WHEN:
February 6-23, 2025
WHERE:
The Downstairs Theatre
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
66 E. 4th Street
NYC
A spokesperson describes the event as follows:
“...NO RESERVATION is about global goddesses who crash a dinner party celebrating false gods. The goddesses have been underground for centuries and now rise up, sensing the urgency of their presence 'at the table'. This multidisciplinary performance piece moves forward from second wave feminist artists who took on the patriarchy through works like The Dinner Party, by Judy Chicago and the dinner scene in Top Girls by Caryl Churchill.
The title refers to multiple meanings of ‘No Reservation,’ including rejection, outspokenness,
and the refusal to be confined. The goddesses seek accountability, acknowledgement, and atonement. In the process, they discover commonality and contrast, creating a complex mosaic of global sisterhood.
The false gods are never named but are recognizable as revered or feared patriarchal leaders
from around the world. In the course of airing gender-based issues of social urgency, they enter into a cross-cultural dialogue about the fate of an unsung girl or woman from their roots. They give voice to unspoken truths regarding bodily autonomy, misogynoir, intersectional feminism and violence against women - recognizing overlapping experiences affecting all womankind, including themselves. They shed the outer layers of their goddess personas as they come to recognize and own their own humanity. Ultimately, the women upend the table and revel in each other’s company as they nourish their bodies and souls by stepping away from ‘an empty plate’ to engage in a fulfilling dance of life..."
CAST:
Akiko Aizawa, Ninoshka De Leon Gill, Schuylar Johns, Elizabeth Hess
CREATIVE TEAM:
Conceived, Written, and Directed by Elizabeth Hess
Associate Director: Miriam Grill
Stage Manager: Vivian Farahani
Costume/Prop consultant: Cathy Shaw
Sound Designer: Lucas Tahiruzzaman Syed
Lighting Designer: Grayson Sepulveda
