Europe's Most Controversial Play Makes U.S. Premiere
La MaMa Presents a Ronald Rand Production "WE COULDN'T CALL IT WHAT WE WANTED TO CALL IT, SO WE CALLED IT HOLY CRAP !!" ** starring Tony Award nominee Stephen Mo Hanan ** April 28 - May 15 at La MaMa
"It bowled me over! Inigo Ramirez de Haro is Arrabal, Artaud, and Lorca rolled into one." -- John Guare
After acclaimed productions in Madrid, Mexico City, Paris, and Lisbon as well as generating almost unprecedented controversy, Spanish playwright Inigo Ramirez de Haro's WE COULDN'T CALL IT WHAT WE WANTED TO CALL IT, SO WE CALLED IT HOLY CRAP !! will make its U.S. Premiere starring Tony Award nominee Stephen Mo Hanan (Cats, Jolson). La MaMa
will present this Ronald Rand production beginning previews April 28, opening May 5 and running through May 15, Performances are Wednesday - Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sunday at 2:30 PM. Running time is 65 minutes. La
MaMa is located at 74A East Fourth Street (between 2nd Avenue & Bowery-- accessible from the F train at 2nd Ave).
Tickets are $18 (students/seniors $13), available at 212-475-7710 or www.lamama.org.
For more information visit www.HolyCrapThe Play.com.
Originally titled Me cago en Dios (an often-used Spanish colloquialism that translates literally as "I Sh*t on God") the U.S. Premiere is translated by Ronald Rand and Iñigo Ramirez de Haro. The site-specific production will be directed by Erica Gould utilizing a series of
non-traditional spaces within the La MaMa arts complex. The production team includes Stephen Dobay (sets), Driscoll Otto (lighting), Kevin Thacker (costumes), and Scott O'Brien (composer/sound design).
In WE COULDN'T CALL IT WHAT WE WANTED TO CALL IT, SO WE CALLED IT HOLY CRAP !!, a man appeals for relief from his constipation, both mental and physical. In finding a way of coping with his discomfort, he is forced to relive the traumatic experiences of his youth. Ultimately, this caustic comedy explores religious indoctrination, sexuality, mysticism, and pedophilia in the Church.
As documented in The New York Times by Lawrence Van Gelder when the play originally opened in 2004 at Madrid's Center for Fine Arts (the biggest and most prestigious cultural center in Madrid), the play attracted criticism from church officials of many faiths and numerous politicians. The archbishop of Madrid called for an immediate closing
of the play. Thousands marched in protest and the playwright was sued by more than 3,300 people. Two protestors attacked the actor and playwright onstage and tried to burn down the set. Similar controversy
has followed every subsequent production. A video of the attack can be seen at www.ramirezdeharo.com/videos.htm, http://vimeo.com/21720622,
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Stephen Mo Hanan appeared on Broadway in the original cast of Cats (Tony Award nomination), as Captain Hook opposite Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan, in The Pirates of Penzance with Kevin Kline, and in the London cast of Les Miserables as Thenardier. He also co-wrote and starred in the Off-Broadway musicAl Jolson & Co. He received a Carbonell Award from Florida's theater critics for his performance in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He is the author of A Cat's Diary, a first-hand account of the making of the legendary show (five stars at Amazon.com). His career as a street performer has spanned the globe from San Francisco to the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Inigo Ramirez de Haro has had many plays staged in Europe, America and Africa including Today I Can't Go to Work Because I'm in Love, Extinction, Your Weapon to Fight the Persevering Cellulite, Humanity is Ugly, Drunken-Bomb, History of a Winner, Do I Have to Die so That You Take Notice of Me?, I Wish You Were Dead, To Be Faithful in Congo is Not Easy, and The Duchess Goes Wild. He has also written many published articles and essays. His latest book, The Medina Sidonia Case, was a best-seller in Spain. Mr. Ramírez de Haro has received death threats for years. www.RamirezdeHaro.com
