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Introduction
Directed by Jim Fritzler
The Producer: Jacqueline Gregg*
After rising quickly up design ranks at Saks Fifth Avenue, Ellen Stewart founded Café LaMaMa almost by accident, putting her idea for a boutique aside, in favor of a theater dedicated to developing new work by young playwrights.
Hair by James Rado & Gerome Ragni, music by Galt McDermot
Directed by Robert Bartley
Music Director Ricky Pope
Choreographed by Laura Sheehy
Vocal Arrangement by Danny Whitman
Mitch, a Graphic Artist: Jonathan Brian Furedy*
Sara, an Activist: Shoshanna Richman
Tom, a Business Man: Robert Berliner*
Clark, a Soldier: Joey Auzenne*
Andre, a Waiter: Ivan DeLeon
Cece, a Communications Student: Tess Paras*
Miranda, a Fashion Director: Melissa Gessel*
Louise, a Nurse: Tracy Rawles
Alex, a Poet: Justin Jones
Monica, an Activist: Melissa Center*
Annie, an Art Student: Nidia Medina
Gregory, an Activist: Russell H. Saylor III*
Accompanist: Philip Kirschman
Originally presented by The Public Theatre, 1967; Transferred to the Biltmore Theatre, 1968
Before its commercial success on Broadway directed by Tom O'Horgan, this "American Tribal Love-Rock Musical" originated at The Public Theater as the inaugural production of the Lafayette Street venue, directed by Gerald Freedman. This psychedelic musical reflected the sound of the times and the phenomenon of anti-Vietnam hippie life set in the East Village, and changed the theater audience as it brought in new, younger attendees.
The Indian Wants the Bronx by Israel Horovitz
Directed by Jonathan Solari
Creative Consultant / Designs by Cherrye Davis
Indian: Bobby Abid
Joe: Jeremy Tant
Murph: Walter Masterson
Originally presented at the Astor Place Theater, 1968
This multiple Obie award-winning play ran for over 200 performances here at the Astor Place Theatre, featuring Al Pacino and John Cazale (together again later as brothers Michael and Fredo Corleone in "The Godfather: I and II").
The Foreigners by Michael McGrinder
Directed by Jim Fritzler
Ella: Sasha Painter
Peter: Damon Boggess*
Originally presented at the Old Reliable Theatre Tavern, 1969
Michael McGrinder joined the small group of adventurous artists who turned the Old Reliable, a beer bar on 3rd Street between Avenues B & C, into an exciting new performance venue, The Old Reliable Theatre Tavern.
Five Points Jazz by Spencer Katzman
Guitar: Spencer Katzman
Saxophone: Steve Meicke
Original Composition for OFF Stage, 2007
Cooper Square's Five Spot club became the East Village's home for jazz as well as a hangout for playwright LeRoi Jones (now Amiri Baraka) and painter Jackson Pollock. Samuel Beckett's Krapp’s Last Tape almost premiered in the back room before a successful mounting in Germany.
Monuments by Diane di Prima
Directed by Lauren Keating
Diane: Bridgette Hayes
Last play performed at Caffe Cino, 1968
Poet and playwright Diane di Prima's co-founded The New York Poets' Theatre and wrote Monuments as a commentary on life in the underground arts scene when she lived on the Bowery between 4th and 5th Streets, two buldings south of her lover, LeRoi Jones, and his wife Hettie.
18 Happenings in 6 Parts by Allan Kaprow
Directed by Leslie Strongwater
The Dancer: Molly Phelps
With guest appearances by: Michael Cross Burke, Leslie Strongwater, Genny Padila, Candice Strongwater, Claes Oldenberg, Shizu Homma, Ben Kahn, Shawn Barrett and Stephen Graf.
Special Thanks: David Michael Friend, Eric Berninghausen, and Candice Strongwater
Originally presented at the Reuben Gallery, 1959
This largely non-verbal piece - the first of its kind - gave birth to the term "happening" and was pre-curser to OOB. The long, narrow Reuben Gallery loft space on 4th Avenue was subdivided by plastic into separate rooms where audiences roamed through events involving people and moving objects.
