La MaMa’s 58th season honored and celebrated the downtown theatre company’s founder Ellen Stewart by bringing back Professor Andrei Serban’s and Elizabeth Swados’ groundbreaking The Trojan Women Project in a production featuring Columbia alumni Kim Ima ’96, Julia Martin ’96, George Drance ’98, and La MaMa’s artistic director Mia Yoo ’98. Current producing student Iris Luo served as a production intern. The re-imagined production featured original cast members, performers from La MaMa's Great Jones Repertory Company, and many international artists who have participated in The Trojan Women Project previously.
Serban directed the newly imagined production that played from December 6th to December 15th. The production included the original set design by Jun Maeda and costumes designed by Gabriel Berry. Bill Ruyle served as musical director, Sara Galassini served as the assistant music director, George Drance served as the director of training, and Maud Dinand served as director of community outreach.
The Trojan Women Project was part of La MaMa's The Trojan Women Project Festival. The festival featured workshops, panels, and artist engagement events. The original festival initiative involved artists in Kosovo, Cambodia, and Guatemala, who learned and passed on performances of The Trojan Women in their communities. Several of these artists performed in the production alongside Columbia alumnae.
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. Founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, La MaMa is recognized as the seedbed of new work by artists of all nations and cultures. The Theatre Club believes in supporting the people who make art, and shows this through generous support including free theatre and rehearsal space, and free audio/visual package, tech support, marketing support, and ticketing services.
Serban’s newly imagined production of The Trojan Women Project performed to audiences December 6-15, 2019 at La MaMa’s massive downtown theatre space, and was live streamed for artists around the globe to experience the monumental, re-imagined production.
