La MaMa and Talking Band Announce the World Premiere of EFFLORESCENCE

La MaMa and Talking Band have announced the world premiere of Efflorescence, a seven-episode serial songspiel. A new audio segment will be released daily from March 29 - April 4, 2021. On April 6, 2021, La MaMa and Talking Band will premiere the full piece followed by a post-show conversation with the artists. Tickets for the April 6 event are available now at http://lamama.org/efflorescence/.

"Talking Band's impact spans over 40 years and is considered to be one of our most important companies in American theatre," shared Mia Yoo, Artistic Director of La MaMa. "The highly collaborative Company is pushing itself in new directions by going through a process with its members dispersed throughout the country of creating new work that is a fully digital and sonic experience. In Efflorescence, audiences can imagine their own visual landscapes through the idiosyncratic and profound storytelling that is intrinsic to Talking Band."

Efflorescence tells the story of six disparate people who have been living together for a year in an old farm house in the Catskills that has been transformed into a safe haven for Vulnerable Expendables. The story unfolds over seven nights that coincide with the nights on which each episode will be presented. The characters begin each night by singing together while they wash their hands outside in a tub of warm water. Each night they take a turn telling stories - stories of life changing encounters with dogs, snakes, obscene plant life, sea nymphs, and the School of Disembodied Poetics. Linking these tales is the story of their evolving relationships - their struggle and fascination with each other and the natural world around them. The first episode begins on a night when a mysterious stranger arrives, shaking up the world they have created for themselves.

The cast of Efflorescence features Will Badgett (Burnished by Grief), Suli Holum (The Wholehearted), Jax Jackson (Plot Points in Our Sexual Development), Violet Newman (Employee of the Year), Tina Shepard (founding member of Talking Band), Louise Smith (OBIE Award for Painted Snake in a Painted Chair) and Connie Winston (Lemkin's House), along with musicians Marija Kovacevic and Sam Kulik.

Efflorescence was written and composed by OBIE Award-winner Ellen Maddow (founding member of Talking Band). OBIE Award-winner Paul Zimet directs (founding member of Talking Band). Sound design is by Tyler Kieffer (Plano - Drama Desk nomination), with additional musical arrangements by Sam Kulik and Marija Kovacevic.

A new 10-15-minute audio segment will be released daily from March 29 - April 4, 2021 at lamama.org. On April 6, 2021 at 7PM, La MaMa and Talking Band will premiere the full piece followed by a post-show conversation with the artists involved. Tickets to the April 6th event are pay-what-you-can starting at $5.

Efflorescence is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support comes from The NYC Women's Fund for Media, Music and Theatre by the City of New York Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment in association with The New York Foundation for the Arts. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

La MaMa's 59th Season, "Breaking It Open," explores how new works are created, performed, and experienced during a pandemic. The season revolves around development residencies that are customized to the specific needs and processes of each artist. Each residency is customized to suit the artist, their unique vision, and where they are at in their creative work.