The production opens with a serene and striking tableau as a vivid tapestry of age and memory emerges at LA MaMa. As a gentle, meditative melody plays, ten senior actors stand motionless, facing the audience. The silence is weighty yet peaceful, inviting the audience to enter the world of Above Ground – Not Exactly a Comedy with a contemplative stillness. Above the stage, a large screen mirrors the image of the cast, reflecting them as they are—no embellishments, no illusions. It is a powerful prologue, setting the tone for a production that embraces authenticity, memory, and the undeniable passage of time.

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The Music of Memory: A Sonic Landscape of a Lifetime

Few productions incorporate music with the nuanced intentionality of Above Ground – Not Exactly a Comedy. Here, music is not mere accompaniment but a conduit of recollection, a rhythmic pulse guiding the performers—and audience—through time. Don McLean’s Vincent evokes artistic longing and nostalgia, while Mary Hopkin’s Those Were the Days My Friend becomes an anthem of wistful remembrance.

Artistic Expression Knows No Expiration Date

The cast of Above Ground – Not Exactly a Comedy embodies a profound and inspiring truth: the pursuit of meaning and artistic expression knows no expiration date. In a world that often sidelines older people, these remarkable performers defy convention, proving that creativity, curiosity, and the power of storytelling only deepen with time. With every improvised reflection, every dance step, and every shared memory, they reclaim their agency, transforming the stage into a space of renewal rather than retreat.

The artists arrived here this evening through a senior acting workshop entitled “You’re Never Too Old to Play.” They’re in good company. Note our hero, Dr. Lou Chodosh, a retired neurologist who discovered his incredible talent for drawing at age 90.

A Realm of Wisdom, Humor, and Untapped Artistry

Their work is not merely a performance but a testament to resilience—a declaration that aging is not an end but a passage into a realm of wisdom, humor, and untapped artistry. In their sunset years, they do not fade; they shine, illuminating paths for those who follow and redefining what it means to live fully, boldly, and beautifully. Each piece resonates uniquely with the stories unfolding onstage. Frank Sinatra croons Night and Day, rekindling the romance of mid-century dance halls, while Edith Piaf’s Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien erupts in a defiant assertion of life’s fullness. In one of the show’s most poignant skits, a cast member performs September Song, famously performed by Nat King Cole, using its melancholic melody to reflect on the fleeting nature of time.

Time’s Cyclical Nature

The music shifts gears as Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On calls forth protest echoes and a time of hip and cool, and a soulful rendition of Sweet Chariot channels the Civil Rights era’s fight for dignity and change. The production’s final moments bring a stunning visual and emotional climax as the company dances to Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2, a full-circle expression of time’s cyclical nature.

By weaving these musical references into the performance, directors Nancy Gabor and Paul Binnerts create an aural collage amplifying the profoundly personal yet universal themes of aging, loss, resilience, and joy.

Stories Shaped by Time: Lived Experience As Art

The strength of Above Ground lies in its raw honesty. Rather than reciting lines, the performers share lived experiences, each vignette a brushstroke in an extraordinary canvas of human endurance. The characters speak of childhood games—playing “beauty parlor” or fashioning dreams of glamour in front of a mirror. They recall school days in Perrone’s Argentina, where portraits of Evita adorned the walls, and teenage nights as “bobby soxers,” swooning over Sinatra at the Paramount Theatre.

Cod Liver Oil and Curlers

The weight of time manifests in anecdotes of love, loss, and transition. Parents’ passing, the loss of childhood friends, and the inexorable shift from carefree youth to responsible adulthood are recounted with a delicate balance of humor and poignancy. “Time for cod liver oil and curlers,” one actor muses, earning knowing laughter from the audience. Another quips, “I need my glasses to find my glasses,” while a third declares, “It’s okay not to feel okay,” an acknowledgment of the complex emotional terrain of aging.

Duck and Cover

Modern anxieties merge seamlessly with reflections on the past. References to childhood nuclear drills—ducking under desks for safety during Cold War tensions—give way to contemporary concerns of “expiration dates,” life expectancy, and the uncertainty of tomorrow. Yet, despite the underlying themes of impermanence, the performance never succumbs to melancholy. Instead, it embraces the vitality of the present, the lightness of being found in a well-worn story, a spontaneous dance, or a song sung together.

