61:: "We have passed beyond the absurd: our position is absolutely preposterous." Theatre of the Ridiculous broke from the dominant trends in theater of naturalistic acting and realistic settings. The genre employed a broad acting style, often with surrealistic stage settings and props, and frequently made a conscious effort to be shocking or disturbing.
286:
But John
Vaccaro was way past that. Way, way past that. John Vaccaro was dangerous. John Vaccaro could be very embarrassing on many levels. He used thalidomide babies and Siamese triplets joined together at the asshole. One actor had this huge papier-mache prop of a big cock coming out of his shorts,
259:
One perspective of the Play-House of the
Ridiculous is that they were reluctant to address queer themes. According to Ludlam, the Ridiculous Theatrical Company's productions were more daring: "I felt John was too conservative. He didn't want homosexuality or nudity onstage because he was afraid of
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John brought it back to the theater and encouraged everyone to use as much of it as they possibly could, anywhere they could possibly put it. Of course their faces were covered with glitter, their hair was full of glitter, the actors who played the Moon
Reindeer had their entire bodies covered in
393:
People had been wearing glitter for a long time and the drag queens were wearing it on the street, but I think "glitter' really took off when John
Vaccaro went shopping for costume material and he came across this little place in Chinatown that was having a big clearance sale on their glitter. He
291:
Vaccaro and Ludlam had different attitudes toward gayness and the theater. Ludlam talked about how the theatre had always been a refuge for gay people, and made clear that gay themes were important to his work. For
Vaccaro, gayness was one theme among many that he used. Vaccaro made a distinction
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In my opinion, John
Vaccaro was more important than Charles Ludlam, because Ludlam followed theatrical traditions and used a lot of drag. People felt very comfortable with Charles Ludlam. Everyone's attitude going to see Charles's plays was that they were going to see a really funny, irreverent,
260:
being arrested. I wanted to commit an outrage. For me, nothing was too far out." Another perspective is that Ludlam's productions were too close to conventional comedy, while
Vacarro's work was more challenging, emphasizing social commentary.
452:). Ludlam also wrote: "He is very primitive and very difficult for most actors to work with, because he's sort of savage. He gets you into doing things by rote. He criticizes ideas without giving any suggestions for improvments [
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Ludlam wrote of
Vaccaro: "John has great instinct and is a brilliant actor. He gave me freedom. He allowed me to flip out all I wanted onstage. He never felt that I was too pasty, corny, mannered, campy. He let me do anything I wanted."
177:, has said: "Various features of Ludlam's 28 subsequent works figure prominently in his first play. His predilection for collage - folding in cultural references, both popular and obscure - is especially pronounced. Characters include
458:], and then makes you do it over and over again. It's psychological torture." Similarly, Childers has said: "John Vaccaro was a very difficult man to work with because he used anger to draw a performance out of a person."
204:, but during rehearsals Ludlam and Vaccaro had a disagreement. Ludlam left to form his own company, which he named The Ridiculous Theatrical Group, and took many of the Play-House actors with him. Vaccaro held the rights to
869:“John Vaccaro and The Theatre of the Ridiculous” A brief interview recalling the actors’ walkout during rehearsals of The Conquest of the Universe, and his friendship with Charles Ludlam, by Leandro Katz
322:
in which his character said to mine, "How well I understand that struggle in you between the warrior artist and the woman" – this was a wonderful self-revelation – and my line, he wrote, was
255:
Vaccaro's Play-House of the
Ridiculous and Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company had similar approaches to gay themes. Both ensembles used cross-gender casting, often recruiting drag queens as actors.
287:
down to his knees. He also couldn't control his bowel movements, so shit was dripping down his legs the whole time and everyone loved it. People loved this kind of visually confrontational theater.
398:
green glitter. Baby Betty, who was playing a thalidomide baby, had glitter coming out of her pussy – so it was because of John
Vaccaro that glitter became synonymous with outrageousness.
152:. When these works were rejected by The Factory, Tavel decided to have them performed as plays, producing them together on a double-bill called "Theater of the Ridiculous".
