Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville, a new show commissioned, developed and produced by HERE, and co-presented with La MaMa. Cannabis began performances at La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003) on July 14, 2022 for a limited run through July 31, 2022.
Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville is a theatrical concert exploring the history of cannabis using music, dance, and spoken word grounded in the Hip Hop tradition of the remix and mashup. Inspired by Martin A. Lee’s book Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana, CANNABIS! A VIPER VAUDEVILLE weaves the music of icons such as Bob Marley with the stories of grassroots activists Dennis Perron and Brownie Mary with personal narratives. From Congo Square to the speakeasies of the jazz age, from the revolutionary happenings of the ’60s to the AIDS activism of the San Francisco buyers club, our time traveling tale invokes a tradition of rebel spaces — sites of music, healing, and resistance.
The cast of Cannabis! will include Grace Galu as Sativa Diva, Baba Israel as Magical Mystical MC, Jonathan “Duv” Zaragoza as Hipster Trickster and dancer Twice Light. Choreographer-Performers include Tatiana Barber, Courtney Cook, Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra (Samantha) Speis.
Cannabis! will feature sound design by Asa Wember, costume design by Kate Fry, projection design by David Bengali, light artistry by Tuce Yasak, and transcription by Robert Knowles. The Production Stage Manager is Alex B. West.
The Cannabis! band will feature keys by Robert Knowles, saxophone / flute and arrangements by Sean Nowell, drums by Juan Carlos Polo and bass guitar by Osei Kweku.
