Ellen Stewart News

Theodora Skipitares has achieved renown for her large-scale puppetry epics on such topics as physics, genetics and medicine. An early American giant of science is the subject of her latest multi-media spectacle, 'The Transfiguration of Benjamin Banneker.' It celebrates the life of the free black man who, living in Maryland from 1731 to 1806, became one of his era's most outstanding engineers and astronomers. La MaMa will present the world premiere of the piece January 23 to February 2 in its Ellen Stewart Theatre, at 66 East Fourth Street.

Tickets are on sale now for the world premiere production of Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes) written by Andrea Thome and directed by José Zayas, with original music by Sinuhé Padilla and choreography by Alexandra Beller. Produced by En Garde Arts (Anne Hamburger, Founder and Artistic Director; Heather Cohen, Executive Director), Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes) begins performances on Thursday, February 6, with a press opening of Monday, February 10 at 7 pm, at the historic Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa before touring all five boroughs of New York, ending its run on Saturday, March 28 at the Irondale Center in Brooklyn (see below for full tour schedule). Single tickets, which range from $10 - $45 are on sale now. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.engardearts.org. The approximate running time is 90 minutes.

La MaMa, in association with Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and NODA・MAP, presents the U.S. Premiere of One Green Bottle from February 29 through March 8, 2020 at The Ellen Stewart Theatre, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 66 E. 4th Street, NYC. Performances: Mon and Wed-Sat at 7pm, Sun at 5pm. Tickets are $35 ($30 for students and seniors) plus a $1 facility fee, and are available online at www.lamama.org, by phone at 212-352-3101.

La MaMa, in association with Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and NODA・MAP, presents the U.S. Premiere of One Green Bottle from February 29 through March 8, 2020 at The Ellen Stewart Theatre, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 66 E. 4th Street, NYC. Performances: Mon and Wed-Sat at 7pm, Sun at 5pm. Tickets are $35 ($30 for students and seniors) plus a $1 facility fee, and are available online at www.lamama.org, by phone at 212-352-3101.

La MaMa has announced The Trojan Women as part of its 58th season celebrating the centennial of La MaMa's celebrated founder, the late Ellen Stewart. Directed by Andrei Serban and compoased by Elizabeth Swados, The Trojan Women will take place December 6, 2019 through December 15, 2019 at La MaMa ETC (66 East 4th Street).

La MaMa, in association with the Polish Cultural Institute and Komuna//Warszawa, is proud to present the U.S. premiere of Cezary Goes to War, a musically-driven queer fantasia on masculinity, nationalism, and the culture of war. Conceived and directed by Cezary Tomaszewski, a rising star of the Eastern European avant-garde, Cezary Goes to War draws on Tomaszewski's personal experiences with Poland's military draft and its archaic system of male classification. Weaving text from military evaluations of manliness, choreography inspired by army drills, and the patriotic songs by Stanisław Moniuszko, the father of Polish national opera, Cezary Goes to War offers a witty critique of military recruitment, national pride, and the vulnerability of male identity.

La MaMa announced today full casting for The Trojan Women, part of its 58th season celebrating the centennial of La MaMa's celebrated founder, the late Ellen Stewart. Directed by Andrei Serban and composed by Elizabeth Swados, The Trojan Women will take place December 6, 2019 through December 15, 2019 at La MaMa ETC (66 East 4th Street).

Today Keen Company Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein announced his plans for Keen's Playwrights Lab, including readings from this year's participants as well as the playwrights for the 2020 Lab.

Tony Award-winning La MaMa is currently presenting the world premiere of VIRGO STAR, an intimate interactive performance, written and devised by the Pioneers Go East Collective - Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte and Daniel Diaz, in collaboration with Philip Treviño, Anabella Lenzu and Agosto Machado, and directed by Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte.

In honor of the centenary of the birth of La MaMa founder Ellen Stewart, the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club has announced a $1 million challenge grant by The Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation toward the restoration and renewal of La MaMa's original home at 74A East 4th Street.

On December 21, La MaMa will present Yara Arts Group in 'Winter Songs on Mars,' a world music theater event celebrating Koliada, a winter ritual of the Carpathian Mountains. There will be two performances: at 7:00 PM and a special show for schools and children at Noon in La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theater, 66 East 4th Street. The program, directed by Virlana Tkacz, will include the traditional Hutsul koliada and an 18th century Ukrainian Nativity play, as well as winter songs from around our planet. The musical director of the show is bandurist Julian Kytasty. Performers will include actors of Yara Arts Group and members of Nova Opera from Kyiv.

Inspired by interviews with undocumented immigrants from Latin America living in New York, En Garde Arts (Anne Hamburger, Founder and Artistic Director) is thrilled to present the world premiere of Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes) in all five boroughs of New York City, kicking off on Thursday, February 6 at the historic Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa. The piece will take the form of a fandango, a community celebration where stories are brought to life through live performance, music, and dance.

On what would have been Ellen Stewart's 100th birthday, La MaMa has announced The Trojan Women Project Festival as part of its 58th season celebrating the centennial of La MaMa's celebrated founder, the late Ellen Stewart. The Festival will take place December 5, 2019 through December 15, 2019 at La MaMa ETC (66 East 4th Street).

Check out photos for the all-women clown troupe Clowns Ex Machina in the world premiere of THE BAD'UNS: CLOWN ACTS OF CONTAGION, created and directed by Kendall Cornell in collaboration with the ensemble, running November 7 - 17, 2019 at La MaMa's Downstairs Theatre, located at 66 East 4th Street in New York City.

La MaMa announces that Coffeehouse Chronicles will celebrate Ellen Stewart's 100th birthday the way MaMa loved it with music, dance, and puppets.

Today, LA MAMA announced the limited engagement of the world premiere musical THE DARK STAR FROM HARLEM: The Spectacular Rise of Josephine Baker. Featuring a book and direction by Glynn Borders and music and lyrics by Mario E. Sprouse, the production will play LA MAMA located at 66 East 4th Street, New York, NY, November 21 - December 1, 2019. Tickets are $30 with discounts available for students, senior adults and groups. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at lamama.org, by calling 212.352.3101, or at the LA MAMA box office one hour before a performance.

La MaMa announced today their 2019 Gala celebrating Ellen Stewart's Centennial.

Tony Award-winning La MaMa presents the world premiere of VIRGO STAR, an intimate interactive performance, written and devised by the Pioneers Go East Collective - Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte and Daniel Diaz, in collaboration with Philip Treviño, Anabella Lenzu and Agosto Machado, and directed by Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte.