Great Falls Center. 

A native of Paterson, New Jersey, Justiniano is the 2022-2024 state of New Jersey Beat Poet Laureate. By the Light of the Ghetto Moon explores a first-generation Puerto Rican woman coming to terms with her past traumas as the only girl—whose older brother gets away with everything and two younger siblings whom she is expected to take care of—growing up in patriarchal, strict, Roman Catholic, household in Paterson, NJ. Her perspectives are shared with the most consistent presence throughout her childhood, the Moon. 

“It is a story that has been experienced by many of us growing up disconnected from our heritage in some ways and steeped deep within it in others.” –Susan Justiniano

Now in its fourth season, the festival runs from June 13 through June 22. The 2024 HAF lineup includes film screenings, visual arts exhibits, theatrical productions, and more. HAF is designed to promote and showcase the works of underrepresented artists in the performing arts and other disciplines. HAF is made possible with funds from the Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Since inception, PPADC has taken great pride in presenting wide ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity. The PPADC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is on a mission to support new and accomplished artists in developing new works and to offer cultural events to communities in Paterson, NJ.

PPADC is a proud member of The Paterson Alliance and an Affiliate Member of the New Jersey Theater Alliance, the country’s first statewide professional theater service organization, representing a consortium of 40 performing arts and theater companies.

To learn more about PPADC and other HAF events visit www.ppadc.org.

Note: Parking is available in the open lot across from the venue: The Great Falls Center, 39 McBride Avenue Ext, Paterson, NJ 07501