La MaMa Announces February Programming Featuring William Electric Black, Stefanie Batten Bland, and More
La MaMa's 59th Season, “Breaking It Open,” explores how new works are created, performed, and experienced during a pandemic.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 29, 2021
La MaMa has announced programming for February 2021, which will stream live on LaMaMa.org before becoming available on demand. This month will feature two LiveTalks, one with Stefanie Batten Bland that centers on casting and one with Resident Artists Murielle Borst-Tarrant, Yoshiko Chuma, Shauna Davis, and Tarish Pipkins a.k.a. Jeghetto; two Café La MaMa Lives, one featuring a multi-dimensional science-fiction fairytale puppetry musical written and directed by Charlotte Lily Gaspard and one showcasing some of the work Resident Artists Timothy White Eagle, Justin Hicks, and Joshua William Gelb & Katie Rose McLaughlin / Theater in Quarantine have been working on; Coffeehouse Chronicles Revisited #131: Mabou Mines, in honor of Lee Breuer; Poetry Electric: Terry Lewis Tribute curated by Emmy Award Winner William Electric Black; Downtown Variety: Serbia Edition, curated by Eho animato; Experiments Play Reading: Iseult et Tristan, written by Pia Wilson and directed by Susan Dalian; and La MaMa Kids: A Gun Is Not Fun, a book reading by William Electric Black.
February will also see the continuation of the Reflections of Native Voices Festival, presented in partnership with New York Theatre Workshop, which features theatre, music and native dance performances by visionary Indigenous artists from across the country.
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.
February 2021 will feature the following programming:
LA MAMA LIVETALKS: TAKE 15
Wednesday, February 3 at 6:30PM EST
Featuring Stefanie Batten Bland, Rena Butler, and Maleek Washington
Hosted by Ryan Leach
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
La MaMa presents La MaMa LiveTalks, conversations with artists, activists and thought leaders from around the country and around the world who join in discussions about art and life in times of crisis.
This conversation follows how choreographer and film maker Stefanie Batten Bland is moving through the pandemic with her company, her commission and in her new role as Casting and Movement Director for Emursive Productions to question casting biases.
Bland invites two friends and colleagues to join in a discussion about casting and performer biases pre-COVID and now. The virus and the racial/justice movement no longer allows the industry to hide in plain sight with its stereotyping and they will discover how Bland and guests Rena Butler and Maleek Washington ensure new habits reflect our new lives as our industry comes back better.
For more information, visit http://lamama.org/livetalks-15/.
CAFÉ LA MAMA LIVE: ENCHANTED ORIGINS
A multi-dimensional science-fiction fairytale puppetry musical
Written & Directed by Charlotte Lily Gaspard
Tuesday, February 9 at 7PM EST
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
Fly away to an enchanted galaxy populated with mystical creatures, space pirates, music, dance and puppets! Following the episodic adventures of extraordinary cats, Puccini and his beloved Princess, as they wander worlds of whimsy in their search for each other. There is always plenty of mischief and mayhem along the way... What will our intrepid sweethearts encounter this time?
This is the 10th installment of Shadow/Puppetry/Cabarets by the makers of Midnight Radio Show, continuing the tradition online. The glitter may be virtual, but the magic is real.
Enchanted Origins features the Good Reverend Doctor Professor Elucius Clay, Sukeshi Dalmia, Jessie Davis, Emily Edwards, Charlotte Lily Gaspard, Aaron Halevy, Brendan Patrick McGlynn, LA Rucker, Leigh Schanfein, Malik Work, and Sarin Monae West.
Choreography is by Leigh Schanfein, Sukeshi Dalmia, the Dysfunctional Swingers, and Fire Bird; Music & Songs are by Ezra Bloom, Jessie Davis, Sabrina Chap and Doc Frost; and Puppetry & Art Direction are by Charlotte Lily Gaspard. Emily Tabachuk serves as stage manager.
For more information, please visit http://lamama.org/enchanted-origins/.
