▁the ▁fifty - five ▁doll ar ▁rent ▁on ▁a ▁ten ement ▁bas ement ▁at ▁ 3 2 1 ▁East ▁N inth ▁Street ▁to ▁start ▁her ▁bout ique ▁and ▁the ater . ▁ ▁As ▁an ▁Off - Off - B road way ▁theatre ▁ ▁A ▁theatre ▁for ▁the ▁play w right ▁As ▁opposed ▁to ▁C aff e ▁C ino , ▁which ▁was ▁focused ▁on ▁creating ▁a ▁specific ▁atmosphere ▁or ▁client ele , ▁La ▁Ma Ma ' s ▁primary ▁focus ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁play w right . ▁Stewart ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁people ▁behind ▁the ▁work , ▁and ▁often ▁didn ' t ▁even ▁read ▁the ▁plays . ▁She ▁re lied ▁on ▁what ▁she ▁called ▁" be eps ," ▁or ▁" click s ," ▁a ▁h unch ▁or ▁feeling ▁she ▁got ▁when ▁meeting ▁people ▁and ▁dec iding ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁to ▁produce ▁work ▁with ▁them . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁years , ▁Stewart ▁hous ed ▁and ▁fed ▁play w right s ▁and ▁direct ors ▁whenever ▁possible . ▁She ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁mother ; ▁Jean - Cla ude ▁van ▁It all ie ▁rem embers ▁his ▁first ▁meeting ▁with ▁Stewart : ▁ ▁I ▁never ▁could ▁have ▁expected ▁the ▁warm th ▁of ▁Ellen ' s ▁milk . ▁She ▁basically ▁said ▁to ▁me , ▁" H oney , ▁you ' re ▁home . ▁This ▁space ▁is ▁for ▁you ▁to ▁put ▁on ▁plays ." ▁The ▁combination ▁of ▁her ▁kind ness ▁and ▁her ▁smile ▁and ▁the ▁beauty ▁of ▁the ▁space ▁were ▁over wh el ming ▁... ▁Ellen ▁broadcast ▁to ▁the ▁world ▁that