Real-Time Acting: A Performance in The Moment

What sets Above Ground – Not Exactly a Comedy apart from conventional theatrical experiences is its embrace of Real-Time Acting, a technique pioneered by Paul Binnerts. Rooted in Brechtian and Open Theater traditions, Binnert’s approach dismantles the fourth wall, placing performers and audience in a shared, immediate reality.

Here, actors do not pretend; they are. They acknowledge the audience, inviting them into their world rather than asking them to suspend disbelief. The stage is not a place of illusion but a living space where truth materializes without pretense. In this environment, every movement, every breath, every interaction becomes significant—an authentic exchange between performer and observer.

The result is a production that feels profoundly present. The audience does not simply watch these stories unfold; they experience them alongside the actors. The laughter is shared, the silences are communal, and emotions ripple through the room in waves.

The Artists Behind the Experience

Nancy Gabor, a distinguished director and theater educator, brings decades of experience to the project. A former member of Joseph Chaikin’s Open Theater, she was pivotal in developing experimental works like The Serpent. Her collaborations with luminaries such as Andrei Serban and Sam Shepard have cemented her legacy in avant-garde theater.

Paul Binnerts, co-director, and Real-Time Acting theorist, has spent his career exploring performance’s intersection with reality. His European award-winning productions, including Black Box and The Same Sea, reflect his commitment to theater that challenges and engages. His seminal work, Acting in Real Time, is a foundational text for this performance genre.

A Legacy of Artistic Innovation: La Mama’s Enduring Impact

It is fitting that Above Ground – Not Exactly a Comedy finds its home at La MaMa, a bastion of experimental theater for over six decades. Founded by Ellen Stewart in 1961, La MaMa has nurtured groundbreaking artists from the Blue Man Group to Julie Taymor, pushing the boundaries of what theater can be.

As part of its 63rd season, the company embraces works that challenge conventions and expand artistic expression. Its La MaMa Beyond initiative reaches new audiences in parks, community centers, and digital spaces, ensuring that innovative storytelling remains accessible.

The Human Spirit in Performance

In a world obsessed with youth, Above Ground – Not Exactly a Comedy is a radical act of defiance and celebration. It asserts that storytelling does not belong solely to the young, nor does creativity diminish with age. Instead, the experience deepens art, lending it resonance, depth, and authenticity.

As the dénouement unfolds, the company, now physically engaged in motion, sways and turns to the grand strains of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2, evoking nostalgia, irony, and haunting beauty. The piece’s lush orchestration and elegant structure juxtapose an underlying sense of apprehension while portraying grandeur and existential reflection.

Embracing Their Moment

The music carries the company, not as figures clinging to the past but as artists embracing their moment. As they paused, breathing, and posed as they had begun the evening, the audience applauded and rose to its feet, not out of obligation but from a shared recognition of something profound: the beauty of a life well lived and well told.

Above Ground – Not Exactly a Comedy at La Mama

A performance about aging created by senior acting workshop “You’re Never Too Old to Play.”

Directed by Nancy Gabor & Paul Binnerts

Cast

Ilana Abramovitch, Susan Binet, Nora Galer, Jonathan Ned Katz, Christine Koenig, Lorraine Marx-Singer, Gloria Miguel, Sally Plass, Joanne Riel, and Harold Thomas

La MaMa Crew

Stage Manager: Sally Plass
Soundtrack: Paul Binnerts; Video Design: Mourrice Papi
Graphic Design: John Turner; Photography: Ethan Mass Social Media: Giancarlos Aquino
Light Board: Henry Cruz
Sound: Diego Las Heras; Projection: Pearse Redmond; Light: Rodney Perez/Jack Reynolds
Press Representative: Jonathan Slaff & Associates, www.jsnyc.com

Duration of the performance: 70 minutes without intermission, Talk Back on Sunday

La Mama

The Club
74a East 4th Street
NYC, 10003
March 13-23, 2025

For tickets and more information, visit www.lamama.org.

Readers may also enjoy Curse of the Starving Class, and The Diary of Anne Frank at the Algonquin Arts Theatre.