A: Is for Asclepius at LaMama

One of the staples of New York Theatre has been LaMama. I had a chance to see their latest production, Asclepius. Conceived, written, and directed by LaMama founder and legend Ellen Stewart with additional music by Michael Sirotta, Yukio Tsuji, and Heather Paauwe, this production shows why LaMama is a staple of the NY theatre scene. It is important to note, that they just lost their National Endowment to the Arts grant due to the F.A.C.T. that they could not say why they do what they do other than it is art and needs to be told. In Ms. Stewart's adaptation of this classic Greek tale, this rarely told story of the father of medicine is rife with incest, murder, betrayal, passion and unrequited love. The production features choreography by Federico Restrepo, puppets by Theodora Skipitares, light design by Federico Restrepo, scenic consultants Mark Tambella and Jun Maeda, and sound design by Tim Schellenbaum.

This presentation of Asclepius represents a continuation of La MaMa E.T.C. and The Great Jones Company's tradition of contemporary interpretations and adaptations of the classics. Containing an international flavor that is a trademark of Ellen Stewart's body of work at La MaMa, a multi-ethnic cast consisting of over a dozen artists from Colombia, Italy, Japan, Germany, China, Korea, Kosovo, Puerto Rico, Republic of Congo, Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States thrill. With a cast of 25 they are inconsistencies and some stand out above the others. Eugene the Poogene's dancing and acting are worth the production alone. As the smaller roles of the Black Crow and later as Hades, his every movement is a joy to watch. Benjamin Marcantoni's counter tenor is glorious though sometimes over used. Michael Lynch, Onni Johnson and Cary Gant are all stand outs. But it is Ellen Stewart's direction and production values that are the stand-outs. Go see this wonderfully conceived production. It plays until June 14th at The Annex Thursday - Sunday at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 and this show is admirable and worthy of praise. We need to preserve the best of New York and that is a F.A.C.T.