Reg E Cathey (1958-2018)

Reg E Cathey as Prospero in TEMPEST (photo by Vanessa Schonwald for La MaMa)

We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Reg E Cathey, pictured above in La MaMa's production of TEMPEST directed by Karin Coonrod (2014).

Variety article here.

TEMPEST - Story of a Production

We used Storify to collect all the pictures, posts, tweets and videos to capture the story of our first Tempest of the season (if you don't know, we've got two more coming, thus we call the project TEMPEST 3.

Enter the post to check it out!

Special Event: Sunday Brunch @ Contrada with “Tempest” director Karin Coonrod

Join Karin Coonrod, director of “The Tempest” at La MaMa, for a pre-performance brunch to discuss the production at our neighbor, Contrada! Discussion will be led by Lizzie Simon (Wall Street Journal) and will include other members of the TEMPEST team TBD.

Admission includes a cocktail, an entree, coffee or tea, tax and tip. Purchase HERE

Theater tickets for the 4pm showing must be purchased separately HERE

ABOUT KARIN COONROD

Karin Coonrod is a theater maker whose work has been seen and heard across the country and around the world. She founded two theater companies: Arden Party (NYC, 1987-1997) and Compagnia de’ Colombari (2004 - present) an international company (based in New York). 

Coonrod is known for her Shakespeare productions including her epic Henry VI (1996) and surprising Love’s Labor’s Lost (2011) both at the Public Theater (where she was Artist-in-Residence from 1995-96); King John (2000), Julius Caesar (2003) and Coriolanus (2005) all with Theatre for a New Audience; Othello at Hartford Stage (2005) and many others. Other seminal productions include her own creation for the stage of non-dramatic material: Flannery O’Connor’s Everything That Rises Must Converge developed at the University of Iowa, Sundance Theatre Lab and premiered at New York Theatre Workshop (2001), Anne Sexton’s Transformations with Arden Party (1991-5) and a cabaret adaptation of Lorca’s Poeta en Nueva York with flamenco dancer La Conja at New York University (2002). She prepared new translations: Vvedensky’s Christmas at the Ivanovs’ with Julia Listengarten (1996); Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba with Nilo Cruz (1997); and Victor or Children Take Over with Frederic Maurin (1994), all of which she directed in acclaimed productions. Coonrod’s work is featured in American Theatre Magazine, Shakespeare Bulletin, Sipario nel Mondo (Italian theater journal), Scena.Ro (Romanian theater magazine). As a guest artist/teacher Coonrod has developed work at NYU, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Cal Institute of the Arts, Fordham, Colgate, Gordon College and Univ of Iowa. She is on the faculty at Yale School of Drama (since 2002).

Brunch @ Contrada with Karin Coonrod

Sunday, October 26th @ 2:30pm


Contrada Restaurant
84 E 4th St
New York, NY 10003

Make a reservation: HERE

Look what the critics are saying about TEMPEST!

"The enchantment begins immediately, with a storm-tossed 

shipwreck made of shouted voices, a haze of fog and a speckled, 

celestial light cast by a giant metal orb. Pocked with holes, 

it’s lit from within, swaying like the wild sea...a beautiful production."

- Laura Collins-Hughes, The New York Times

"Coonrod and Swados have a talent for aural storytelling that 

must be experienced firsthand to be believed." 

- Zachary Stewart, TheaterMania

" ...a visual and aural feast, blending bold symbolism, stylized movements, 

athletic dancing, and ethereal-sounding music... 

it will speak cogently to New Yorkers who all too well 
remember the real-life devastations of Hurricane Sandy" 

- Deirdre Donovan, Curtain Up

"Rough magic? Reg E. Cathey has it. 

His long, lined face and gravelly voice suggest effortless 

power and allure. It’s both brilliant and obvious that he 

should play the sorcerer Prospero in Karin Coonrod's 'Tempest'."  

- The New Yorker

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La MaMa presents

TEMPEST

directed by Karin Coonrod
music composed by Elizabeth Swados 

October 2nd - November 2nd, 2014

The Ellen Stewart Theater
66 East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

Tickets: $40 Adults; $30 Students/Seniors

See all three Tempest productions this fall for only $75  

Click Here for TEMPEST 3 Packages.

For Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE

Special Event: From Revenge to Reconciliation: Lessons from Shakespeare’s Tempest

In conjunction with The American Bar Association's Mediation Week, La MaMa is hosting a post show discussion entitled: From Revenge to Reconciliation: Lessons from Shakespeare’s Tempest.

Immediately following the October 19th, 4pm performance, there will be a post-performance reception with panel commentary and Q&A with attorney/mediators Peter V. Arcese (of PVA Counsel) and Thom K. Chu, director Karin Coonrod, and featured cast members. 

The panel will discuss how both mediation and theatre skillfully manage the dynamics of power and conflict to create the conditions for resolution and transformation. Themes will include the voluntary nature of mediation and freedom from reactive behaviors, the safety of a collaborative environment in experiencing conflict, the links between empathy, imagination, recognition, and empowerment.

This diverse panel of seasoned collaborative professionals (female, male, younger, older, Asian-American, and African-American) will share stories and experiences gained through dealing with conflict in the arts, in families, and in commerce. The panel presentation will link how the onstage representation of conflict can create an awareness of alternative dispute resolution processes. The panel will show how the collaboration between audience and actor, just as between parties and mediator, can create outcomes that reflect our deep human values.

From Revenge to Reconciliation: 

Lessons from Shakespeare’s Tempest

with attorney/mediators Peter V. Arcese (of PVA Counsel) and Thom K. Chu, director Karin Coonrod, and featured cast members

October 19th, immediately following 

the 4pm performance of

TEMPEST

directed by Karin Coonrod

original music by Elizabeth Swados

starring Reg E. Cathey

For tickets: CLICK HERE

TEMPEST Post-Performance Discussion

Yale University professor and author David Kastan joins TEMPEST director Karin Coonrod for a post performance discussion following the Friday, October 10th performance.

Read an interview with David: HERE and join us for a lively discussion about Shakespeare's TEMPEST on Friday, October 10th!

La MaMa presents

TEMPEST

directed by Karin Coonrod
music composed by Elizabeth Swados 

October 2nd - November 2nd, 2014

The Ellen Stewart Theater
66 East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

Tickets: $40 Adults; $30 Students/Seniors; 10@$10 Tickets are sold out!

See all three Tempest productions this fall for only $75  

Click Here for TEMPEST 3 Packages.

For Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE

First Look at TEMPEST

Take a look at Karin Coonrod's production of TEMPEST:

 Reg E. Cathey (Prospero)

Photo by Steven Schreiber

 Joseph Harrington (Ariel) and Reg E. Cathey (Prospero)

Photo by Vanessa Schonwald

 Tony Torn (Stephano) and Slate Holmgrem (Caliban) 

Photo by Vanessa Schonwald

 Liz Wisan (Trinculo) and Slate Holmgrem (Caliban)

Photo by Vanessa Schonwald

 Tony Torn (Stephano) and Slate Holmgrem (Caliban)

Photo by Vanessa Schonwald

 Miriam A. Hyman (Miranda) and Christopher McLinden (Ferdinand).

Photo by Vanessa Schonwald

 Joseph Harrington (Ariel) and Reg E. Cathey (Prospero) 

Photo by Vanessa Schonwald

 Reg E. Cathey (Prospero)

Photo by Vanessa Schonwald

 Reg E. Cathey (Prospero)

Photo by Steven Schreiber

 Miriam A. Hyman (Miranda)

Photo by Steven Schreiber

Slate Holmgrem (Caliban) and Tony Torn (Stephano)

Photo by Steven Schreiber

----

La MaMa presents

TEMPEST

directed by Karin Coonrod
music composed by Elizabeth Swados 

October 2nd - November 2nd, 2014

The Ellen Stewart Theater
66 East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

Tickets: $40 Adults; $30 Students/Seniors; 10@$10 Tickets are sold out!

See all three Tempest productions this fall for only $75  

Click Here for TEMPEST 3 Packages.

For Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE

Reg E. Cathey and Miriam A. Hyman Chat about TEMPEST

  Actors Reg E. Cathey & Miriam A. Hyman talk TEMPEST from La MaMa on Vimeo.

Reg E. Cathey and Miriam A. Hyman chat about La MaMa, Ellen Stewart, choreographers, music, climate change and TEMPEST which begins previews tonight at La MaMa.

