Stewart, Ellen (c. 1920–)
Stewart, Ellen (c. 1920–)
African-American producer. Name variations: Mama Stewart. Born c. 1920 in Alexandria, Louisiana; educated at Arkansas State University.
Theater producer, manager, and director who founded the pioneer La Mama Experimental Theater Company, spawning the "off-off-Broadway" renaissance and originating one of the most important experimental theaters in the world; worked as a freelance fashion designer until 1961; rented a basement on 9th Street, started her own theater which she named La Mama, and premiered 1st production, Tennessee Williams' One Arm (July 27, 1962); began producing original plays; started workshops to teach acting and added more directors and actors to the company; began an intensive exchange program, in which La Mama would travel abroad and foreign theater groups would perform at La Mama in New York (by 1981, there were 4 La Mama theaters in the NY area and branches in Boston, Amsterdam, Bogota, Israel, London, Melbourne, Morocco, Munich, Paris, Tokyo, Toronto and Vienna). Received MacArthur Foundation's "genius" grant (1985); inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame (1993).
See also Women in World History.