La MaMa, in association with My Balkans, presents Things That Burn Easily, as part of From the Other Side. Performances will take place from December 11th-14th at La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 E 4th St., New York, NY 10003. Tickets are $30 and $25 for students and seniors (includes fees). Ten tickets to every performance are $10 each, first-come, first-served – in advance, online only. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://ci.ovationtix.com/42/production/1251724.

Things That Burn Easily
Written and Directed by Vedrana Klepica
Starring: Hrvojka Begović, Lea Jevtić, Vladimir Aleksić
Ganz Culture For Change, Zagreb, Croatia
December 11, 12, & 13. at 8:00 pm and 14 at 4:00 pm
Things That Burn Easily narrates a story about a family living on a modest piece of land affected by a catastrophe. Some of them believe that they have been wronged by irreparable injustice and that a system that will compensate for some of the consequences of it should exist. Others are skeptical and have modeled for themselves a picture of the world in which every other individual is a potential threat. The only reliable certainty comes from social and societal isolation and autonomous construction of their own systems of survival and belief. When a big new natural disaster appears on the horizon, the tragedy of it will escalate into an unbearable misunderstanding of these two principles.

FROM THE OTHER SIDE is groundbreaking on many levels; the first time that such a broad selection of cultural activities from the Balkans will be presented in the United States. Reimagining Theater From The Balkans invites audiences to open themselves to new themes, poetics, and approaches to theatre arts, and to reconsider its political context through a different lens. The ten-day run includes two productions that offer distinct perspectives on themes of collective and individual memory, tradition and the past; three staged readings that present a selection of texts that showcase the formal and poetic qualities of contemporary drama recognized across the broader European context; archival recordings that feature important 21st- century productions by some of the region’s most prominent directors, offering a rare glimpse into significant theatrical achievements; and a round table discussion serving as a platform for dialogue on the intersections of art and politics as it is introduced in the chosen art works.
“’The Balkans’ is a political and cultural construct, a former warzone that, following the traumas of the late 20th century, entered the 21st century amid ongoing tensions. The region continues its attempt to shift into a phase of development, positioned, as always, at the crossroads of cultures – East and West, the South and the North,” said producer Beka Vučo. “It consistently longs to articulate its own identity, an identity that is inherently unstable and shaped by a multitude of factors: ethnic, religious, gender, sexual, and beyond.”

About My Balkans
My Balkans is a not-for-profit organization from New York, established in 2020. The guiding purpose in forming My Balkans is to support and encourage people to build a better, more just, and open democratic society in the Balkans and South Eastern Europe using arts, culture, and education. Since its inception, My Balkans was oriented to projects where arts, culture, and education, as pillars of a democratic society, play an essential role in human development. These pillars are a powerful platform for tackling today’s key social challenges, due to their capacity to elicit powerful cognitive and emotional responses and to promote conflict prevention and resolution. Through very special and unique productions, co-productions, books, consultancy efforts and works with various partners and individuals in theatre and visual arts, music, literature and other artistic areas throughout the Balkans and Eastern and Central Europe, My Balkans established proven and recognized projects that create safe spaces for free expression, exchanges, regional cooperation and mutual understanding, contribute to social equality, cohesion, innovation, and change.

About La MaMa
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. LaMaMa’s 64th Season, LA MAMA NOW, focuses on creating solidarity and building community, exploring ways to build connections for cross-sector coalition and invite artists, activists, organizers and community members into the creative process. La MaMa has been honored with 30+ Obie Awards, dozens of Drama Desk, Bessie Awards, Villager Awards, the 2018 Regional Theatre Tony Award, and most recently a 2023 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Special Citation. We are a creative home to artists and resident companies from around the world, many of whom have made lasting contributions to the arts, including Blue Man Group, Bette Midler, Ping Chong, Jackie Curtis, Robert De Niro, André De Shields, Adrienne Kennedy, Cole Escola, Bridget Everett, Harvey Fierstein, Diane Lane, Charles Ludlam, Tom Eyen, Spiderwoman Theater, Tadeusz Kantor, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Meredith Monk, David and Amy Sedaris, Stephanie Hsu, Julie Taymor, Kazuo Ohno, Tom O’Horgan, Andrei Serban, Liz Swados, and Andy Warhol. La MaMa’s vision of nurturing new artists and new work from all nations, cultures, races and identities remains as strong today as it was when Ellen Stewart first opened the doors in 1961.

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