THE ELEPHANT IN EVERY ROOM I ENTER to Play La MaMa, 10/15-31

La MaMa is pleased to announce the world premiere of The Elephant in Every Room I Enter, a strikingly intimate solo work created by Gardiner Comfort and Kel Haney, in which Mr. Comfort shares the challenges of a working actor living with Tourette Syndrome. Directed by Ms. Haney, performances are set to begin on Thursday, October 15th at 7:30pm at La MaMa - First Floor Theatre (74a East 4th Street - between Bowery and 2nd Avenue). Performances will continue through Saturday, October 31.

In The Elephant In Every Room I Enter, using an erratic and energetic performance style (a nod to Tourette's itself), and evocative details of his week attending the "Tourette Syndrome Association National Conference" in Washington, D.C., Gardiner Comfort shares his life as an actor with this neurological disorder and discovers, for the first time in his life, how he can be himself.

"Gardiner and I are thrilled to be back at La MaMa for the world premiere of The Elephant in Every Room I Enter," says Ms. Haney. "Gardiner comes from a lineage of downtown artists: the influence of solo performers, such as Penny Arcade, Eric Bogosian, Danny Hoch, and Sarah Jones, along with his mother, dance/theater choreographer, Jane Comfort, is fully apparent in our show. A shamanistic performer in his own right, Gardiner tells his story in a manner that I am confident will resonate with theatre-goers all across the city and, hopefully, beyond."

The Elephant in Every Room I Enter was conceived at the Mabou Mines Artist Residency and further developed in a workshop production at La MaMain October 2014.

The artistic team is comprised of Caite Hevner Kemp & Lianne Arnold (scenic & projection design), Daisy Long (lighting design), Summer Lee Jack (costume design), Elisheba Ittoop (sound design) and Dan Safer (choreography). Katie Houff is Production Stage Manager.

The performance schedule for The Elephant in Every Room I Enter will be: Thurs, Fri. & Sat. @ 7:30pm. There will be additional performances on Sunday, 10/18 @ 2:30pm, Monday, 10/19 @ 7:30 and Wednesday, 10/28 @ 7:30pm.

Tickets are $18 ($13 students/seniors) and are available online at www.lamama.org or by calling 646-430-5374. La MaMa makes ten tickets available to every performance for only $10 each. These tickets are available online, by phone or at the box office (in advance only).

Photo by Gregory Maka