Paterson’s 5th Annual Hamilton Arts Festival Returns August 8 – 23
The Paterson Performing Arts Development Council (PPADC) proudly announces the return of its Annual Hamilton Arts Festival (HAF), now entering its fifth season. Running from August 7 to August 23, 2025, this milestone edition continues PPADC’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices across theater, film, visual arts, and spoken word. As always, the festival presents a dynamic lineup of events that are accessible, affordable, and deeply rooted in community and cultural storytelling. Tickets for all events are available at ppadc.org.
Festival Highlights
The 2025 festival launches on Thursday, August 7, with the HAF Short Film Showcase, taking place at the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchcliffe Stadium in Paterson. Audiences will experience nine compelling films created by independent filmmakers whose work reflects a spectrum of perspectives and stories.
The following Saturday, August 9, the festival continues at the Great Falls Center with the HAF Playwright’s Reading and Talkback Series, featuring Covenant Farm by Brigid Amos, the second-place winner of the HAF Playwriting Competition. The event invites audiences into a communal theatrical experience, complete with post-show discussions.
On Tuesday, August 12, the HAF Artist Showcase brings together local talent for an evening of spoken word, monologues, and short plays. Artists will compete for cash prizes, making it an evening of both celebration and creative challenge.
The festival’s virtual component returns on August 18 with the HAF Art Gallery, spotlighting visual works created by students in New Destiny’s Family Success Center’s Restorative and Transformative Justice Program. Curated by artist and PPADC collaborator Joel “YOBE” Belaño, this digital gallery offers a platform for youth voices in the visual arts.
The festival concludes with two days of full-stage productions of the HAF Playwriting Competition’s first-place winner, 3000 Days of Abandonment by Joseph Classen. Performances will take place on August 22 and 23 at the Great Falls Center.
Centering Local Stories and Transformative Voices
“Our mission is deeply committed to building relationships and laying groundwork for the next big thing for our artistic community,” says PPADC Board President Denise Womack. “This year is particularly thrilling since both of our winning playwrights are New Jersey residents. Their stories reflect the urgent issues and lived experiences we need to bring to the stage right now.”
Joseph Classen, the festival’s 2025 Playwright-in-Residence and author of 3000 Days of Abandonment, is no stranger to PPADC. A previous winner of the HAF Artist Showcase in the poetry/spoken word category, Classen returns with his professional theater debut—a deeply personal work inspired by his family’s experience with incarceration and deportation.
“Participating in the HAF Playwright Residency marks a major creative breakthrough for me,” says Classen. “It’s the moment I stopped being afraid to tell the story that mattered most to me—my mother’s imprisonment and later deportation. The support I’ve received from PPADC has been transformative.”
Brigid Amos, whose play Covenant Farm won second place in the Playwriting Competition, brings her own lived experience to the stage. Loosely based on her time as an apprentice on a biodynamic farm in California in the 1990s, the play centers three women grappling with the future of their communal farm. The production explores themes of environmental justice, female agency, and the tension between passion and practicality.
About the Playwrights
Joseph “Comrade” Classen is a playwright, poet, and writer from Elizabeth, NJ. Of Puerto Rican and Colombian descent, Classen is a father of two and a passionate believer in storytelling as a tool for healing and social change. 3000 Days of Abandonment is set in New Jersey and Connecticut and follows a young boy navigating family trauma, immigration issues, and incarceration. Classen describes his work as part of a “Creative Revolution” that transforms wounds into strength.
Brigid Amos is a former soil scientist turned writer who recently returned to her native New Jersey after spending 25 years in Nebraska. Her work has earned accolades such as the 2022 Goshen Peace Play Contest and the 2024 Tiger’s Heart Players Literary Competition. Covenant Farm reflects her commitment to storytelling that weaves environmental themes with human drama.
About PPADC and the Hamilton Arts Festival
The Paterson Performing Arts Development Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering diverse artistic voices and promoting Paterson as a hub for cultural engagement. Through programs like the Playwright Residency and the annual Hamilton Arts Festival, PPADC provides platforms for emerging and established artists across disciplines including theater, dance, film, music, visual arts, and poetry.
The Hamilton Arts Festival serves not only as a showcase for talent but also as an incubator for socially relevant work. Through low-cost or free events, PPADC ensures broad access to the arts—especially for underserved communities.
PPADC is an Affiliate Member of the New Jersey Theater Alliance and a member of ArtPride New Jersey. It is also a grant recipient of the Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council, in partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
For more information, event updates, and ticket details, visit www.ppadc.org. Follow along on Facebook at facebook.com/PatersonPADC and on Instagram at @patersonpadc.
