La Passió Theater

A majestic building that is the venue for a play that is one of Catalonia’s most important and emblematic of local popular culture: La Passió i Mort de Jesús. The theater, located near the center of town in the Plaça de l’Oli, was opened on May 1, 1987, after a fire destroyed the previous theater in 1983. Designed by the architect Joan Baca Pericot, it has an audience capacity of 1,499 in a single-level seating area with an amphitheater configuration.

One of its most characteristic features is undoubtedly the 782m² stage, one of the largest in Europe, and its 31 meter-wide proscenium makes it one of the largest in the world. It is equipped with various mechanisms to facilitate the movement of sets, with two lateral rotating structures and six hydraulic lifts located at strategic points of the stage.

In addition, the theater has a main lobby that also serves as an exhibition hall, named Espai d’Art, three floors of dressing rooms, a make-up room, a costume storage room; a set design workshop, a technical workshop and an archive with an extraordinary collection of documents and photographs.

The theater is managed by the Associació de La Passió, which has been exporting a more modern image in tandem with with its Passion Play. Of particular importance is the art collection, particularly the posters that have been created by different prominent artists to promote the sacred drama each year, forming part of an art collection that has been growing from one season to the next since 1987. Artists like Antoni Tàpies, Perico Pastor, Ràfols Casamada and Perejaume are just a few examples.

The association’s main office is attached to the building, but with its entrance on Carrer de Josep Anselm Clavé; this is where the association secretary’s office, the meeting rooms and the Espai Clar conference hall are located.