For more info: CLICK HERE

6 QUESTIONS: Sorab Wadia

Actor Sorab Wadia plays Sebastian in the Karin Coonrod/Elizabeth Swadow production of TEMPEST opening this week at The Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa.  Sorab took a break from rehearsals to answer our 6 Questions.

1. What about TEMPEST speaks to an audience today?
What speaks to me about The Tempest in general, and our production in particular, is Prospero's humanness, his struggle with acceptance and forgiveness. This man has been deeply wronged and spends twelve years of his life honing his craft, plotting and orchestrating his revenge, and yet when all is said and done [spoiler alert!] he accepts the flawed world in which he lives and chooses to forgive even those who have wronged him most terribly.

2. What other roles in Shakespeare’s canon would you like to play? 
 I would love to sink my teeth into Iago (Othello), Lady M (Macbeth) and Malvolio (Twelfth Night) to name only three of many. I'm also in love with the sonnets and have committed over 30 to memory...so, only about 120 to go!

3. How is doing a play by Shakespeare different than a contemporary role? 
The deliciousness of the language, both how it feels in the mouth and how it resonates in the heart and mind.

4. Tell us about the last great book you read? 
Going to pass on telling you what the last great book I read was and deflect to plugging one of my favorite novels of all time: Vikram Seth's A Golden Gate. It is a novel set in California in the 1980s written entirely in sonnets, 590 of them...more if you factor in that the index, vote of thanks and the like are all in sonnet form as well . Seth uses iambic tetrameter rather than pentameter and sticks to this rhyme scheme throughout: ABAB CCDD EFFE GG. "While the idea of a novel in verse may be initially off-putting, readers of this tour de force are in for a treat," said a review in Publishers Weekly and I couldn't agree more heartily. The man is a genius.

5. Who or what has influenced your work as an actor? 
Certainly my work as a musician (pianist and singer) play a big role in how I approach text, form, structure and sonority, especially with a writer like Shakespeare. The teacher to whom I am indebted most is Maggie Flanigan. I am also very grateful to have friends and coaches like Charles Tuthill and Alberto Bonilla in my life who keep me truthful. And a shout-out to Andrew Wade whose workshop in Bombay way back in 1996 ignited my passion for Shakespeare and his language.

6. What does working at La MaMa mean to you? 
It means having a safe haven to experiment and create alongside some amazingly talented and wonderful artists. Thank you!

La MaMa presents

TEMPEST

directed by Karin Coonrod
music composed by Elizabeth Swados 

October 2nd - November 2nd, 2014

The Ellen Stewart Theater
66 East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

Tickets: $40 Adults; $30 Students/Seniors; 10@$10 Tickets are sold out!

See all three Tempest productions this fall for only $75  

Click Here for TEMPEST 3 Packages.

For Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE

6 Questions: Tony Torn

Tony Torn takes on the role of Stephano in the Karin Coonrod/Elizabeth Swados adaptation of TEMPEST opening at The Ellen Stewart Theatre on October 2nd.  Tony took a break from rehearsals to answer our 6 Questions:

1. What about TEMPEST speaks to an audience today?
I think the message of reconciliation in the play is a challenging and potent message for us all in a world where we are constantly at each other's throats. And the magic dislocations of Prospero's island tell us to open our eyes to possibilities beyond what we think is real.

2. What other roles in Shakespeare’s canon would you like to play?
I have been patiently waiting my turn to play Falstaff ever since I saw The Merry Wives Of Windsor at age 10.

3. How is doing a play by Shakespeare different than a contemporary role?
It's not only that the language is poetic and rich…it's that it's so human! Each character is so deeply reveled in how they speak.

4. Tell us about the last great book you read?
Morrissey's Autobiography: a big, maddening, tempest of a book that swings from the eloquence to pettiness several times a page.

5. Who or what has influenced your work as an actor?
Being around my parents Rip Torn and Geraldine Page gave me incredible exposure to great acting, both from them and from the fascinating people they worked with. And working with brilliant experimental artists like Reza Abdoh and Richard Foreman during my formative years broadened my idea of what being an actor could be.

