NEW YORK CITY: The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that La MaMa E.T.C. (Experimental Theatre Club) will be the recipient of the 2018 Regional Theatre Tony Award, a decision made based on nominations by the American Theatre Critics Association. The honor comes with $25,000.
The Regional Theatre Award will be given to La MaMa at the Tony Awards ceremony on June 10 . The Tonys are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
In a joint statement, Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, president of the American Theatre Wing, said: “La MaMA E.T.C. is a staple of the New York theatre scene. It is an exciting space where artists can grow, create, and push boundaries, and we are thrilled to be able to honor them this year.”
La MaMa, founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, is one of the birthplaces of the Off-Off-Broadway theatre movement. Artists such as Sam Shepard, Diane Lane, Lanford Wilson, Elizabeth Swados, Phillip Glass, Julie Taymor, Robert Wilson, Harvey Fierstein, Adrienne Kennedy, and David and Amy Sedaris began their careers at La MaMa. Today, the company presents more than 70 productions a year, and its facility contains four theatres, an art gallery, housing for traveling artists, and an extensive archival collection.
