Aging ‘90s heartthrob Brodie and his middle-aged girl band, The Swallows, are preparing to film a music video in their crumbling Valley McMansion when a buried secret threatens their fragile existence. Celebrated for her NYC alt-scene solo performance, multidisciplinary artist Jill Pangallo takes an exciting leap with her debut play, fusing comedic storytelling and provocative themes.

La MaMa presents the SWALLOWS from March 28-April 6, 2025 at The Downstairs Theatre at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 66 E. 4th Street, NYC. Performances: Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 4pm. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for students/seniors, and can be purchased online at https://www.lamama.org/swallows/ by phone at 646-430-5374, or in person at the La MaMa Box Office. Additionally, the first 10 tickets of each show are $10 (limit two per person). ​

“Swallows may be Pangallo’s most profound (and hilarious) exploration to date. Her signature wit is passed through a sharply insightful lens of nostalgia. But between the laughs there are twinges of dark truths about aging, shame, and the omnipresent repression our culture inflicts on women. Tragicomic… yet ultimately inspiring.” said Josh Kilmer-Purcell, New York Times Bestselling Author (The Bucolic Plague, I am Not Myself These Days).

Featuring Becca Blackwell (Is This a Room, Sort Of, Bros), Heather Litteer (La MaMa, Big Art Group, Requiem for a Dream), Anni Rossi (Live at St. Vitus, 4AD, Whitney Museum) and Jill Pangallo (Joe’s Pub, Pioneer Works, JWAnderson,), Swallows blends powerful narrative, comedy, and an original song by Rossi to deliver an unforgettable deep dive into Hollywood’s casualties, faded glory, and the desperate search for relevance in an industry that devours its young.

Written by Jill Pangallo; Directed by Rosie Glen-Lambert; Scenic Designer: Evan Frank; Lighting Designer: Jacqueline Scaletta; Sound Designer: Padra Crisafulli; Stage Manager: Arran Bowen; Production Manager: Jordan Coats; Social Media Manager: MJ; Choreographer: Ashley Meeks; Intimacy Director: Jo Valdés; Dramaturg: Brianna Snyder; Logo Designer: Connor Pan

Performers: Heather Litteer, Anni Rossi, Jill Pangallo, Becca Blackwell, Jason Bernardo, Priyanka Kedia, SouJee Han
For more information visit swallowstheplay.com or follow @swallowstheplay.

Swallows is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE CLUB is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. La MaMa’s 63rd Season, the “La MaMa Beyond Season,” expands efforts to develop creative methods and tools for greater access to the arts. Pop-up performances and installations will be held in parks, neighborhood community centers, and online. By going beyond La MaMa’s physical campus, new audiences and artists from different contexts are welcomed 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.