“Joseph Knowles” was a theatrical piece I concocted for the Oberlin Dance Collective, back in 1977, back in San Francisco. It was based on the story of Knowles, who stripped naked and entered the Maine woods one summer day in 1913, vowing to return after two months, fully dressed and in perfect health. His progress […]
Entries Tagged as '*Stage'
Joseph Knowles
February 27th, 2013 · 1 Comment
There’s More Than Meets the Eye
February 26th, 2013 · Comments Off on There’s More Than Meets the Eye
I often performed this vent bit with Eddie back in the ’90s, including, if memory serves, a couple of TV appearances. Here’s an excerpt:
The Wishing Well
January 1st, 2013 · Comments Off on The Wishing Well
This little song sometimes had a place in the puppet shows I did with Michael Smith back in the ’90s.
Prof. Williams’ New System
December 11th, 2012 · Comments Off on Prof. Williams’ New System
“Prof. Williams’ New System” was the first piece I toured with the Oberlin Dance Collective, back in 1974. I was 19. I don’t remember much about the piece, but did keep a rough score/script. The title was taken from a 19th century manual on the care of horses and cattle, and the text came from […]
Trash Cash
September 17th, 2012 · Comments Off on Trash Cash
“Trash Cash” was another commission from the Tallgirls. I devised a series of interrelated scenes, accompanied by slides of my drawings. The floor was covered in pennies, which sparkled in the light, and crunched underfoot. I costumed the Tallgirls in white minidresses and go-go boots, which they all looked lovely in. There was also a […]
Dining at the Cafe Plastic
September 6th, 2012 · 2 Comments
In 1984, the Tallgirls (Pamela Boucher, Jill Daly, Harriet Garfinckle, and Marci Paulsen) commissioned me to write a piece for them. I wrote a one-act play about two waitresses and two customers, developing (I hope) a strong comic character for each of them. It was performed at Footwork Dance Studio, in San Francisco, in November […]
A Concert with Helen Dannenberg at Mills College
August 9th, 2012 · Comments Off on A Concert with Helen Dannenberg at Mills College
I designed this flyer and program for a concert with dancer/choreographer Helen Dannenberg, at Mills College in 1979.
What It’s Like To Be Dead
July 30th, 2012 · 2 Comments
“What It’s Like To Be Dead” was a miniature three-act play, enacting the life cycle, performed with a cast of toys on three suitcases. I included it in some of my shows in the ’80s, like this one.
Eddie Gray, Private Investigator
May 29th, 2012 · Comments Off on Eddie Gray, Private Investigator
Eddie Gray, my ventriloquial sidekick, became a detective in this skit, which we performed at various downtown spaces in the ’80s. Jay Geary played Sergeant Groggins, and I portrayed Eddie’s assistant, thus giving Eddie two clueless adults to deal with.
The Ullage Group
April 30th, 2012 · 3 Comments
The Ullage Group deserves a mention on this site. Anthony Matt and I had contemplated forming a Fortean Society, along the lines of John Keel’s old group, and like those currently meeting in pubs in Dublin and Edinburgh. We finally opted for a semi-fortean group, and chose as our emblem “ullage,” a fine old word […]