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Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon!

Kaitlyn — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

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Ai Ikeda interview
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Theater-in-the-Now interviews Ai Ikeda, the titular Deadly She-Wolf of the show.

Off-Off-Broadway-World profiles Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon!

Music and Concept by Fred Ho / Written by Fred Ho and Ruth Margraff / Directed by Sonoko Kawahara

A Martial Arts-Samurai Sword Fighting-Music/Theater Fantasy Action-Adventure Blockbuster homage to “Lone Wolf and Cub” (Kozure Ogami) in a story of imperial decline and desperation, revenge, intrigue and catharsis. Fred Ho’s super-talented team unleashes a music/theater work of dazzling spectacle and emotional power.

Raised as a weapon by a brutal conspirator, a young female assassin discovers that her target has spun the empire of Japan into crisis and ruin–and–is none other than her father. The Shogun, in a rage, has fired her master and hired three superwarriors from the West to eliminate this Last Wolf of Japan who defies his legacy. Torn between loyalty to her mission, her nation and her soul, she must face the unimaginable at the twilight of an imperial epoch.

DEADLY SHE-WOLF ASSASSIN AT ARMAGEDDON! is the latest music/theater and martial arts tour de force from collaborators Fred Ho and Ruth Margraff. A daring and imaginative homage to the 1970s Japanese raging cult manga and movies hit, Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Ookami), which has inspired many other adaptations and works in comic books and film over the past decades. DEADLY SHE-WOLF…explodes with a ferocious stylistic mix of Japanese Noh theater and modern-day anime and manga influences with unique multi-martial arts and sword fighting choreography and a glorious score fusing traditional Japanese music and soul-jazz.

Composer-creator-writer Fred Ho brings to the stage the world premiere of DEADLY SHE-WOLF ASSASSIN AT ARMAGEDDON!, his latest installment in the music-driven martial arts epics for which he has been recognized as both pioneer and its most innovative leader.

PERFORMERS

Marina Celander, Yoshi Amao, Ai Ikeida, Teake, Luca Nicora, Jerry Ford, Perry Yung, Rick Ebihara, Takemi Kitamura, Koji Nishiyama, Bradley Fong and Jet Yung

Afro Asian Music Ensemble led by Masaru Koga, with Ben Barson, Wayne Batchelor, Art Hirahara, royal hartigan, and Yumi Kurosawa

ARTISTS & PRODUCTION

Fred Ho (composer / co-writer)

Ruth Margraff (co-writer)

Sonoko Kawahara (director)

Yoshi Amao (co-choreographer)

Emmanuel Brown (co-choreographer)

Anka Lupes (production design)

Chad McArver (lighting)

Joseph Yoon (producer)

Youn Jung Kim (stage manager)

Produced by Crossing Jamaica Avenue and Big Red Media, Inc. /Commissioned by The Japan Society and Peregrine Arts

La Banda de las Recodas

Kaitlyn — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:00:09 +0000

By Las Reinas Chulas

Invited actor: ANTONIO CEREZO

Original music by: YURIEF NIEVES AND TAREKE ORTIZ

Producer: LILIANA RAMIREZ

Las Reinas Chulas, visiting from Mexico City, perform irreverent political cabaret.

La Banda de Las Recodas follows Chikis, Chakis, Wera and Barby: Four breathtakingly exuberant Mexican beauties. Rich, ignorant, cruel and ambitious, they’ve set their sights on becoming world wide famous. So they’ve toured Europe, South America and Asia, alas to no success. After much thought the sisters decided their lack of international fame was due to the fact that they hadn’t been seen in New York, so here they are!

A display of the darkest Mexican humor: this bloody, queer fiesta tests racial, political and sexual boundaries to a soundtrack of Techno Cumbia, Salsa and Banda music.

Free Falling

Kaitlyn — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:00:05 +0000

Friday, May 10: 6-9PM

Opening reception with the artist

La Galleria

6 East First Street, NYC, 10003 / (between Bowery & 2nd Avenue)

As part of the installation, there will be a free 15 minute performance

Wednesday – Friday:performances at 6:30pm

Saturday – Sunday: performances at 3:30pm and 6:30pm

Saturday, May 11: 11AM

Children’s Mask Making Workshop: A fun movement workshop for the whole family. Children will make their very own animal mask and learn choreography, creating a group dance reflecting nature.

