▁would ▁have ▁to ▁shut ▁down . ▁Peter ▁Feld man , ▁an ▁Off - Off - B road way ▁director , ▁wrote ▁into ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times '' ▁disput ing ▁Equ ity ' s ▁reasoning . ▁He ▁wrote ▁that ▁La ▁Ma Ma ▁" did ▁provide ▁a ▁stim ulating ▁environment ▁for ▁actors ▁to ▁work " ▁and ▁that ▁working ▁at ▁La ▁Ma Ma ▁often ▁led ▁to ▁pay ing ▁jobs ▁for ▁actors ▁when ▁produ ctions ▁got ▁transferred ▁to ▁Off - B road way ▁or ▁Broadway . ▁Feld man ▁also ▁emphas ized ▁that ▁Stewart ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁commercial ▁producer , ▁but ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁not - for - pro fit ▁theatre , ▁and ▁was ▁thus ▁being ▁considered ▁unf air ly . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁hearing ▁with ▁Stewart , ▁the ▁union ▁resolved ▁the ▁conflict ▁by ▁creating ▁a ▁new ▁show case ▁code . ▁As ▁long ▁as ▁La ▁Ma Ma ▁remained ▁a ▁private ▁club , ▁Equ ity ▁actors ▁could ▁perform ▁without ▁contract s . ▁This ▁code ▁still ▁applies ▁to ▁Off - Off - B road way ▁produ ctions ▁today . ▁ ▁Education ▁ ▁Education ▁within ▁the ▁La ▁Ma Ma ▁community ▁has ▁been ▁present ▁since ▁its ▁in ception . ▁Through ▁work sh ops , ▁talk ▁back s , ▁meet - ups , ▁collabor ations ▁with ▁colleg es , ▁and ▁artist ' s ▁retre ats , ▁the ▁organization ▁has ▁provided ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁the ▁younger ▁generation ▁of ▁artists ▁to ▁observe , ▁grow , ▁and ▁network ▁within ▁and ▁beyond ▁the ▁dow nt own ▁performing ▁arts ▁scene . ▁ ▁Coll abor ations ▁with ▁Host