Ellen Stewart founded La MaMa in 1961 in a tiny basement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. She dedicated it to the playwright and all aspects of the theater. Today, La MaMa is a world renowned cultural institution recognized as the seed bed of new work by artists of all nations and cultures.
Communicate she did. During her nearly 50 years at the helm of La MaMa, Stewart collaborated with artists such as Sam Shepard, Bette Midler, Tom O'Horgan and more. The theater also gave early opportunities to actors such as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
