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Theater icon Ellen Stewart, though
fragile on a wheelchair, defied odds and traveled all the way from
New York City to grace the National Arts Month celebration of the
National Culture Commission for the Arts (NCCA). The 86-year-old
grand dame of US Theater received a rousing ovation from the elite
personalities who represented Philippine arts, culture and public
service.
Stewart is the
world-renowned founder and director of the La MaMa Experimental
Theater Club. It is considered the purveyor of what is known today
as the Off and Off-Off Broadway theater scene. This year, La MaMa is
about to celebrate its 46th anniversary.
To date, the
theater group has staged around 2,000 productions. Its resident
theater companies have performed in Columbia, Venezuela, Lebanon,
Iran, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Scotland,
England, Sweden, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Croatia, Korea,
Turkey, Yugoslavia, Australia, Greece, Ukraine, Siberia, The
Netherlands and Macedonia.
La MaMa is
considered the Petri dish of many influential actors, directors and
musicians. Besides internationally renowned singer Bette Midler, La
MaMa launched and established the careers of
actor-playwright-director Sam Shepard (who has acted in films like
Hamlet, The Pelican Brief and Black Hawk Down) and composer Philip
Glass (writer of the landmark opera Einstein on the Beach).
La MaMa’s
alumni also include award winning playwright-actor-gay rights
activist Harvey Feirstein, director Robert Wilson and Mabou Mines.
On what La MaMa is all about, actor-playwright Feirstein in an
interview for the Vanity Fair magazine said, “Eighty percent of
what is now considered the American Theater originated at La MaMa.”
Stewart was
also responsible for introducing the New Eastern European Theater
when she bought actors like Jerzy Grotowski, Ryszard Cieslak, Ludwig
Flaszen and Andrei Serban. She has staged, composed, directed and
written librettos for original folk-opera presented in the US, South
America, the Philippines, Africa and Europe. In the Philippines, she
worked with indigenous group of the Cordillera for presentation at
the International Conference of Traditional Cultures and Indigenous
Heritage, held to launch the UN Decade for Culture and Development
in 1998.
The mama of La
MaMa continued to perform in recent years, despite her failing
health. In an interview for the magazine Thrive, she narrated how
she “performed five different plays in five different countries in
five different languages.”
Stewart graced
various activities in the recently concluded Philippine Arts
Festival with the theme Ani Ng Sining: Yaman Ng Lahi. She was also
guest on NBN-4’s Sining Gising: Ugnayan ng DepEd at NCCA sa Tinig
ng Bayan. At the Malacañang ceremony, Stewart was welcomed by
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Department of Education
Secretary Jesli Lapus, former senator Heherson Alvarez and his wife
Cecile.
Stewart’s
visit was also a confirmation of the first Filipino musical to be
staged in New York City. Come June, an award-winning zarzuela of
National Artist for Literature Alejandro Roces Jr. titled Something
To Crow About, will be staged at the La MaMa Theater in celebration
of the Philippine Independence Day.
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