The Cino Year By Year

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The Caffe Cino was open and presenting performances for nine years and a few months, each show running from one night to six weeks.  Here are random samples of some of the fewer than a hundred shows for which we have photos, flyers, posters, or press.

See JOHN BORSKE’s exciting bio HERE.

See 4 pages of pre-1961 plays starting HERE,and perhaps the first
Village Voice review of a Cino play HERE, but be warned: it ain’t pretty.

JOE CINO’s lover JOHN TORREY tapped subway lines so that we could have stage lighting, and rigged the pay-phone to be free. His death started Joe’s decline to suicide in April, 1967. The Cino then continued producing for just short of a year. Photo of Johnny (standing), Joe (seated below him) and actor EDDIE BARTON by JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

FIRST ORIGINAL PLAY at the Cino. JAMES HOWARD (standing) and JEREMY JOHNSON (cringing) in “Flyspray,” Howard’s satire of the arms race, 1960. More pictures HERE.

Village Voice, 1961. F. STORY TALBOT’s play was also well-mentioned by Time Magazine in an article on Village night spots, and moved to a cabaret. Story says that all his plays and souvenirs of them have been lost.

1961 – KAY BUCHANAN and FRED WILLARD in TENNESSEE WILLIAMS’ “Mooney’s Kid Don’t Cry.” Photo show behind them by ROWLAND SCHERMAN. Photo by MAX WALDMAN.

Program for DORIC WILSON’s Adam-and-Eve play features a hundred slang terms for a woman.The Cino had done original plays before, but Doric’s prolificity, personality, and talent created a new ambiance and a new audience and in effect, created Off-Off Broadway as it came to be — the world’s first enduring showcase for new plays of a new kind – plays that needed not to woo audiences or critics because they were performed in places — coffeehouses, churches, bars, bookstores, art galleries — that made their money otherwise than by theatre — Thus theatre entered the modern era, as literature, painting, and music had done in Paris a hundred years before.

1961 is the year DORIC WILSON says he saw burly MATT BAYLOR in a dress and lipstick tear telephone books in half in a monologue called “The Civil War.” LANFORD WILSON says he saw it in a period that would have to be 1963 or 1964. The official Cino Schedule lists it as 1965. Matt couldn’t place it in time. Possibly it was repeated. This photo of Matt in 1967 in a non-Cino play is shared by KEITH CARSEY.

1961: Review of DORIC WILSON’s “Babel, Babel, Little Tower.” The play concerned a cop coming into the Cino to close a play. So loyal were the Cino patrons that one night one attacked the actor playing the cop and threw him out of the caffe.

Salome taunts John the Baptist under the mask of Moloch in DORIC WILSON’s Now she Dances (this photo from a recent New Orleans production).

1961: Review for DORIC WILSON’s 4th and last play at the Cino in one year.

“The Candles” by ROSE HENNESSEY, 1961, directed by JOE CINO, sketched from memory. Staged in the same front corner where you see DORIC WILSON and his cast in this photo. It concerned a priest (KEITH CARSEY) and a nun, trapped in a church basement after a nuclear war with nothing but wine and candles. He wants to drink and procreate to perpetuate the race, but she won’t break her vows. At the end, their last candle burns out. The author was one of the Cino’s “art ladies,” mature women who wore elaborate scarves and veils and read poetry. As far as I know, none but Ms. Hennessey ever did a play at the Cino. The odd thing at the right is meant to be the jukebox which Joe Cino kept stocked with opera recordings.

“What!” was a review which played several Village venues. I don’t know if it originated at the Cino.

1961: Antigone. Different sources give August and September as the date for a production of Antigone, but a magazine with this review of the production, received from MILTON WYATT, has the cover date of April 1961. Of course, the production might have originated in April and been revived for the August or September date. The review pleads for a revival. On June 4, 2011, Mister Larry Johnson writes, “I directed two productions of Antigone. That’s why there’s the discrepancy re dates.”

OFF BROADWAY MAGAZINE, April 1961 contained “Antigone” review.

