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74A E 4th St, New York, NY 10003
EST.1961 - EAST VILLAGE, NYC

Remake a

REMAKE A

World

WORLD

After a three-year,

After a three-year,

$24 million renovation

$24 million renovation

La MaMa celebrated the reopening of 74A

La MaMa celebrated the reopening of 74A

On February 9, 2023, We were joined by our East Village community of artists, city representative, friends and supporters for the building's re-opening.
We're not done yet...

We're almost there

We're almost there

HELP CLOSE THE $3 MILLION GAP

HELP CLOSE THE $3 MILLION GAP

1 While the building is officially reopened to our community, we're not done yet! Join Harvey Fierstein today to help us close our remaining $3 million funding gap to ensure that future generations of artists and audiences have a creative home.
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74A East 4th Street

74A East 4th Street

Since its founding in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, La MaMa has been a home to, and champion of, brash and venturesome artists.

Since its founding in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, La MaMa has been a home to, and champion of, brash and venturesome artists.

- New York Times

- New York Times

3 74A East 4th Street is a crucial part of La MaMa’s Radical Access Plan, our initiative to make La MaMa more accessible to artists and audiences, locally and globally, Using its dedicated data network, La MaMa’s artistic programming can be seen by in-person and by remote audiences. Artists can incorporate digitized elements into their work, finding new ways of storytelling. Audiences beyond the four walls of the theater can experience the work. Remote artists, and other cultural organizations across the US and beyond can collaborate in real time across distance. Through community-based experiments, we will continue to explore the possibilities of hybridity to create access and promote relationship-building across cultures and geographic ranges making the performing arts landscape more equitable for artists and audiences.

La MaMa was founded with the belief that space is vital to the creative process and art can be a powerful vehicle for communities to come together. That belief is at the heart of La MaMa’s mission. Today, this building that Ellen rescued from demolition decades ago, is a New York City landmark. La MaMa has restored its historic façade, updated and renovated the interior top to bottom. New features include:
-ADA accessibility
- An enlarged lobby/exhibition area
-Two versatile sound-separated performance spaces
-Dedicated community space
-An outdoor terrace
-Pantries
-A building-wide digital network
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…the future is being created on stage before our eyes, and I am hopeful. (John-Stuart Fauquet)

…the future is being created on stage before our eyes, and I am hopeful. (John-Stuart Fauquet)

-Huffington Post

-Huffington Post

4 When La MaMa founder Ellen Stewart purchased 74A East 4th Street in 1967, the building had no roof, no flooring, no back wall, and was slated for demolition by New York City. La MaMa began in 1961 in a rented basement on east 9th Street. But the company was constantly hounded by the buildings department, the fire department or the health department for not having the proper licenses or permits and forced to relocate from one East Village rental to another. La MaMa needed its own space. With the help of MacNeil Lowry of the Ford Foundation, Ellen bought and renovated 74A East 4th Street, and her open door policy allowed all cultures and ethnicities to participate in making theatre. She created an artistic home for legions of marginalized artists that would change the culture of American theatre.
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Ping Chong, Director

La MaMa has always been a home to rebels and outsiders. It is a place that understands the importance of difference, of diversity, a place that gives a platform to unheard voices from here and abroad.

The New York Times

Her theater became a remarkable springboard for an impressive roster of promising playwrights, directors and actors who went on to accomplished careers both in mainstream entertainment and in push-the-envelope theater

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