For 13 months, I lived at 77 E. 4th Street #18, in the East Village of Manhattan. It is probably my favourite apartment of the four I inhabited during the years I lived in "My Oz," but that's not what this post is about.
Located directly across the street from me was a rundown-looking building that housed the fabled LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club. I just read that its founder, Ellen Stewart, died yesterday at the age of 91. Most people outside of New York City may not be familiar with her, but they would definitely know of those who performed on her stage, many for the first time.
The quintessential Off-Off-Broadway theater, some of it's alumni include Bette Midler, Harvey Fierstein, Robert DeNiro, David and Amy Sedaris, and Sam Shepherd. I've often said my favourite Andy Warhol "Superstar" was Jackie Curtis, who had many of his plays performed there, as well. Two shows that got their start on her stages and eventually moved to Broadway were Godspell and Torch Song Trilogy.
That's a pretty heavy duty resume. Not bad for a woman who really had no interest in show business and started the company as a lark in a basement apartment.
So long, Ellen. Thanks for the space you created and all the art that came from it.
NPR did a story on her a couple days ago; Harvey Fierstein had some good comments, including how she would never read a script. She would just get a feeling for the person who wanted to put on a show. And many of the shows put on there were really good, though many never went anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteYou lived at THAT ADDRESS??! Damn boy.. I wish I knew.. THAT is my fave area of NYC. Betw the Bowery (not much there, but the name & history intrigue me) and my fave neighborhood ~betw Ave A & B up to about Tompkins Sq Park. And Houston St: Yonah Schimmel's Knishery! ♥ And the Lower East Side. All my faves.
lol i never warmed up to the Knish, but LOVED the matzoh ball soup at 2nd avenue deli, which is now on 3rd ave. it's still called 2nd avenue deli.
ReplyDeleteIn Boston, the offices of documentary filmmaker Errol Morris's production company "Fourth Floor Productions" are on the fifth floor. On the fifth floor across from the elevator, the directory sign points that his office is to the left, but it's to the right.
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