COFFEEHOUSE CHRONICLES REVISITED #131: Mabou Mines
In honor of Lee Breuer (1937-2021)
Saturday, February 13 at 3PM EST
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
La MaMa will stream Coffeehouse Chronicles #131: Mabou Mines, which was originally presented on January 30, 2016, in honor of Lee Breur. Celebrating the long history and body of work of Mabou Mines, panelists and performers include Genesis, moderated by Bonnie Marranca with Lee Breuer; Collaborative Hive with Lee Breuer and Karen Kandel interviewed by Greg Mehrten; a panel discussion with Trick Saddle moderated by Jessica Brater; a live performance of a scene from Imagining the Imaginary Invalid performed by ChristiAnna Nelson and Clove Gallilee; and Confederation of Warrior Ants, moderated by Jessica Brater, PhD with Sharon Fogarty, Karen Kandel, Lee Breuer, Maude Mitchell, David Neumann, and Clove Galilee.
For more information, please visit http://lamama.org/mabou-mines-revisited/.
POETRY ELECTRIC: TERRY LEWIS TRIBUTE
Curated by William Electric Black
Monday, February 15 at 7PM EST
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
Rabbi Darkside, Shawn Randall, and Airloom Beats come together for night of Hip Hop music, poetry and beatbox/beatrhyme in the spirit of community, the sound of the City, and in tribute to the memory and legacy of our dear friend, collaborator, and pillar: Terry Lewis aka King Luck aka Kid Lucky.
For more information, please visit http://lamama.org/terry-lewis/.
LA MAMA LIVETALKS: TAKE 16
Featuring Murielle Borst-Tarrant, Yoshiko Chuma, Shauna Davis, and Tarish Pipkins a.k.a. Jeghetto.
Hosted by Ryan Leach
Wednesday, February 17 at 6:30PM EST
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
La MaMa presents La MaMa LiveTalks, conversations with artists, activists and thought leaders from around the country and around the world who join in discussions about art and life in times of crisis.
Join us for LiveTalks and meet with some of La MaMa's resident artists, featuring Murielle Borst-Tarrant, Yoshiko Chuma, Shauna Davis, and Tarish Pipkins a.k.a. Jeghetto.
For more information, please visit http://lamama.org/livetalks-16/.
La MaMa and CultureHub Present
DOWNTOWN VARIETY: SERBIA EDITION
Powered by LiveLab
Curated by Eho animato
Friday, February 19 at 4PM (EST)
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
Downtown Variety: Serbia Edition explores resilience as a distinct characteristic of the art scene of this turbulent socio-cultural space - resilience against social apathy, against visible and invisible enemies, against totalitarianism, against marketplace art, against capitalism, against disconnection.
In the spirit of La MaMa, contemporary artists will open new spaces of freedom, experiment and create new connections and meeting points.
Curated by Eho animato, Downtown Variety: Serbia Edition presents artists working in the fields of A/V performance, performing arts, drag performance, film, sound art, puppetry, digital arts etc.
Downtown Variety: Serbia Edition features Eho animato collective, Miklós Barna-Lipkovski, Björnsonova & Milica Stefanović, Aleksandar Bulajić, Markiza de Sada, Doplgenger, Jovana Ivanac & Dobrivoje Milijanović, Ivana Ivković, Maja Maksimović & Sunčica Pasuljević Kandić, Sandra Nikač, Ana Popović, and Isidora Pejović Blagojević.
For more information, please visit http://lamama.org/serbia-edition/.
EXPERIMENTS PLAY READING: ISEULT ET TRISTAN
Written by Pia Wilson
Directed by Susan Dalian
Monday, February 22 at 7PM EST
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
Iseult et Tristan is an adaptation of the 12th century tragic romance centered on the adulterous love affair between Cornish knight Tristan and Irish princess-healer Iseult, who is set to marry King Mark of Cornwall. In this 21st century retelling of the story, a young, African American boxer, Iseult, struggles with addiction and her love for her sister Margot's fiancé, Tristan - all while she pursues her dream of being a gold medalist at the Olympics.