6. What does working at La MaMa mean to you?
The big room of the Ellen Stewart Theater at La Mama is a holy space for me. So many indelible experience seeing shows there, over decades: multiple works by Ping Chong and Meredith Monk, Andrei Serban and Liz Swados' Fragments Of A Greek Trilogy, Sam Shepard's Tooth Of Crime, and more recently Brecht's The Good Person Of Szechuan. Now, after appearing in both of the other La Mama theaters, it's my turn to play the Ellen Stewart. So thrilled to finally step out on that stage!

La MaMa presents

TEMPEST

directed by Karin Coonrod
music composed by Elizabeth Swados 

October 2nd - November 2nd, 2014

The Ellen Stewart Theater
66 East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

Tickets: $40 Adults; $30 Students/Seniors; 10@$10 Tickets are sold out!

See all three Tempest productions this fall for only $75  

Click Here for TEMPEST 3 Packages.

For Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE

First Look at TEMPEST Rehearsals

Rehearsals are underway for TEMPEST, 

directed by Karin Coonrod with original music by Elizabeth Swados.  

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the process:

Reg E. Cathey

 Christopher McLinden, Miriam A. Hyman and Earl Baker, Jr.

Joseph Harrington

Dramaturgy Collage Wall 

Slate Holmgren

Miriam A. Hyman and Slate Holmgren

La MaMa presents
TEMPEST
directed by Karin Coonrod
music composed by Elizabeth Swados 

October 2nd - November 2nd, 2014

The Ellen Stewart Theater
66 East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

Tickets: $40 Adults; $30 Students/Seniors; 10@$10 Tickets are sold out!

Last Chance to buy an early-bird TEMPEST 3 Package for $60! 

See all three Tempest productions this fall for only $60 (if purchased before 9/15).  

Click Here for TEMPEST 3 Packages.

For Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE

6 QUESTIONS: Miriam A. Hyman

Miriam A. Hyman plays Miranda in the Karin Coonrod/Elizabeth Swados production of TEMPEST, beginning performances on October 2nd at The Ellen Stewart Theater.  Miriam took some time of from rehearsals to answer 6 QUESTIONS:

1. What about TEMPEST speaks to an audience today? 
There is a storm among us. Our country, the world is in such a violent state and it's people are battling disease, unreliable governments, homelessness, actual storms, teen pregnancy, corrupt police and oh so much more. It's in turmoil like the island of the Tempest and it's surrounding nations. My character Miranda operates from her heart chakra and is pained and sadden by death and loss but rejoices at love. If only we in today's society were more sensitive maybe we could love our kin and neighbors more and have a selfless approach to life. I think she sets a huge example for aspiring to be a more thoughtful, caring individual. Hope I do get justice. Big heart to fill.

2. What other roles in Shakespeare’s canon would you like to play? 
Cordelia and Reagan in Lear, Beatrice in Much Ado, Juliette in R&J maybe ;), Lady M in a full length production of MacBeth. I'm sure I'm leaving out someone.

3. How is doing a play by Shakespeare different than a contemporary role? 
The language is so thrilling to speak . I get goose bumps just thinking about it. Delicious words:)

4. Tell us about the last great book you read? 
It's called I am Not Sidney Poutier by Percival Everett. It's about a young man named I am Not Sidney Poutier who closely resembles Sidney Poutier and the challenges he faces. I highly recommend going on this Journey. It's filled with so much truth but yet it's a fictional comedy.

5. Who or what has influenced your work as an actor? 
Several of my acting and speech coaches in graduate school and professionally. Ron Van Lieu, Beth McGuire, Tina Packer, Andrew Wade, Cicely Berry, Peter Francis James, Evan Yionoulis, Walton Wilson. They guided me and my work to a more precise and specific form giving me freedom and fun with the text. With these "tools, not rules", I've found a constructive way into Shakespeare's great works.

6. What does working at La MaMa mean to you? 
It means, a collective ensemble mentality which I look for first and foremost in a company.

La MaMa presents
TEMPEST
directed by Karin Coonrod
music composed by Elizabeth Swados

October 2nd - November 2nd, 2014

The Ellen Stewart Theater
66 East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

Tickets: $40 Adults; $30 Students/Seniors; 10@$10 Tickets are sold out!
TEMPEST 3 Packages are available see all three Tempest productions this fall for only $60 (if purchased before 9/15).  Click Here for TEMPEST 3 Packages.

For Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE