New Works By Richard Foreman, Belarus Free Theatre, and More Set For La MaMa's 63rd Season

La Mama Experimental Theatre Club has announced its 2024-25 season, which will feature dozens of new works from around the world, including the Object Collection's world premiere of Richard Foreman's SUPPOSE BEAUTIFUL MADELINE HARVEY, the iconoclastic author's first new play in 10 years; Loose Change Productions' new play THE MULBERRY TREE, told from a Palestinian boy's perspective; Murielle Borst Tarrant's TIPI TALES FROM THE STOOP, along with the previously announced debut of KS6: SMALL FORWARD from the trailblazing Belarus Free Theatre, officially kicking off the La MaMa season with a three-week run September 21 To October 13 (Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 E. 4 St.)

The 24-25 season also marks the return of the acclaimed biannual LA MAMA PUPPET FESTIVAL, with dozens of performances October 24-Nov. 17, including local and international works from Spain, Italy and Quebec, along with world premieres from US artists including Kevin Augustine, Anthony Michael Stokes, along with La MaMa's works in progress series, JUMP START.

The 63rd season theme LA MAMA BEYOND will see more livestreaming of shows to online audiences, as well as outdoor events featuring pop up performances and installations taking place in local public spaces like basketball courts, parks, cemeteries and playgrounds.  “By going beyond La MaMa's physical campus, we hope to have encounters that welcome new audiences and artists from different contexts into conversations,” says La MaMa's Artistic Director Mia Yoo. “ I believe that the creative mesh that results from this engagement can propel the movement we know call La MaMa into the future.” 

Following is an abbreviated list of productions this fall, winter and spring at La MaMa.  For additional details, visit www.lamama.org

Fall 2024

KS6: SMALL FORWARD – the world premiere of a dynamic stage work from the famously exiled Belarus Free Theatre; a timely tale about dissidence and dictatorships by the real life Belarusian sports star, Katya Snytisna,  who defied her homeland’s dictatorship when she simultaneously became an outspoken dissident and came out of the closet, the first well-known athlete to do so in her country, now living in exile.  Directed by BFT’s Nicolai Khalezin and Natalia Kaliada, SMALL FORWARD is performed by Snytsina and the onstage DJ Blanka Barbara.  September 21-Oct 13; press performances Sept. 23-24.  Ellen Stewart Theatre.

PARADISE GONE – Ivo Dimchev’s acoustic live concert during which he explores the potential to create and present an acoustic album based on 20 of his unreleased original songs.  Sept. 27-28 at The Club (74 E. 4 St.)

THE MARRIAGE – written by Witold Gombrowicz and directed by Zishan Ugurlu.  Presented in partnership with the Polish Cultural Council NYC and Jan Kochanowski Popular Theater of Radom.  Sept. 26-Oct. 6 in the Downstairs theatre (66 E. 4 St.)

THE MULBERRY TREE – a new play by Hanna Eady and Edward Mast, directed by Alexandra Aron, set in a Palestinian village and depicts the friendship between a Palestinian boy and the village rabbi.  Oct. 10-20 at the Downstairs Theatre (66 E 4 St)

THE ALCHEMIST’S VEIL – conceived and choreographed by Maureen Fleming, with music by Tim Fain, Brian Eno and Philip Glass.  Performed live by pianist Bruce Brubaker.  A work combining surreal movement poetry and visuals inspired by the Georgia O’Keefe.  October 17-27 at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St.)

LA MAMA PUPPET FESTIVAL – the 20th anniversary of this storied puppet program, directed at La MaMa by Denise Greber and Federico Restrepo, this year’s Festival will be spread across La MaMa’s venues, with a variety of exciting new puppetry works by a wide range of global artists -- for all ages, families, children.  Oct. 24-Nov. 10 

TIPI TALES FROM THE STOOP – Murielle Borst Tarrant’s (Kuna/Rappahannock Nations) story about her family’s triumph of will, dysfunction, historical trauma through laughter.  This is Murielle’s personal tapestry of stories about being brought up  in a Mafia-run neighborhood where they were the ‘only Natives on the block.”  Nov. 7-10 (Downstairs)

AGAMEMMON – THE CIRCLE OF BLOOD  – is a new solo adaptation written, directed, choreographed and performed by Rafika Chawise, the artistic director of Gloria Mikro theatre in Athens.  Nov. 14-24 (Downstairs)

ROBERT WILL SHOW YOU THE DOOR – Susan Jeremy performs her solo show about how being fired from every job you’ve ever had can same your life. Nov. 21-Dec. 1 at The Club (74 E 4 St.)

