La MaMa has announced its upcoming 2022-23 season, which will feature more than 40 productions with artists from eight countries, including Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Ukraine, Brazil, Japan, and Iceland in addition to the United States. Multiple world premieres, including the late Elizabeth Swados' musical Beautiful Lady, are set to take the stage at the Off-Off-Broadway theatre.
The first-ever revival of Evelyn Brown (A Diary) by the late Cuban-American playwright María Irene Fornés will take the stage at the Downstairs Theatre May 18–June 4, 2023. A rumination on the nature of women's work, the work will be directed by Alice Reagan.
The previously postponed musical Beautiful Lady by the late composer Elizabeth Swados (Runaways) will make its world premiere at the Ellen Stewart Theatre in May, 2023. Anne Bogart will direct the work, which features poetry by influential writers of the early 20th century. Set in an artists' cafe during the Russian Revolution, the work explores the evolution of revolution as it turns on its itself and its supporters.
Returning to La MaMa will also be the 2021 puppet production Lunch with Sonia by La MaMa's resident puppet troupe Loco 7 Dance Puppet Theatre Company. Denise Geber and Federico Restrepo will direct the work March 16-26, 2023.
Additional world premieres include John Kelly's Underneath the Skin, Erik Ehn's The Weak and The Strong, Witness Relocation and Dan Safer's The History of Empires, Ping Chong's Lazarus, and O-Lan Jones and Emmett Tinley's two-act opera Iceland. Other works arriving on the La MaMa stage will be the multimedia play A Scream in the Dark from Brazilian Companhia Nova de Teatro and The Dark Star From Harlem: The Spectacular Rise of Josephine Baker by Glynn Borders and Mario E. Sprouse.
The inclusion of so many international works and talent realizes the season's theme, "Remake a World." "How can we remake a world? There is an urgent need to consider the many ways we can remake a world," said Artistic Director Mia Yoo in a statement. "It is now that we must come together, connect, and create a movement that unifies and propels all of us forward toward a more just universe. We ask our artists and our wider community to contemplate this question."
La MaMa will continue to honor its theme with its November 10 gala, celebrating its 61st season and 7th decade as a theatrical institution.
For the full season schedule, visit LaMaMa.org.