The Maids by Jean Genet
Directed and Designed by Leslie Strongwater
Glove Design & Construction Assistance by David Michael Friend
Silver Maid: Stephanye Dussud*
Silver & Lace Maid: Candy Simmons
Red Maid: Jenny Lee Mitchell*
Originally presented by the New Lindsay Theatre, London, 1956; US premiere, Tempo Theater, 1955.
Julie Bovasso’s Tempo Theatre, at 4 St. Mark's Place, is considered by some to be the first Off-Off Broadway theater company. Village Voice critic Jerry Tallmer was captivated by Bovasso’s production of The Maids, and awarded her the first Obie.
Birdbath by Leonard Melfi
Directed by Kay Mitchell
Velma Sparrow: Kara Knappe
Frankie Basta: Jonathan Medina
Originally presented by Theatre Genesis at St Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, 1965
This piece was written for the small St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery performance space at 2nd Avenue and 10th Street, but transferred well to the much larger Martinique before touring Europe with LaMaMa.
BONUS: Although Stuyvesant Place seems to be oddly angled, it’s actually one of the only true East-West streets in Manhattan, and is purportedly home to Peter Stuyvesant’s ghost.
Murder Cake by Diane di Prima
Directed by Lauren Keating
Woman: Joyce Miller
Performed at Off Bowery Theatre, 10th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues, 1961.
Performed at the Off Bowery Theatre, behind an art gallery at 84 East 10th Street, this nonsensical poetic piece was written using text chosen by chance, leaving the director to choose a cohesive form of presentation. For the last season of Poet’s Theater – a chaotic time since co-founder Freedie Herko’s suicide – di Prima moved the company from 10th Street to 4 St. Marks Place.
The Hawk by Murray Mednick and Anthony Barsha
Directed by David Vining
The Hawk: Ben Kopit
The Double: Christopher Catalano
Victim: Valerie McCann
Originally presented by Theatre Genesis at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, 1967
Influenced by Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty, Theatre Genesis developed this ensemble piece using improvisation and ritualistic action as structure. Depicting the criminal underbelly of counterculture through character acting and mime, The Hawk premiered at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery before transferring to the Actor's Playhouse.
The Rock Garden by Sam Shepard
Directed by Bryn Manion
Man / Boy: Moti Margolin
Man / Boy: Eric C. Bailey
Originally presented by Theatre Genesis at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, 1964
Sam Shepard, arguably Off-Off-Broadway's most famous son, remained loyal to Theatre Genesis though he also worked with Caffe Cino, Judson Poet’s Theatre, LaMaMa and Edward Albee’s Playwrights' Unit before finding commercial success as a playwright and an actor on both stage and screen.
Hurrah for the Bridge by Paul Foster
Directed by Helena Gleissner
Rover: James E. Morton
Originally presented at Café LaMaMa, 1963
The central prop in the play, a pushcart, served as an homage to LaMaMa founder Ellen Stewart and "Papa" Abe Diamond, the pushcart fabric man who helped inspire her career.
A Corner of a Morning by Michael Locascio
Directed by Belinda Mello
Eddie: Liche Ariza
Ellen: Jennifer Whitman
First original play performed at the first Café LaMaMa, 321 E. 9th Street, 1961
Without a theater background herself, Ellen Stewart enlisted friends to help create her first theater space at 321 East 9th Street without conventional theatrical constraints, opting for an environment in which any kind of performance piece could take flight. A Corner of A Morning was LaMaMa's first premiere of an original play.
Balls by Paul Foster
Directed by Helena Gleissner
Commodore Wilkinson: Jason Denuszek
Beau Beau/Ball: Adam Law
Originally presented at Café LaMaMa, 1964
Replacing actors with hypnotic ping pong balls, coupled with disembodied voices, Balls began at the first LaMaMa before joining a triple bill at the Cherry Lane Theatre along with works by Sam Shepard and Lanford Wilson.
