: ▁ ▁< blockquote > Now , ▁number ▁ 3 2 1 ▁had ▁been ▁an ▁all ▁white ▁building , ▁and ▁the ▁ten ants ▁liked ▁it ▁that ▁way . ▁Further ▁prov oked ▁by ▁the ▁com ings ▁and ▁go ings , ▁they ▁accused ▁Stewart ▁of ▁running ▁a ▁bord ello — fif teen ▁men ▁in ▁one ▁hour — and ▁asked ▁the ▁health ▁department ▁to ▁issue ▁a ▁summ ons ▁for ▁prost itution .< ref ▁name = horn > H orn , ▁Barbara ▁Lee . ▁Ellen ▁Stewart ▁and ▁La ▁Ma Ma : ▁A ▁Bio - B ibli ography . ▁West port , ▁Connecticut : ▁Green wood ▁Press , ▁ 1 9 9 3 .</ ref ></ blockquote > ▁ ▁The ▁health ▁department ▁was ▁contact ed , ▁but ▁the ▁inspect or ▁who ▁arrived ▁happened ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁old ▁v au dev ill ian . ▁He ▁ad vised ▁Stewart ▁that ▁getting ▁a ▁license ▁to ▁open ▁a ▁coffee house ▁was ▁much ▁easier ▁than ▁getting ▁a ▁license ▁to ▁open ▁a ▁theatre . ▁Following ▁this ▁advice , ▁La ▁Ma Ma ▁became ▁C afé ▁La ▁Ma Ma . ▁C off ee ▁and ▁c ake ▁were ▁served , ▁ad mission ▁was ▁free , ▁and ▁any ▁compens ation ▁that ▁the ▁actors ▁received ▁came ▁from ▁" pass ing ▁the ▁hat ." ▁Stewart ' s ▁fashion ▁designs ▁and ▁se am str ess ▁jobs ▁subs id ized ▁the ▁theatre ▁during ▁its ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁operation . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁space ▁was ▁twenty ▁by ▁thirty ▁feet ▁with ▁earth y ▁red ▁walls . ▁The ▁c afé ▁sat ▁twenty - five