I met Ellen Stewart at the American Theatre Association Convention in Washington D.C. in August of 1975. I was alerted by Wynona Fletcher a distinguished theatre professional from Kentucky that I should listen to Ellen’s speech. To her I am and always will be grateful.
I was performing in a play called Echoes by N. Richard Nash and was representing SUNY at Fredonia. It was directed by Dr. Jack Cogdill the Chair of the Drama Dept, in the cast were Mary McDonnell and Fran Stocklosa.
Listening to Ellen Stewart I knew I was in the presence of a person who had a deep love for human kind and understood the value of art to open hearts. I waited in line for close to twenty minutes as people greeted her. When my turn came I asked her if she would like to sit down which she did. I said to her I was interested in Experimental Theatre and would like to learn more about it. She simply said she would give me a job and a place to stay. I thanked her and almost after 6 months it came true. From September through January I called the office at La MaMa at least once a month but was never able to catch her home. No one in the office knew anything and I began to understand that this is a One Woman Show. I decided to go to New York in January and all the stars were in order Ellen was in town we met in front of the Annex and we sealed the deal. I moved to New York that February and was given a job as assistant house manager at the Annex. My residence was in a loft above Phoebes one of the hottest late night meeting places in the village on the corner of East 4th St. and Bowery.
Be careful what you ask for you just might get it! From Tom O’Horgan, Adrienne Kennedy, Lamaar Alford, Meredith Monk, Oswald Rodriquez,, Shango-Haitian Co, Laurence Holder, Barbara Montgomery, Tad Truesdale, Tokyo Kid Brothers, Tadeusz Cantor, Peter Brook, André Serban, Cecil Taylor, National Dance Theatre of Zaire, Chuck Green, Spider Woman, Andre De Shields. Pan Asian Rep, Trockadero Ballet.
My first show with La MaMa, Zainomoh was directed by Hassan Wakrim. Featuring traditional music and dances of Morocco with “snake charmers” much to the chagrin of my sister Phyllis. I was given a note by Ellen to give the manager of her rehearsal space on Great Jones Street allowing me to observe rehearsals in the. It is from these visits that I was cast in Zainomoh. Most important at La MaMa is the wealth and richness of the arts from many different areas of the world.
