La MaMa to Present the World Premiere of MISDEMEANOR DREAM
The show blends traditional and contemporary narratives, movement, text, sound, installation art and projection, in order to reclaim, reimagine & revive missing stories.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Feb. 07, 2022
La MaMa ETC will present the world premiere of "Misdemeanor Dream," the latest large-scale production of Spiderwoman Theater, the legendary Downtown feminist-Indigenous theater ensemble. Created by the ensemble using their signature "storyweaving" process, "Misdemeanor Dream" blends traditional and contemporary narratives, movement, text, sound, installation art and projection, in order to reclaim, reimagine and revive missing stories, languages and identity. "Misdemeanor Dream" is produced by Spiderwoman Theater and La MaMa, in partnership with Loose Change Productions in New York, and Aanmitaagzi in Nipissing First Nation in Ontario.
The production's co-creators and storyweaving team leaders are director Muriel Miguel; choreographer Penny Couchie (co-artistic director of Aanmitaagzi); and vocal choreographer Imelda Villalon. The on-stage ensemble includes Donna Couteau* Wolfen de Kastro* Marjolaine Mckenzie, Gloria Miguel* Henu Josephine Tarrant, and Imelda Villalon. (*Members Actors Equity Association)
In "Misdemeanor Dream" old spirits long-ago silenced reveal themselves to the current inhabitants of Turtle Island through their stories and experiences of daily, contemporary life. ("Turtle Island" is the name given to Earth by Indigenous peoples in North America.)
Running from Mar 10 to Mar 27 at the Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 East 4th Street, "Misdemeanor Dream" opens on Sun March 13 at 2pm. Performances (12 in all) are Thu, Fri, Sat at 7pm, and Sun at 2pm. For tickets, which are $25 in advance ($30 day of show), and $20 for students and seniors ($25 day of show), call 646-430-5374 or visit www.lamama.org
"Misdemeanor Dream" immerses us in the values, worldview and unique aesthetics of Native culture, and is created by a multi-generational ensemble drawn from Indigenous communities across North America and internationally. A series of post-show talk-backs (Sundays Mar 13, 20, 27) will offer insights into the process of Native cultural resurgence today.
La MaMa hosts a special preview of the project and a look at Spiderwoman's storied past as a Downtown theater innovator and feminist disruptor at its "Coffehouse Chronicles" series on Sat Feb 19 at 3pm.
Founded in 1976, Spiderwoman grew out of the urban Native community centered in Downtown Brooklyn in the 1950s. The company splits its time between Brooklyn and Nipissing, where its collaborators Aanmitaagzi are based. Spiderwoman has always emphasized the importance of interconnectivity among Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Spiderwoman elders Muriel and Gloria Miguel are from the Kuna and Rappahannock nations. Choreographer Penny Couchie is Anishinaabe, while the vocal choreographer Imelda Villalon is from the Ilokano people of the Phillipines.
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