Justin Elizabeth Sayre's solo show My Beatnik Youth: A Solo Riff will premiere at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club March 14. Inspired by Beat Era poetry, the play-with-music will be directed by Fempath. It will play the Off-Broadway venue through March 24.

The work centers on Jay, a teenager obsessed with the Beat Generation. After a serious drunk driving accident, Jay is placed in the psych ward to avoid charges and contemplate what brought them towards this brush with death. During a month-long hospitalization, Jay will face their own demons and the demons of those suffering around them. The show will feature different guest poets for every performance.

“While this play is a fiction, it remains a very personal work. For me, My Beatnik Youth is about poetry, mental health, and the ability to see the dark but still choose to see the light...I believe I’m ultimately telling a story of hope...That’s what the Beat Generation was about, said Sayre in a statement.

Musical director Tracy Stark will lead a live jazz trio. Evan Spigelman serves as lighting designer.

For tickets and more information, visit LaMaMa.org.