FOWL PLAY: CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS  – the Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre brings this original puppet rock opera inspired by a 12th century Sufi poem, “The Conference of the Birds.”  Directed by Vit Horjes. Presented in partnership with GOH Productions.  Nov. 21-Dec. 8 (Ellen Stewart)

I LOVE THAT FOR YOU – Paul Budraitis’ intimate solo performance that invites its audience to notice what death might teach us.  Dec. 12-22 (Downstairs)

IN THE COURT OF THE CONQUEROR – George Emilio Sanchez and visual artist Patty Ortiz create a new work revolving around the 200-year-old history of U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have diminished the tribal sovereignty of Native Nations. Dec. 5-25 (The Club)

SUPPOSE BEAUTIFUL MADELINE HARVEY – by Object Collection.  Written by Richard Foreman, directed and adapted for the stage by Kara Feely, with music by Travis Just, MADELINE features a cast of eight – and the voice of Richard Foreman – accompanied by live musicians.  This first new play by the legendary master of experiment, Richard Foreman, is about the Beautiful Madeline Harvey, who is not certain whether she does or does not, in fact, exist.  Dec. 12-22 (Ellen Stewart)

CHRISTMAS IN NICKYLAND – Nicky Paraiso’s annual cabaret bash, described as “a holy host of characters singing, dancing, gender-bending and merry-making, all to get you into the East Village spirit of the season.”  Dec. 21-22 (The Club)

LA MAMA will present four productions on its stages during the 2025 version of UNDER THE RADAR, recently announced in January:  

SPACEBRIDGE conceived and directed by Irina Kruzhilina 

THE THINGS AROUND US by Ahamefule Oluo

THE HORSE OF JENIN by Alaa Shehada

HEWA RWANDA by Dorcy Rugamba

SEAGULL VARIATIONS by Alexander Molochnikov

As well in January, La MaMa will present the NYC premiere of the chamber opera IN A GROVE by Christopher Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann as part of PROTOTYPE FESTIVAL.

 Winter/Spring 2025

Winter will bring new works by Alexander Molochnikov, HT Chen and Dancers, Teatro 220, Buffy, The Hess Collective and Donald Arrington.  Along with:

THE BARBARIANS – by Third Ear Theater, a new play described as a “logorrheic acts, encyclopedic gollywompus concerning free speech, political power, theatre, pyramids and chaos.”  Feb. 13-March 2 (Ellen Stewart)

KRYMOV LAB NYC – a new work directed by renowned exiled Russian director Dimitry Krymov.  March 7-23 (Ellen Stewart) 

MEDEA OFTHE LAUNDROMAT – by H.M. Koutoukas, directed by Arthur Adair. Tony nominee John-Andrew Morrison (A STRANGE LOOP) takes on the title role in a new production of the 1965 Café La MaMa classic.  March 13-23 (The Club)

SUR – by The Trojan Women Project.  Based on a short story by Ursula Le Guin, the play depicts the events of 1909 when nine South American women are planning to complete a journey to the South Pole, years before its ‘discovery’ by an all-male crew.  March 27-April 6 (Ellen Stewart)

LA MAMA MOVES DANCE FESTIVAL – 20th anniversary!  April 3-May 4. Including works by choreographers Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, Kenyan French, Yuko Kaseki and BamBam Frost.  

Classdismissed.edu – a world-premiere from the One-Eighth Theater set in an ‘education factory.’ , Directed and performed by Daniel Irizarry; written by Robert Lyons.  April 17-May 4 (Ellen Stewart).

THE MOBY DICK BLUES – written by Michael Gorman, directed by Joe Jon Battista.  This innovative blues opera reevaluates Captain Ahab’s vengeful pursuit of an innocent whale.  June 5-22 (Ellen Stewart)

LA MAMA KIDS – throughout the season, the ever-popular LA MAMA KIDS series will present creative workshops and performances including Leah Ogawa and John Tsung’s LET’S PLANT RICE; MEXICAN MASK MAKING WORKSHOP; PETIT MONDRIAN by puppet master Edward Salas Acosta; WOODS by the Canadian/Bulgarian Puzzle Theatre; THE GREAT ZODIAC ANIMAL RACE by Tom Lee; and THE ADVENTURES OF SEUCY AND BOTO by Loco7 Dance Puppet Theatre Company.  

LA MAMA’s long-running EXPERIMENTS PLAY READING SERIES, COFFEEHOUSE CHRONICLES and POETRY ELECTRIC all return for the 63rd season.

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