Sam Shepard to Receive 1st Ellen Stewart Award At La MaMa Gala 10/17

Sam Shepard will be the recipient of the first-ever "Ellen Stewart Award," to be presented at the La MaMa 50 Gala on Monday, October 17 at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St.) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Mia Yoo, artistic director of La MaMa. The evening of cocktails, dinner and
performance will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Ellen Stewart Award -- created this year in honor of Ms. Stewart, the founder and artistic director of La MaMa who died in January 2011 -- will be awarded to an artist who embodies the courage and pioneering spirit that Ms. Stewart encouraged at La MaMa, an artist who carries on her ideal of challenging conventional theatrical boundaries and expanding our understanding of
human potential. The recipient of the Ellen Stewart Award will also select a young theatre artist who will then create and present a new work to be produced at La MaMa.

Sam Shepard's relationship with La MaMa dates back to the 1960's when he was a young playwright and La MaMa had just opened its doors. In a remembrance about Ms. Stewart in The New York Times at the time of her passing, Mr. Shepard said about first meeting the woman known as "Mama," "I walked up to her and said, 'I have this play.' And she said 'Let's do it, baby.' And she did. She just put on shows. I could bring something written on an envelope, and Ellen would put it on the next day."

A Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Mr. Shepard's numerous productions at La MaMa through the years include, most notably, the 1983 rock concert version of his THE TOOTH OF THE CRIME, which La MaMa remounted in 2006 on the occasion of the company's 45th anniversary season.

Also on tap for the October 17th Gala will be appearances by numerous La MaMa artists -- Oscar, Tony, Drama Desk and Obie Award winners among them -- including Wally Shawn, Estelle Parsons, John Kelly, Justin Bond, Scott Wittman, Taylor Mac and others TBA. The evening will be hosted by Split Britches -- Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver.

Wally Shawn will appear in an excerpt from his own THE HOTEL PLAY (produced at La MaMa in 1981), directed by Brooke O'Hara, co-founder and director of Theatre of a Two-Headed Calf. Estelle Parsons and John Kelly will perform in a scene, directed by Ms. Parsons, from Harvey Fierstein's classic TORCH SONG TRILOGY, which debuted at La MaMa in 1978 and 1979. The late
playwright/performer Jackie Curtis, one of the original Cockettes and a regular at La MaMa, will be represented at the Gala with a scene from his play VAIN VICTORY, starring Justin Bond and directed by Scott Wittman. Taylor Mac will perform a segment from his 2007 La MaMa show THE BE(A)ST OF TAYLOR MAC.

The evening's program will feature a sneak peek of LA MAMA CANTATA, a new work by Tony nominee Elizabeth Swados -- the text of which is comprised of Ms. Stewart's own spoken words -- to be given its world-premiere production on what would have been Ms. Stewart's 92nd birthday on November 7. As well, the La MaMa 50 Gala will feature dance excerpts from Pavel
Zustiak/Palissimo's "The Painted Bird Trilogy."

La MaMa will kick off its 50th anniversary celebration on Sunday, October 16 with the LA MAMA 50 BLOCK PARTY, a free event scheduled for 2 pm to 6 pm on the block of East 4th Street (between the Bowery and 2nd Ave.), home of La MaMa's three performance venues. LA MAMA 50 BLOCK PARTY is a family-friendly event for people of all ages from not only the theatre world but the East
Village community, featuring food, performances, puppet and mask-making, a puppet parade and more.

The event will culminate with the co-naming of the block as "Ellen Stewart Way," and a world-wide ringing of bells -- in the neighborhood, throughout New York and at theatres around the world -- in honor of Ms. Stewart's longstanding tradition of ringing a bell at the start of performances at La MaMa.

Among the La MaMa artists scheduled to appear at LA MAMA 50 BLOCK PARTY: Blue Man Group, Silver Cloud Singers, Bad Buka, the dance troupe Pua Ali'i 'Ilima o Nuioka, Middle Collegiate Gospel Choir, the La MaMa Puppet Parade, Circus Amok, DJ Rabbi Darkside, Carmelita Tropicana, Heather Christian, Nicky Paraiso, Douglas Dunn & Dancers, and more.

As well, free tours of the La MaMa Archive and Ellen Stewart's private collection will be offered.

For information about La MaMa 50 Gala and Block Party, visit www.lamama.org or call 212 475 7710.