La MaMa in association with Allied Productions Inc. presented GENERATOR: Pestilence Part 1, the first of a three-part cycle and the most ambitious live art creation in the 35-year partnership of Jack Waters and Peter Cramer. Expressionistic and experimental, GENERATOR’s narrative begins with a spark of energy triggering life on the planet.

Beginning with life in its simplest state. A cluster of single celled organisms develop and evolve into clusters of pre-humans. We gradually transition from complex life forms to the early development of social organization. Science and mythology merge to create an origin narrative. GENERATOR climaxes in a lyrical expression of language sung by the African spider god of stories, Anansi.

A meditation on the AIDS epidemic as cultural phenomenon, GENERATOR: Pestilence Part 1 is about how a virus can infect and affect us all. A cycle of beginnings and endings, expressionistic and experimental. Merging art, social practice, and technology by combining theater, moving image, light, sound, music, choreography, immersive interactive media and even fragrance.

Known for their challenging and innovative interventions in art and politics, GENERATOR is a homecoming; a return to Waters' and Cramer's theatrical roots at La MaMa where two of their earliest performance works premiered in 1987. Conceived by Waters, this multi-perceptual happening at the intersection of art, performance and AIDS is led by the queer skinned “kitchen band” NYOBS. Performances ran from February 20 - March 1 2020 at La MaMa where this immersive, environmental production took over the entire La MaMa Downstairs Theater.