America Hurrah! by Jean-Claude van Itallie
Directed by Jeff Janisheski
Ensemble: : Frances Chewning*, Jodi Dick*, Shelley Gershoni*, Christopher Ryan Richards
Originally presented at Café LaMaMa ETC, 1965; Transferred to the Pocket Theatre, 1966
After premiering at LaMaMa, this trilogy (Interview, TV and Motel) showcased at the Pocket Theatre, 100 Third Avenue, for over a year as the first major anti-Vietnam dramatic work.
Why Tuesday Never Has a Blue Monday by Robert Heide
Directed by Elaine Molinaro
Visual Design by Michelle Beshaw
Lois: Michelle Beshaw
Man: Michael Jay Henry*
Originally presented at the first LaMaMa ETC, 122 Second Avenue, 1966
Actors' Equity filed charges against two actors in this LaMaMa production for performing without union contracts, as the pay per show was $2.60 and wholly dependent on audience contributions. The incident closed LaMaMa for almost a month, and began the negotiation that resulted in the creation of a Showcase Code that allowed union actors to perform in OOB productions.
BONUS: After a year and a half of residency at 82 2nd Avenue, LaMaMa audience members were asked to literally pick up tables and chairs following the opening night of Balls in order to move to the troupes' new home at 122 2nd Avenue.
The Mulberry Bush by Phoebe Wray
Directed by Casey McLain
Mary: Diana Byrne
Betty: Gillien Goll*
Millie: Kathleen Schlemmer
Sis Amadeus: Ann Pielli
Julia: Greta Pauley
Margery: Laura King
Lucille: Roseann Blumhagen
Originally presented at the Old Reliable Theatre Tavern, 1969
This proto-feminist work about the roles that men play in the lives of 10 women from different walks of life began as a series of monologues that the playwright then cut up into numerous random passages.
Futz by Rochelle Owens
Directed by Jose Zayas
Narrator: Sadrina Johnson*
Cy Futz: Jerry Zellers*
Bill Marjoram: Robert Gaines
Sheriff Tom Sluck: Bradley Wells
Originally presented at Café LaMaMa ETC, 1967
Rochelle Owens' play became an Off-Broadway cult favorite after touring Europe, running for over 200 performances. A later film version of the violent, sexually charged play is not faithful to the production, but is an accurate archive of the conceptual and physical style of the LaMaMa Troupe.
That’s How the Rent Gets Paid by Jeff Weiss
Directed by Jon Michael Murphy
Barker: Steven Lasher
Originally presented at Café LaMaMa, 1966
This soap opera focusing on Conrad Gerhardt (the alter-ego of the playwright) found life in several sequels well into the 1970s after it originally appeared at LaMaMa in 1966.
Why Hanna’s Skirt Won’t Stay Down by Tom Eyen
Directed by Mark Finley
Hanna: Catherine Porter*
Arizona: Nick Mathews
Originally presented at Café LaMaMa ETC, 1965
Helen Hanft, the original Hanna, influenced Bette Midler's creation of her stage persona.
BONUS: OOB sprung up in the shadow of the East Village’s many Yiddish Theaters on this stretch of Second Avenue, once known as the Jewish Broadway.
XXXXXXs by William M. Hoffman
Directed by Jon Michael Murphy
Ensemble: Loren Bidner, Jeff Lee, Nick Palladino, Will Schmincke, Kennedy Taylor
Originally presented at the Old Reliable Theatre Tavern, 1969
The Old Reliable was frequently compared to Caffe Cino for allowing artists to present bold performances such as this unconventional depiction of the life of Christ.
Camera Obscura by Robert Patrick
Directed by Tim Cusack
Man: Richard Sheinmel*
Woman: Debbie Troché
Premiered at Café au GoGo, 1968; presented at the Old Reliable Theatre Tavern, 1969.
