La MaMa to Continue 53rd Season with U.S. Premiere of Motus Theatre's NELLA TEMPESTA

La MaMa - the world-renowned theatre complex in the heart of New York City's East Village - celebrating its 53rd Season entitled "LA MAMA EARTH," announced today that the third and final production of Tempest 3: The Tide is Rising will be the U.S. premiere of Nella Tempesta by Motus Theatre.

Italy's provocative and dynamic Motus Theatre Company explores questions of freedom, control and power in Nella Tempesta which will play eight performances only at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 East 4 Street) from December 11th to 21st. Tickets will be $30 Adults; $25 Students/Seniors. Performances will be Thursday through Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 4:00pm. The performance runs 80 minutes.

Motus' Nella Tempesta creates a short circuit between Shakespeare's The Tempest and Une Tempête by Aimé Césaire. Reflecting on the turmoil in our society and the consequences of the economic crisis, the performance also speaks about storms in the Mediterranean Sea, which are sinking the migrants ships that set sail from the coast of North Africa to reach Europe-"Brave new world," to quote Miranda and Aldous Huxley. This version of The Tempest imagines the play about a world not as it appears to be ending, but a world on the verge of a new beginning.

Nella Tempesta is part of Motus Theatre Company's Animale Politico Project started in the summer of 2011 when the company was working with Judith Malina of the Living Theater whose voice is used in the show. Malina was speaking to the company about "unleashing storms and not protecting ourselves" when Hurricane Sandy struck New York. The company in making this new work thought about what would be a necessary item for a defenseless body after a hurricane, a shipwreck or an armed conflict? The most immediate answer was a blanket. The set of Nella Tempesta is created from blankets that will be donated to shelters and social service organizations at the end of the run. All audience members are invited to bring a blanket to be used in the show. This audience engagement is an integral part of the Nella Tempesta tour in which the company has redistributed audience-donated blankets in the cities in which they have performed around the world.

Italy's Motus Theatre Company last appeared at La MaMa in January 2012 with Alexis, A Greek Tragedy. Ben Brantley wrote, "This invigorating portrait of youthful rebellion in contemporary Greece (and, by extension, around the world) by the Italian troupe Motus finds the present arguing with the past, and the past roaring back at it. Computer-generated visuals wrestle with the sort of primal, physical performance that is as old as theater itself. And art and the realities it is supposed to represent keep squaring off and wondering if they really have anything to say to one another."

Nella Tempesta is the 3rd and final installment of the Tempest 3 trilogy being staged by La MaMa this season on the 2-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. The trilogy began last month with an acclaimed production of The Tempest directed by Karin Coonrod with music by Elizabeth Swados, followed by Korea's Mokwha Repertory Company production of The Tempest.

THE TEMPEST is Shakespeare's last play written alone - believed to have been written in 1610 - set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to outwit his scheming brother and restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place in the kingdom. To accomplish this, Prospero uses illusion and manipulation, conjuring up a massive storm that helps lay bare the truth.

Throughout the "LA MAMA EARTH" season there will be post-show dialogues with environmental experts and human rights activists on a range of subjects from climate change to other relevant ecological and social issues globally.

An integral part of New York City's cultural landscape, La MaMa has a worldwide reputation for producing daring work in theatre, dance, performance art, and music that defies form and transcends boundaries of language, race, and culture. Founded in 1961 by theatre pioneer and legend Ellen Stewart, La MaMa is a global organization with creative partners and dedicated audiences around the world. La MaMa presents an average of 60-70 productions annually, most of which are world premieres. To date, over 3,500 productions have been presented at La MaMa with artists from more than 70 nations. Honored with more than 30 OBIE Awards, dozens of Drama Desk and Bessie Awards, La MaMa's programming is culturally diverse, cross-disciplinary and draws audiences from all walks of life. For the second consecutive year, La MaMa will offer its 10@$10 program whereby 10 tickets are made available for every performance in every theatre in advance for only $10. La MaMa gratefully acknowledges The Coca-Cola Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Howard Gilman Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs for their generous support of Tempest 3: The Tide is Rising.

For additional information and a full performance schedule, please call La MaMa at 212/475-7710 or visit www.lamama.org.