La MaMa to Present The World Premiere Of The Hess Collective's NO RESERVATION

La MaMa will present the World Premiere of NO RESERVATION from February 6-23, 2025 at The Downstairs Theatre at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, 66 E. 4th Street, NYC. Performances: Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 4pm. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for students/seniors.

NO RESERVATION is about global goddesses who crash a dinner party celebrating false gods. The goddesses have been underground for centuries and now rise up, sensing the urgency of their presence 'at the table'. This multidisciplinary performance piece moves forward from second wave feminist artists who took on the patriarchy through works like The Dinner Party, by Judy Chicago and the dinner scene in Top Girls by Caryl Churchill.

The title refers to multiple meanings of 'No Reservation,' including rejection, outspokenness, and the refusal to be confined. The goddesses seek accountability, acknowledgement, and atonement. In the process, they discover commonality and contrast, creating a complex mosaic of global sisterhood.

The false gods are never named but are recognizable as revered or feared patriarchal leaders from around the world. In the course of airing gender-based issues of social urgency, they enter into a cross-cultural dialogue about the fate of an unsung girl or woman from their roots. They give voice to unspoken truths regarding bodily autonomy, misogynoir, intersectional feminism and violence against women - recognizing overlapping experiences affecting all womankind, including themselves. They shed the outer layers of their goddess personas as they come to recognize and own their own humanity. Ultimately, the women upend the table and revel in each other's company as they nourish their bodies and souls by stepping away from 'an empty plate' to engage in a fulfilling dance of life.