La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York is dedicated to all aspects of the theatre. It is imagined as a creative form of artist from around the world, especially for the productions that are generalized as a risk-taking new performance. A vital part of New York City’s cultural fabric, La MaMa has a worldwide reputation for producing theatre, dance, music, and performance art that defies form and embraces all identities.
At the moment when theatres are in lockdown, La MaMa is innovative with all sorts of weekly live performances that experiment with any form as a response to calls for social isolation, Café La MaMa Live brings La MaMa’s theatre aesthetic to a virtual platform that links performers and audiences in real-time across distances. Each week online the organization offers artists a digital platform to share their work. The New York Times said that LaMaMa is a “Multicultural hive of avant-garde drama and performance art. La MaMa is a remarkable springboard for an impressive roster of promising playwrights, directors, and actors.” Founded in 1961 by theatre legend Ellen Stewart, La MaMa is the original Off-Off-Broadway venue established by Stewart La MaMa has been serving great for underrepresented artists to experiment without the pressures of commercial success. It is presented as uncensored creative freedom, with all sorts of identities that can develop work that pushes the boundaries. The most famous and first LaMaMa guest that I have seen live would be the amazing Robert Wilson at The Bitef Theatre Festival in Belgrade, Serbia, not too long ago and now I can see that due to a virus there are very interesting platforms organized by LaMama on http://lamama.org/livestreams/. Famous action occurs like Black Lives Matter getting involved. To this date, La MaMa has supported more than 5,000 productions, featuring 150,000 artists from 70 nations. In 2018, The American Theatre Wing presented La MaMa with the Regional Theatre Tony Award, recognizing“the influential company that helped give birth to the Off-Off-Broadway movement.” La MaMa has also been honored with 30 Obie Awards, and many Drama Desk, Bessie, and Villager Awards.
La MaMa now presents La MaMa LiveTalks, conversations with artists, activists, and thought leaders from around the country. As an artist, you can join in discussions about art and these times of crisis. The Next talk http://lamama.org/livetalks-14/ is on Wendsday 11th of November 2020 at 6.30 PM or on 16th of November http://lamama.org/mute-swan-experiments-in-digital-storytelling/ Swan Experiments in Digital Storytelling that would go for next (always had a thing for swans). On 11th this week LiveTalks of the 59th Season will meet with three resident artists to explore how new works are created, performed, and experienced during a pandemic, which around development residencies that are customized to the specific artistic needs and processes of each artist. This time featuring Tom Lee, Split Britches, Timothy White Eagle