1962? KEITH CARSEY and KITTY MCMILLAN cannot remember if they did “The Late Show” at Cino or La Mama. It is listed for neither venue.

Tennessee Williams’ Auto da Fe. Review from The Villager, Mar. 1962. Production was revived in August, 1964. Click to enlarge.

1962. Characteristically for the Cino, a cute George S. Kaufman skit about men behaving effeminately was juxtaposed with what might be called the first gay play, ANDY MILLIGAN’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ “One Arm,” which went on to become the first production at La Mama, where it is listed as directed by JOE CINO

1962: LINDA ESKENAS, RON WILLOUGHBY in CLARIS NELSON’s The Rue Garden, directed by MARSHALL W. MASON. Photo by CONRAD WARD.

1962: FRANK MURPHY, DAVIDA MANNING in Arthur Adamov’s As We Were, director GARY FILSINGER.

1963: RICHARD SMITHIES, O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms. One of the Cino’s most cultivated habitues, Richard also directed (DAVID STARKWEATHER’s plays, for instance), wrote, sang professionally, danced with numerous companies, and eventually opened a showboat!

February 1963. DAVID STARKWEATHER’s rigorously-disciplined, often wry and acerbic works were outstanding at the Cino. More than one admiring writer said, “David is too smart to be writing for the stage.” Although he was a major Cino playwright, he has chosen not to cooperate in the archiving of Cino materials, or there would be a great deal more about him on these pages.

The Office by BARBARA GUEST, 1963, is thought to have moved to Off Broadway, but may be confused with Irene Fornes’ later Broadway play of the same name.

A page from DAVID STARKWEATHER’s “The Love Affair,” later revived as “The Love Pickle.” The play takes place in the Cino, without a stage. Two customers at a table have a calamitous, socially and psychologically revealing love quarrel. (This rewards enlargment and reading.)

1963–a little one-act play by LANFORD WILSON was just the teeniest overture to Off-Off’s most amazing writing career.

1963: Cheek-by-jowl, TOM O’HORGAN and PAUL FOSTER, who were to re-form world theatre with “Tom Paine,” did their first shows at the Cino.

1963: future screenwriter HOPE STANSBURY and future playwright HAAL BORSKE cross-dressed in G. ROY LEVIN’s Henry and Henrietta. Photo by CONRAD WARD.

1964: MAYA KENIN and MICHAEL POWELL in LANFORD WILSON’s Home Free. Photo by CONRAD WARD.

1964: YVONNE RAINER and LARRY LOONIN in their Incidents. Photo by PETER MOORE.

1964: The voice-cast of PAUL FOSTER’s “Balls” takes a break from recording the puppet-play’s soundtrack. 1964–Read the whole “Balls” story HERE.

The rather large program/poster/flyer for “Balls,.” The play was so popular, one of the first articles about Off-Off Broadway was called, “Have you caught ‘Balls?'”

Detail of the poster shows that the production moved from the Cino to La Mama. This inspired H.M. KOUTOUKAS’ slogan, “Coming to your neighborhood experimental theatre next week.”

1964: GWEN VAN DAM and MARY BOYLAN shone as a prostitute and madam in Tennnesee Williams’ Hello From Bertha.

MICHAEL ALAIMO’s commedia troupe was one of many which played but once at the Cino, in his “The Vase,” 1964. Michael (center) writes, “I thought we were eating Joe out of house and home.” (photo: Conrad Ward)

This review of one of DONALD KVARES’ two 1964 Cino plays rewards enlarging and reading as an example of criticism of the time. Incidentally, the play was a great favorite at the Cino, and Lanford Wilson said it had one of his favorite titles.

Village Voice, January 14, 1965. The introduction of the world of H.M. KOUTOUKAS to the far duller real world. Harry’s surreal (to put it mildly) visions represent one end of the Cino’s wide spectrum of styles.

Program for KOUTOUKAS’ “Only a Countess May Dance When She’s Mad.”

