Waterfront South Theatre

South Camden hopes theater gives it new direction
By Kristen A. Graham
Inquirer Staff Writer
Two years ago, Joe Paprzycki stood in front of the boarded-up building that had been his grandfather's bar, and talked about his big dream - to create a place for Camden's artists, an outlet for residents of a troubled city.

Today, the teacher and playwright plans to stand before a crowd of neighbors, schoolchildren and donors at the long-neglected lot at Fourth and Jasper and hoist a shovelful of dirt at the groundbreaking for a 99-seat theater.

The three-story structure, set to open in fall 2009, will house the South Camden Theatre Company, a group Paprzycki founded in 2004. Its members currently perform in the basement of nearby Sacred Heart Church, a parish known for its commitment to social justice.

Msgr. Michael Doyle, Sacred Heart's pastor, is delighted by the development. "We are a neighborhood that has been dishonored by what's been placed in it," Doyle said, referring to the incinerator, sewage plant and boarded-up factories in the city's Waterfront South section. "This brings honor to the neighborhood." He added: "Art elevates the human spirit. Art will save us!" That rallying cry has become the motto for the Waterfront South Theatre and its soon-to-be-resident company, which produces new and established dramas.

The first play Paprzycki ever wrote, Last Rites, takes place at Walt's Cafe, where for 50 years his grandfather Walt Evanuk poured pints and his grandmother Sue made sandwiches. he Camden native, who last set foot inside Walt's 40 years ago, set the work in 1967, when the New York Shipbuilding Corp. left the city and Camden began to shift from a working-class enclave to a poorer, more dangerous place. Last Rites is planned as the theater's inaugural production.

Construction of the $500,000 building is largely being funded by the Domenica Foundation, a nonprofit run by Cherry Hill businessman Pepe Piperno, whose roots in Camden run deep.

Paprzycki, who now lives in Gloucester City, had hoped to restore his grandfather's bar, but the 19th-century wood-frame structure was too water-damaged and had some environmental contamination that needed attention. The building came down last summer with Doyle piloting a hulking backhoe. "Church ladies everywhere were aghast," said a laughing Paprzycki, who works for the American Red Cross and teaches playwriting at Rosemont College and Temple and La Salle Universities. Help came in more forms than Piperno's financial contribution. A demolition firm donated its services, and when the Ritz Theatre in Oaklyn upgraded its seats, officials donated the old ones. "The day after Christmas, I had 30 volunteers who went to the Ritz with ratchets, and we lifted 300 seats," said Paprzycki, 50.

His vision is for a facility that is constantly in use, a place residents see as a haven. "We really think this is going to be the final turn to restoring the rest of the neighborhood," Paprzycki said. "I'm so excited."

Heart of Camden, a nonprofit housing and community-development organization, is handling the project and will sell the finished building to Paprzycki's company for $1. "You have to have patience in Camden but also passion and persistence, and Joe has all of them," said Helene Pierson, Heart of Camden's executive director. She, too, sees the theater as more than a place to put on plays. "This neighborhood is tucked in by industry and highway, and you need some sort of strategy that's going to work for redevelopment," she said. Pierson cited Philadelphia's Northern Liberties as a neglected neighborhood that was reinvigorated after establishing an identity as a bohemian enclave. Waterfront South will be "a niche arts community," she said.

Doyle isn't planning to climb into any more heavy construction equipment, but he is itching to sit in those theater seats next year. "This doesn't solve all of Camden's problems," he said, "but we have to celebrate in the meantime."

About Heart of Camden
The Heart of Camden's mission is to restore the dignity and quality of life of the community through programs for housing restoration, economic expansion and human development. For more information please visit www.heartofcamden.org.
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About South Camden Theatre Company
The South Camden Theatre Company is a non-profit entity dedicated to revitalizing the city of Camden. Our mission embraces all people of race creed and culture using theatre and drama as a backdrop to bring history alive and encouraging a bright future for the neighborhood and surrounding area. For more information please visit www.southcamdentheatre.org.