For more information, please visit http://lamama.org/iseult-et-tristan/.
CAFE LA MAMA LIVE: 59TH SEASON RESIDENT ARTIST SHOWCASE
Featuring Timothy White Eagle, Justin Hicks, and Joshua William Gelb & Katie Rose McLaughlin / Theater in Quarantine
Tuesday, February 23 at 7pm (EST)
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
La MaMa presents Café La MaMa Live, performances that experiment with form. Responding to calls for social isolation, Café La MaMa Live brings La MaMa's 1960s café aesthetic to a virtual platform that links performers and audiences in real-time across distance.
Join La MaMa as they see what some of their 59th Season resident artists have been up to during their residencies here at La MaMa. This Café La MaMa Live will feature Timothy White Eagle, Justin Hicks, and Joshua William Gelb & Katie Rose McLaughlin / Theater in Quarantine
For more information, please visit http://lamama.org/resident-artist-showcase/.
LA MAMA KIDS: A GUN IS NOT FUN
A book reading by William Electric Black
Joined by puppeteer Federico Restrepo
Thursday, February 25 at 4PM EST
Free Admission; Suggested Donation
William Electric Black, an Emmy Award winning writer in children's television, presents a reading of his book A Gun Is Not Fun, featuring cover art by Bill Davis. Black will be joined by puppeteer Federico Restrepo.
SAFETY
The child will know that guns are dangerous and thus present a safety issue for the child's family, friends, neighborhood, and community members. Gun violence is not acceptable nor appropriate. The child will know that guns are not toys. Gun violence destroys and harms families. The child will understand that guns are harmful, therefore; safety is important when encountering them.
ACTION
The child will know how to take action when gun violence occurs in their neighborhood streets, parks, playgrounds, and schools. The action consists of avoiding the violence, running to tell a grown-up about the gun violence, avoiding a situation that leads to gun violence, hiding, calling 9-1-1, and never touching any gun or rifle they see or come in contact with.
VOICE
The child will learn to be a spokesperson for gun violence awareness in his or her community. The child will learn to be a voice for improving gun violence awareness policies in the state and at local levels. The child will understand that their voice is important to stop gun violence and being vocal can make a difference in saving the lives of their family members and loved ones.
For more information, please visit http://lamama.org/a-gun-is-not-fun/.
REFLECTIONS OF NATIVE VOICES FESTIVAL
Curated by Safe Harbors NYC
In partnership with New York Theatre Workshop
Through February 7, 2021
The previously announced Reflections of Native Voices Festival is Safe Harbors NYC's two-week festival, featuring theatre, music and native dance performances by visionary Indigenous artists from across the country. Reflections of Native Voices Festival began on January 25 and runs through February 7, 2021. The Festival is curated by Safe Harbors NYC and presented by La MaMa Indigenous Initiative in partnership with New York Theatre Workshop.
La Mama Experimental Theatre Club will stream three Festival pieces on their website: Tiger Lily by Anthony Hudson was streamed on January 28, 2021 at 7PM EST; Blood, Water, Earth by Santee Smith will stream on January 29, 2021 at 7PM EST; and Death and Mourning After by Timothy White Eagle in collaboration with Cellist Lori Goldston will stream on January 30, 2021 at 7PM EST. Following the initial streams, these three events will be available to view on demand at lamama.org through the end of the Festival on February 7, 2021. To purchase tickets to these streamed events, visit: http://lamama.org/reflections-of-native-voices
New York Theatre Workshop presented the following projects, available on-demand, for the duration of the Festival: Don't Feed the Indians: A Divine Comedy Pageant; Everything is a Circle by Ikidowin; Este Cate by Nicholson Billey; Duke by Moses Goods; and Tipi Tales from the Stoop by Murielle Borst-Tarrant.
Tickets to the Reflections of Native Voices Festival are $15 for a Full Festival Pass, which includes access to both streamed & on demand shows, and $10 for an individual show pass. On-demand tickets and festival passes may be purchased at www.nytw.org/reflections-of-native-voices-festival-2021.
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