299:
who produced works that were merely camp. Morris Meyer commented on Ludlam's ambivalence when discussing an interview he conducted with Ludlam: "During a subsequent run of
138:
The Play-House of the Ridiculous was a theatrical ensemble founded by John Vaccaro in the mid-1960s. The ensemble first produced works written by Tavel, beginning with
368:. Scott Miller cites the Play-House of the Ridiculous as a key source of "a performance style that only recently is becoming mainstream, a style described by
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Vaccaro was known for being a challenge to work with, as when he kicked Jackie Curtis out of a production of a play that Curtis had written (
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390:... John Vaccaro used tons of glitter, that was his trademark. Everyone wore glitter. The whole cast was always covered in glitter.
240:
158:, written by Ronald Tavel and directed by Vaccaro in 1967, was the first official production of the Play-House of the Ridiculous.
96:. Improvisation played a significant role in the often chaotic Ridiculous productions, with the script used as a starting point.
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in 1974, he argued emphatically two seemingly contradictory positions for his production. He maintained that his rendering of
553:
Charles Ludlam Lives!: Charles Busch, Bradford Louryk, Taylor Mac and the Queer Legacy of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company.
864:“Bedlam Days” The Early Plays of Charles Ludlam and The Ridiculous Theatrical Company, text and photographs by Leandro Katz
345:
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Cross-gender performance was central to Ludlam's work. Ludlam discussed his role as the Emerald Empress in Bill Vehr's
144:
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The Play-House of the Ridiculous connected Warhol's Factory with the punk culture developing in the mid-1970s.
364:
162:, who would become a major figure in the "Ridiculous" genre, acted in the play as a last-minute replacement.
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as 'the height of expression, the depth of sincerity,' a kind of outrageous but utterly truthful acting."
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Theatre of the Ridiculous had a strong influence on 1970s culture. Elements of the genre can be seen in
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is not an expression of homosexuality and, at the same time, that it represents a form of coming out."
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to describe his own work, which was later recognized as the beginning of the genre. Referencing
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woman? Don't you know there are a thousand women in me and I'm tormented by each one in turn?
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between theater people and gay people using the theater for camp and/or drag performances.
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197:- everything from ads and Hollywood films to literary classics, textbooks and essays."
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Ridiculous Theatre: Scourge of Human Folly: the Essays and Opinions of Charles Ludlam.
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Bottoms, Stephen J. Chapter 11: "The Play-House of the Ridiculous: Beyond Absurdity".
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Elliott, Kenneth. "Ridiculous! The Theatrical Life and Times of Charles Ludlam". In
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Rodgers & Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, NYPL for the Performing Arts.
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808:"John Vaccaro, Whose Playhouse of the Ridiculous Gave Anarchy a Stage, Dies at 86"
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The phrase "Theatre of the Ridiculous" was created in 1965 by actor and director
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Reed, Lou. "Walk on the Wild Side" on the "Live: Take No Prisoners" album, 1978.
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or other "street stars". Ridiculous plays were often parodies or adaptations of
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Charles Ludlam and the Ridiculous Theatrical Company interview tape collection
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660:"Resident Company: The Playhouse of the Ridiculous". Retrieved March 14, 2018.
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Playing Underground: A Critical History of the 1960s Off-Off-Broadway Movement
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also credits Theatre of the Ridiculous as one of his professional influences.
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bought it all – giant shopping-bag-size bags of glitter in all colors.
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573:"Conquest of the Ridiculous: Ronald Tavel, John Vaccaro and Charles Ludlam"
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Christopher Scott Papers on the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, 1960-2002
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The Play-House of the Ridiculous and the Ridiculous Theatrical Company
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350:. The genre has also influenced more mainstream productions, such as
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239:. The Play-House of the Ridiculous was a resident company at
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was common, as was casting non-professional actors, such as
57:, Tavel promoted the first Ridiculous performances with the
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Billy Rose Theatre Division, NYPL for the Performing Arts.
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John Vaccaro died on August 7, 2016, at the age of 86.
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Ludlam did object to being identified solely as a gay,
193:, and Ludlam acknowledged no fewer than 40 sources for
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with many members of Andy Warhol's Factory, including
733:
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk
533:
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk
426:'s big moment on the New York underground stage."
