“Flow(ish)” Brings Newark’s Polluted Passaic River to Life Through Theater

First-time playwright Cynthia Mellon highlights decades of environmental struggle along Newark’s Passaic River in her play Flow(ish). Once vital for fishing and industry, the river is now one of the nation’s most contaminated waterways, with stretches laden with toxic chemicals like dioxin. Mellon, a community organizer with Ironbound Community Corporation, draws on her advocacy work and local history to make the river the play’s central character.

Performed in Riverfront Park, the 30-minute production traces the river’s industrial rise, its pollution, and the community’s fight for cleanup. The play educates audiences on chemical hazards, the river’s impact on health, and the ongoing legal and social efforts to restore it. By engaging passersby and students, Mellon aims to raise awareness, honor past activists like Sister Carol Johnston, and inspire continued advocacy for the Passaic’s recovery.

26-09-2025