After years of working at Caffe Cino (in jobs ranging from doorman to publicist) and occasionally LaMaMa, Robert Patrick became the playwright-in-residence at Old Reliable. He had over 300 productions in Off-Off Broadway theaters in the 1960s.
The Bundle Man by Ilsa Gilbert
Directed by Casey McLain
The Tyrant: Zak Wilson
The Bundle Man..: Josh Hartung
The Lover: Michael Young
Originally presented at The Old Reliable Theatre Tavern, 1967.
Ilsa Gilbert was one of a handful of brave young women who made the wild and sometimes frightening journey eastward to have their work presented at The Old Reliable. Artists have said that they always had great houses for their shows because everyone was afraid to go there alone
Lullaby for a Dying Man by Ruth Landshoff Yorck
Directed by Halina Ujda*
Victim: Frank Blocker*
Guard: Christopher Beier
Priest: Ryan Redebaugh
Originally presented at Café LaMaMa, 1965
Ruth Landshoff Yorck revolutionized gender-bending and sexual identity in her plays and her lifestyle, beginning as a young artist in Weimar Germany. Her work helped link the European avant-garde and OOB. She died in Ellen Stewart’s arms when they attended Marat/Sade on Broadway together. Ellen’s screams “Is there a doctor in the house?” were thought to be the start of the show, so no one offered help.
BONUS: Although much different today, Phebe’s Bar was a longtime post-show hangout of actors – called the Downtown Sardi’s. It’s the setting for Robert Patrick’s hit play Kennedy’s Children.
The Conquest of the Universe (or When Queens Collide) by Charles Ludlam
“Vacarro Homage” directed by Christopher Mirto
Fire Woman dance by Siobhan Dougherty
Ebea: Lashea Delaney
Tamburlaine: Patricia Drozda*
Alice: Carter Farmer
Zabina: Jessica Paddock
Fire Women: Stacey Maltin, Aimee Todoroff
The Conquest of the Universe (or When Queens Collide) by Charles Ludlam
“Ludlam Homage” directed by Gabriel Shanks
Tamburlaine: Oscar Castillo*
Alice: Lars Preece*
Zabina: Matthew Cummings
Ebea: Jason Martin
Originally presented by the Play-House of the Ridiculous, at The Bouwerie Lane Theater, Bowery and Bond, and by The Ridiculous Theatrical Company at Tambellini’s Gate Theatre, 162 Second Avenue, 1967. The Play-House of the Ridiculous' director John Vaccaro & writer-in-residence Charles Ludlam parted ways due to their different attitudes towards Conquest. Vaccaro looked at the production as an opportunity to present a discomforting theatrical event and Ludlam saw the play as an absurd celebration of homosexual identity. After their split, Ludlam formed the Ridiculous Theatrical Company with several original cast members and presented his own version of the piece under its subtitle When Queens Collide for midnight shows after the film screenings at Tambellini’s Gate.
Viet Rock by Megan Terry, music by Marianne de Pury
Directed by Anna McHugh
Musical Direction by Jason Mesches
Joe: Michael ‘Mitch’ Mitchell
Roy/Guitar: Jason Mesches
Paul: Patrick Taylor*
Hanoi Hannah: Lisa Villamaria*
Originally presented by The Open Theater at Café LaMaMa, 1966
In 1966, the Open Theatre's last production at LaMaMa was developed through exercises set to explore response to the Vietnam War. Playwright Megan Terry put these images and dialogue into a cohesive text for performance that acknowledged the actors as collaborators in its creation. Gerome Ragni was a cast member, and the experience greatly influenced his creation of Hair.
Epilogue
Directed by Jim Fritzler
The Producer: Jacqueline Gregg*
Authority figures interrupted or harassed the OOB theaters constantly. Ellen Stewart was carted off to the Women’s House of Detention on more than one occasion, but kept her theater going as it continues today on East 4th Street.
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