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by Federico Restrepo

Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 1 – 7:30PM

La MaMa Galleria is pleased to announce Federico Restrepo’s solo exhibition, Free Falling, composed of sculpture, painting, sound design, shadow screens and dance, Restrepo arouses a series of actions and reactions representing conflict, reflection, desolation and nature – connecting the experience with objects, light and sound. Wire figures float in space provoking contemplation of our effect on nature. The goal, through these different mediums, is to ponder our connection to our environment, question our responsibility to nurture it and implement sustainability for future generations.

FEDERICO RESTREPO was born in Bogotá, Colombia and founded his company, Loco7, at La MaMa in 1986 to expand the use of puppetry in dance theatre. With Loco7 he has created over thirteen original productions, acting as creator, director and designer. Federico had his last solo show at La MaMa La Galleria in 2009 and has participated in several group exhibitions. In 2007 he was part of the USA Exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial 11th International Competitive Exhibition of Scenography and Theatre Architecture. He is a resident choreographer, director, puppet designer, and performer of La MaMa.

This project made possible in part with public funds from Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

For more information on Federico Restrepo and Loco7 visit: www.loco7.org

Choreography by Federico Restrepo

Sound Design by Tim Schellenbaum

Production by Loco7 Theatre Company – Denise Greber

Chemistry of Love

Kaitlyn — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:00:59 +0000

Written by Jill Campbell / Directed by George Ferencz

“WE GIVE THANKS TO OFF-OFF BROADWAY’S LA MAMA, AND PLAYWRIGHT JILL CAMPBELL’S SPECTACULAR CHEMISTRY OF LOVE, FOR WAKING ME UP TO THE FACT THAT NEW AND ENGAGING PERMUTATIONS OF STAGECRAFT ARE STILL A POSSIBILITY.”

– JAY REISBERG, CULTURECATCH.COM

“THE PLAY FUNCTIONS AS BOTH A SATIRE AND A TRAGEDY. PLAYWRIGHT CAMPBELL HAS DONE AN IMPRESSIVE JOB OF GROUNDING A COMPLICATED CYCLE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN CHARACTER.”

– TRAVALANCHE

“THIS PLAY FEELS AND SOUNDS RIGHT. WHETHER YOU HAVE OR DON’T HAVE ART POSEURISH FRIENDS YOU’LL LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH THESE ARTISTS.”

- LARRY LITT, NYTHEATREWIRE.COM

“THE PLAY PEELS BACK LAYERS OF THE INSULAR WORLD OF ARTS TO REVEAL A MESS JACKSON POLLOCK WOULD BE PROUD OF.”

- KAREN D’ONOFRIO, ELECTRIC LINK JOURNEY.COM

“BOTTOM LINE: THIS WELL-ACTED AND WELL-STAGED PRODUCTION EXPLORES THE PROBLEMS ONE FACES WHEN THEY DEPICT THEIR PERSONAL LIFE IN THEIR ART.”

—ADRIENNE URBANSKI, THEATRE IS EASY.COM

With…

Matt Baxter Luceno*
Kim Merrill*
Dennis Parlato*
Jenne Vath*

* Actors appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

Assistant Director: Jason Marx
Costumes by Sally Lesser
Lighting by Jeff Tapper
Film & Media by Jonathan Phelps
Set Design by Donald Eastman
Sound by Tim Schellenbaum

When conceptual artist Lara is nominated for a half-million dollar grant, she must present a brilliant new work to an anonymous committee in order to collect. Her friends and colleagues are thrilled for her, but resentment boils just under the surface, and when her best friend Karen tries to co-opt her project, Lara discovers that making art among friends has higher stakes then she could have imagined. A biting and emotional look at the insular art world, friends become competitors, creativity is a commodity and happiness for others’ success is in short supply. A mixed media world premiere, Chemistry of Love strips bare the process of making art, revealing the toll it takes on one’s self and peers.

Inspired by Camus’ The Artist at Work, Chemistry of Love received development support from La MaMa’s Experiments Series and was nominated by La MaMa for the Weissberger Award.

Official show site: http://chemistryoflove.net/

“Campbell’s words are so beautiful and real the audience is perched on the edge of its seat.” – Camden New Journal, London

Read interviews with Jill Campbell on:

- Adam Szymkowicz’s I Interview Playwrights blog

- Theatre in the Now

- NYTheatre.com

- CallMeAdam.com