THE TOOTH OF CRIME

"The Tooth of Crime" will be the centerpiece of the 45th-anniversary season at La Mama, the East Village experimental theater run by Ellen Stewart, since its inception in 1961. In 1983, the company mounted a production of the play (which had its New York premiere in 1972) under the direction of George Ferencz, who staged the entire work as a rock concert. The director's approach, for a play about a fading rock star fending off the ambitious newcomer who wants to take his place, was well received by critics. In 1997, Mr. Shepard rewrote the play as "Tooth of Crime (Second Dance)," which is the only version for which performance rights are currently available. At Ms. Stewart's request, though, Mr. Shepard will allow one more production of the original script this fall, with Mr. Ferencz once again directing. Starring as Hoss, the rocker on the way out, is Ray Wise (Hap Gardner on the Fox show "24" and Don Hollenbek in "Good Night, and Good Luck"), who won an Obie for his 1983 performance in the same role.

The New York Times
August 7, 2006
About the Company: La Mama Experimental Theatre Club

La MaMa is a remarkable arts institution with a world-wide reputation for producing cutting-edge work in theater, dance, performance art, and music. Founded in 1961 by theater pioneer and legend, Ellen Stewart, La MaMa has produced and presented more than 3,000 theatrical productions to date and is a vital part of the fabric of cultural life in New York City and around the world.

La MaMa provides a supportive home for artists and takes risks on unknown work. Artists such as Sam Shepard, Lanford Wilson, Philip Glass, Robert Wilson, Harvey Fierstein, Blue Man Group, David and Amy Sedaris, -and others whose names you haven't heard of yet - began their careers at La MaMa. International artists introduced to America by La MaMa include Tadeusz Kantor, Andrei Serban, Kazuo Ohno and, more recently, the acclaimed Belarus Free Theatre.La MaMa has been honored with more than 30 OBIE Awards, dozens of Drama Desk and Bessie Awards, and, in 2006, Ellen Stewart was recognized with a special TONY Award for "Excellence in the Theatre."