John Vaccaro News

Today's big news: FOX hosts a special GREASE: LIVE panel with director Thomas Kail and HAMILTON's Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Transport Group presents PETER PAN in a star-studded concert benefit!

Vaccaro's Play-House Of The Ridiculous, founded in 1965, was created as an antidote to the predominantly naturalistic American theatre of the time.

The Archives of La MaMa just launched La MaMa's Digital Collections Website (catalog.lamama.org). Its development was made possible by a generous 'hidden archival collections' grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources. The site, which premieres on June 27, 2016 as part of La MaMa's 55th anniversary season, is freely available for use by artists, scholars, educators, and the interested public. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the collection!

Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company will host a post-show discussion centered on the later work of Tennessee Williams following the March 5, 3pm performance of Tennessee Williams 1982. The participants include Tony-winning playwright John Guare, scholar and writer David Savran, scholar and current Tennessee Williams' editor Thomas Keith, and professor and writer Annette J. Saddik.

On November 30 at 8:00, Theater for the New City will present a tribute to director/actor Norman Glick (1946-2015) and the book launch of Ronald Tavel's last book, 'Andy Warhol's Ridiculous Screenplays' (which has a forward by Marc Siegel). The evening will include video of noted performances of Tavel plays and a medley of 'Gorilla Queen' and other Theater of the Ridiculous tunes by Norman Marshall. The evening will be hosted by Chris Kapp, who was the long-time director of 'Coffeehouse Chronicles' at La Mama.

As a tribute to the memory of director Harvey Tavel, who originated the Theater of the Ridiculous with his brother, the playwright Ronald Tavel, Theater for the New City will present 'Two by Tavel,' a double-header of 'Kitchenette' and 'Life of Juanita Castro,' directed by Norman Glick, November 28 to December 14. These two ridiculous masterpieces, originally drafted as scenarios for Andy Warhol's Film Factory, found their way to the stage in 1965 when Warhol suggested that Ronald Tavel try them out as theater. The director Ronald chose was his younger brother, Harvey.

As a tribute to the memory of director Harvey Tavel, who originated the Theater of the Ridiculous with his brother, the playwright Ronald Tavel, Theater for the New City will present 'Two by Tavel,' a double-header of 'Kitchenette' and 'Life of Juanita Castro,' directed by Norman Glick, November 28 to December 14. These two ridiculous masterpieces, originally drafted as scenarios for Andy Warhol's Film Factory, found their way to the stage in 1965 when Warhol suggested that Ronald Tavel try them out as theater. The director Ronald chose was his younger brother, Harvey.

Chris Tanner returns to The Club at La MaMa this June for the world premiere of Football Head: tales of shame and humiliation.

Chris Tanner returns to The Club at La MaMa this June for the world premiere of Football Head: tales of shame and humiliation.

La MaMa will present Chris Tanner's 'Football Head: tales of shame and humiliation', running June 20-29, 2014. Tanner returns to The Club at La MaMa this June for the world premiere of his show.

Like nearly all of Williams's later, more experimental plays, The Mutilated was met with stinging reviews, disappointment and even anger when it premiered on Broadway in 1966 (with The Gnadiges Fraulein, under the collective title Slapstick Tragedy). "I know Mr. Williams is trying to do something ambitious and ambiguous but, gee, I wish he would just give something old and square like A Streetcar Named Desire," wrote John McClain in the New York Journal-American. Directed by Cosmin Chivu, legendary avant-garde performers Mink Stoleand Penny Arcade will star in the first New York revival of The Mutilated in 38 years. The production features original music composed byJesse Selengut, performed by the three-piece combo Tin Pan.

The Mad Lover In Me Is The Crazy Artist In You, based on the real-life adventures of two eccentric expatriates who find love in New York City and transform their private lives into a public exhibit of mischief and art, will play Dixon Place tonight, July 10.

The Mad Lover In Me Is The Crazy Artist In You, based on the real-life adventures of two eccentric expatriates who find love in New York City and transform their private lives into a public exhibit of mischief and art, will play Dixon Place on July 10. Directed by Zach Udko and performed by Filip Noterdaeme and Daniel Isengart. Featuring Penny Arcade, with special appearances by Phoebe Legere and Flotilla DeBarge.

Today, we're featuring Everett Quinton and Charles Ludlam circa 1985. Founded by Ludlam after his split from John Vaccaro's Playhouse of the Ridiculous, The Ridiculous Theatrical company transcended transvetite, drag, and gay theatre. Until his death at age 44 of pneumonia as a complication of AIDS, Charles Ludlum maintained complete creative control of the company acting as writer and director for nearly every production. He received six Obies before his death. Everett Quinton, his partner, attempted to keep the company going after Ludlam died in 1987.

La MaMa presents the World Premiere of The Etiquette of Death, a Chris Tanner Production co-directed by Everett Quinton and Julie Atlas Muz, and choreographed by Julie Atlas Muz, with contributions by a slew of New York's finest downtown artists. The Etiquette of Death, the final show of La MaMa's 50th Anniversary season, runs now through July 1, 2012 in a limited engagement at the Ellen Stewart Theatre, located at 66 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue & the Bowery in New York City. The show opens tonight, June 16. Check out photos from the production below!

La MaMa presents the World Premiere of The Etiquette of Death, a Chris Tanner Production co-directed by Everett Quinton and Julie Atlas Muz, and choreographed by Julie Atlas Muz, with contributions by a slew of New York's finest downtown artists. The Etiquette of Death, the final show of La MaMa's 50th Anniversary season, runs from tonight, June 14 through July 1, 2012 in a limited engagement at the Ellen Stewart Theatre, located at 66 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue & the Bowery in New York City. Previews begin tonight, June 14 for a June 16 opening.

La MaMa will present the World Premiere of The Etiquette of Death, a Chris Tanner Production co-directed by Everett Quinton and Julie Atlas Muz, and choreographed by Julie Atlas Muz, with contributions by a slew of New York's finest downtown artists.

The legendary Mario Montez, one of the most well-known and beloved figures of New York's underground film and theater scene of the 1960s and 1970s, will make a very rare personal appearance at Museum of the Moving Image, on Sunday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., as part of the day-long program 'Mario Montez, Superstar.'

Legendary performance artist Penny Arcade will present her first 'Greatest Hits' show ever, THE VERY BEST OF PENNY ARCADE for a 4-week limited engagement beginning May 1st at The Laurie Beechman Theatre -- a rare 'uptown' appearance for a performer who has become synonymous with 'downtown art'.

Legendary performance artist Penny Arcade will present her first 'Greatest Hits' show ever, THE VERY BEST OF PENNY ARCADE for a 4-week limited engagement beginning May 1st at The Laurie Beechman Theatre -- a rare 'uptown' appearance for a performer who has become synonymous with 'downtown art'.