La MaMa Will Present the US Premiere of THE WAITRESS & THE ROBBER

La MaMa in association with Concrete Temple Theatre and Playfactory Mabangzen will present the U.S. premiere of THE WAITRESS & THE ROBBER, written by Renee Philippi and directed by Ms. Philippi and Eric Nightengale, with an original score by Lewis Flinn. THE WAITRESS & THE ROBBER begins performances on Thursday, April 9 for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 26. Press Opening is Sunday, April 12 at 3:00 pm. Performances are at the Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa (66 East 4th Street, between Bowery and 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor). The performance schedule is Thursday - Saturday at 7:00 pm; Sunday at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $25 ($20 for Students/Seniors). To purchase tickets, visit http://lamama.org/waitress-robber/

The Waitress, fed up with watching her older customers be mistreated by their children, kidnaps these seniors so she can care for them. Meanwhile, the Second Son, accused by his brother of being a thief, becomes a robber who "liberates" people from their cellular devices.

Set in a dystopian society, this comic-book-style mash-up was inspired by Friedrich Schiller's play The Robbers and the Korean novel The Story of Hong Gildong, both Robin Hood-style stories of individuals betrayed by their families. With nods to Weill and Brecht, the characters sing and dance as they fight for what they believe, challenging the time-worn concepts of family and perceptions of ownership and justice.

THE WAITRESS & THE ROBBER digs into technological isolation and aging with lighthearted humor, ultimately giving voice to people usually erased from society.

The exciting cross-cultural collaboration is performed in English and Korean. The cast features NYC-based actors Carlo Adinolfi; Hye Young Chyun; Jianzi Colon-Soto; Gabriel Grilli; Lisa Kitchens; and Anthony Simone. They are joined by actors from Korea: Jung Eun "Sophie" Yoon; Go Myung Son; Joo Youn Park; Ju Yeon Choi; Sung Hwan Lee; and Nam Pyo Kim.

The design team includes Carlo Adinolfi (sets); Laura Anderson Barbata (costumes); and Miriam Crowe (lights). The choreographer is Sarah Doudna. The musical directors are Sean Forte and Hee Eun Kim. The Stage Manager is Margaret Gayford. The Production Stage Manager is Casey McLain.

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