173:loft in February 1967. David Kaufman, discussing
785:"Interview with Taylor Mac for Theaterjones.com"
165:Vaccaro then directed a play written by Ludlam,
555:Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2017.
484:Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2006.
432:has attributed the origins of Rocky Horror and
200:Ludlam wrote a second play for the Play-House,
681:New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1992.
386:Concerning 1970s fashion, Childers has said:
8:
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531:91. McNeil, Legs, and McCain, Gillian, ed.
677:Ludlam, Charles, and Samuels, Steven, ed.
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99:Prominent works from the genre include:
731:McNeil, Legs, and McCain, Gillian, ed.
715:The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide,
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64:Ridiculous theatre brought elements of
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595:Wilmeth, Don B., and Miller, Tice L.
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597:Cambridge Guide to American Theatre.
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33:is a theatrical genre that began in
843:Mary Woronov's theatrical scrapbook
436:to the Theatre of the Ridiculous.
375:s original director and co-author
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753:The Politics and Poetics of Camp.
599:Cambridge University Press, 1996.
241:La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
735:New York: Penguin Books, 1996.
658:La MaMa's Digital Collections,
535:New York: Penguin Books, 1996.
406:performed in a play written by
283:. They never felt embarrassed.
773:"Inside the Robber Bridegroom"
1:
610:"The Roots of the Ridiculous"
884:Theatre in the United States
806:Weber, Bruce (2016-08-11).
450:Heaven Grand In Amber Orbit
900:
847:Conquest of the Universe).
145:The Life of Juanita Castro
700:McNeil & McCain, p.88
527:Arcade, Penny, quoted in
347:Rocky Horror Picture Show
31:Theatre of the Ridiculous
318:Bill wrote this line in
217:Conquest of the Universe
206:Conquest of the Universe
202:Conquest of the Universe
116:Conquest of the Universe
845:(Includes a poster for
243:in the East Village of
156:The Life of Lady Godiva
127:The Mystery of Irma Vep
110:The Life of Lady Godiva
88:, used as vehicles for
41:Beginnings of the genre
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212:) for several months.
628:March 2004, 150-151.
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316:
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221:Bouwerie Lane Theatre
219:was performed at the
169:, which opened in an
150:Andy Warhol's Factory
55:Theatre of the Absurd
648:10.1353/tj.2004.0014
78:Cross-gender casting
74:experimental theater
615:September 24, 1989.
613:The New York Times,
577:www.warholstars.org
506:www.ronaldtavel.com
502:"Ronald Tavel Home"
422:is dead!' That was
297:female impersonator
262:Leee Black Childers
210:When Queens Collide
121:When Queens Collide
812:The New York Times
709:Edgecomb, Sean F.
551:Edgecomb, Sean F.
434:its cult following
332:Cultural influence
761:978-0-415-08247-1
755:Routledge, 1994.
561:978-0-472-12295-0
490:978-0-472-03194-8
320:Whores of Babylon
312:Whores of Babylon
90:social commentary
16:(Redirected from
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420:Brian Jones
404:Patti Smith
266:Legs McNeil
229:Taylor Mead
191:Santa Claus
82:drag queens
825:2018-03-15
582:2018-03-15
511:2018-03-15
465:References
381:Taylor Mac
279:slapstick
251:Gay themes
215:Vaccaro's
820:0362-4331
717:May 2007.
641:0192-2882
634:1086-332X
359:Urinetown
338:glam rock
281:drag show
245:Manhattan
195:Big Hotel
179:Mata Hari
175:Big Hotel
167:Big Hotel
59:manifesto
878:Category
430:Lou Reed
268:'s 1997
187:Svengali
410:called
370:Bat Boy
353:Bat Boy
305:Camille
301:Camille
104:Camille
92:and/or
68:and/or
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362:, and
235:, and
233:Ondine
183:Trilby
140:Shower
94:humour
787:2010.
713:. In
373:'
342:disco
66:queer
816:ISSN
757:ISBN
737:ISBN
683:ISBN
637:ISSN
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557:ISBN
537:ISBN
486:ISBN
189:and
142:and
70:camp
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325:The
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