Teatro Yagüez
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The Teatro Yaguez is a performing arts theater located in the municipality of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico at McKinley and Basora Streets. It was founded by Francisco Maymón Palmer.
Sr. Maymón's parents emigrated to Puerto Rico from Italy in the early 1800's. Maymón was an empresario by vocation and is now known as a pioneer of the industry of cinematography in the island of Puerto Rico. He introduced this new form of Art early in the beginning of the 20th century by showing silent films throughout the island and becoming a distributor for 'Power' movie projectors. The 'Power Projector' company was located in Michigan. With the help of his business partners Sr. Jose Rahola and Sr. Fundador Vargas, he imported movies from the Pathé Company in Europe, showing them in town centers under the stars and at the Old Municipal Theatre ('Teatro Municipal'). The latter no longer exists as it was destroyed in the 1918 earthquake that hit the city and was never rebuilt, since the Teatro Yagüez had become the city's preferred gathering place for Opera, Plays, Drama, Live Orquestras, and Silent Movies.
Construction of Francisco Maymón's Teatro Yagüez began around 1907; The formal inauguration was in 1909. Cement was imported from Germany, interior Ceilings from Italy, Tiles and Carpets from Spain. An architectural jewel, the Teatro Yagüez began as a neo-baroque style Opera House, years later turning into a Silent Movie Theatre. It has been incorrectly stated that the theatre was built in art deco style, however, the art deco movement developed years after the theatre's first construction and second reconstruction.
Maymon suffered a great loss, when on June 20, 1919, a fire destroyed his beloved Yaguez. The World Almanac and Book of Facts states that 150 people died in the fire, although these records are vague and mostly speculative. According to his family, investigations after the fire exonerated him of all culpability, and indeed pointed the finger at some entities who had an interest in the location (the land) where the Teatro Yagüez stood, and who indeed, tried to purchase the land after the fire. But the Teatro Yagüez was rebuilt after many lawsuits between Francisco Maymón and the Municipal Council of the City, in which Maymón prevailed. Records of these lawsuits are preserved by the Maymón Family today. The Teatro Yaguez is still in use today and it is now a Registered Historical Landmark (National Register: 85003086 (12/2/1985)).
Francisco's son, Miguel A. Maymón Camuñas, and his daughter Sra. Petra Maymón Cernuda inherited the Teatro Yagüez in 1954 after Francisco's and his wife's passing. In 1959, Miguel purchased his sister's share in the Yagüez, becoming sole proprietor of the Teatro Yagüez.
In 1976, the U.S. government sent a Bicentennial Commission to Puerto Rico, who declared the Teatro Yagüez a National Historic Landmark. The municipality of Mayagüez purchased the Yagüez in 1978. The Yagüez has since undergone full restoration and is today a beautiful reminder of the history of theatre and arts of the early 20th century in Puerto Rico.
Maymón called the Teatro Yagüez: La Catedral Del Arte Sonoro. (The Cathedral of Sonorous Art).
