In Retrospect November 12, 2010

"In Retrospect" by LOCO7 Dance Puppet Theatre Company
November 12 thru November 28, 2010
Thursdays through Saturday at 8:00 PM, Sundays at 2:30 PM (no show Thanksgiving Day)
La Mama E.T.C. (First Floor Theatre)
74A East 4th Street, Manhattan
Tickets: $18, www.lamama.org, (212) 475-7710
Running time: 60 minutes.
Conceived by Denise Greber and Federico Restrepo
Directed, choreographed and designed by Federico Restrepo
Music composed by Elizabeth Swados

With its newest production, "In Retrospect," LOCO7 Dance Puppet Theatre Company investigates how we each construct our personal memory box: how we keep our memories fresh and preserve the things that made us who we are. These include our mothers' embraces, lost loves, childhood dreams, ideals of youth and struggles of age, loss and birth.

The production features giant puppets, marionette scenery, masks, choreography, acrobatics, live original music and video. A large marionette tree dangles fruits high above our reach which, when dropped, grow into our memories. Some of them summon feelings of being loved and secure, others evoke the opposite. For example, one scene depicts a huge Mother marionette and her little children, revealing the pleasure of hiding within the safety of her giant legs. Another scene has a puppet telephone and a character waiting for a call with a mixture of dread and excitement. We are reminded of our emotional dependence on the appliance as a "life line" which can be either a comfort or a monster.

"In Retrospect" is part of "La MaMa Puppet Series IV --Built to Perform," a series of five adult puppet theater productions and a popular children's attraction, all of which explore the artistic and creative possibilities of puppetry in all its forms. The series will run from October 14 to November 28, 2010.

Related events will include a Gallery Exhibit at La MaMa's La Galleria, 6 East First Street, from October 21 to November 7 and La Mama's fall gala, October 25, celebrating its 49th season by honoring Cheryl Henson of the Jim Henson Foundation.

The series is supported by the Jim Henson Foundation, the Trust for Mutual Understanding, NYSCA and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

To encourage audiences to see multiple productions during the festival, La MaMa will offer a Festival Pass subscription and incentive pricing for the Series (to be announced). Tickets can be purchased online at www.lamama.org. The phone number for audience information is (212) 475-7710. La MaMa is located at 74A East Fourth Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery, in the East Village.

Official Website: http://www.lamama.org