Village Voice February 4, 1965. DAVID STARKWEATHER’s rigorously-disciplined, often wry and acerbic works were outstanding at the Cino. More than one admiring writer said, “David is too smart to be writing for the stage.” Although he was a major Cino playwright, he has chosen not to cooperate in the archiving of Cino materials, or there would be a great deal more about him on these pages.

Immediately following “The Family Joke,” LANFORD WILSON’s “Ludlow Fair,” a rich portrait of plain roommate JENNY VENTRISS and pretty one MARTHA GALPHIN, representing the other extreme of Cino style from KOUTOUKAS’ camp: a warm, wise, sentimental “poetic realsm” as producer Richard Barr later termed it. Photo by JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

1965: JEAN-CLAUDE VAN ITALLIE’s “War” played but one performance, for the Cino burned after its opening night. Here are GERRY RAGNI, Jerome Dempsey. and JANE LOWRY in a production at Barr-Albee-Wilder Playwrights Unit on Van Dam Street, December 22 and 23, 1963. In the Cino production, JOHN COE replaced Dempsey.

Village Voice, June 29, 1965. The Cino burned down and all seemed lost, but the Off-Off Broadway community rallied with numerous benefit shows to pay for reconstruction. In the meantime, ELLEN STEWART gave Joe her theatre to produce a number of shows in, including RUTH KRAUSE’s, a review of which follows.

1965 RUTH KRAUSE’s “The Cantilever Rainbow,” reviewed by MICHAEL SMITH during CINO AT LA MAMA, April 22, 1965.

1965: MARION HERROD in a monologue, “Animal” by OLIVER HAILEY, directed by JAMES STRUTHERS

Before the fire, the wholly-illegal Cino had tried to look inconspicuous. After benefits and press about the fire, it had become nearly respectable, and artist KENNY BURGESS could flaunt the name “Caffe Cino” all over the facade, as well as that week’s shows by OLIVER HAILEY. (photo probably JAMES D. GOSSAGE)

1965: LANFORD WILSON’s This Is the Rill Speaking, ALICE CONKLIN, CLARIS ERICKSON, JACQUE LYNN COLTON, ALICE CONKLIN. Photo by JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

1965–ALIX ELIAS and BOB FRINK in SALLY ORDWAY’s “A Desolate Place Near a Deep Hole,” on a double bill with JOHN GUARE’s first production, “A Day for Surprises.”

1965: A f_g and his h_g comfort one another by phone in WILLIAM M. HOFFMAN’s Good Night I Love You, dir. BERNIE GERSTEN. (This photo from a recent NYC production by Peculiar Works)

1965: LARRY BURNS in BOB HEIDE’s The Bed.
Photo by JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

1965: PAT HOLLAND and CHARLES STANLEY in H.M. KOUTOUKAS’ Medea, or Maybe the Stars May Understand. Photo by JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

1965: SAM SHEPARD’s skit with JOYCE AARON and ROY LONDON from the “BbAaNnGg!!” Benefit at and for La Mama. ELLEN STEWART having helped save the Cino after the fire, Cino People were important in saving La Mama when the city suddenly laid impossible levies on it. The “BbAaNnGg!!” Benefit saved the homestead.

1965: LEE WORLEY and JOHN KRAMER in SAM SHEPARD’s Icarus’s Mother, dir. MICHAEL SMITH.

It’s interesting to read author FRED VASSI’s and his collaborators’ serious-minded statements about January 1966’s “The Reenactment,” and then to realize…

–he soon changed his first name to “Marco” and went on to become, according to a number of online critiques, “perhaps the greatest erotic writer of all time!”

1966–LISA BETH in husband F. STORY TALBOT’s “Sometime Jam Today.” (with RON SEKA?)

1966–MARY BOYLAN and EDDIE BARTON in H.M. KOUTOUKAS’ sweet Valentine play, “A Letter From Colette”

1966: “Dames at Sea” introduced BERNADETTE PETERS, ran an unprecedented six weeks, and JOE CINO watched every performance.

1966 “Eyen on Eyen,” a revue of scenes from TOM EYEN’s very popular plays. CHARLES STANLEY leads a female trio in song.

1966: third revival of DAVID
STARKWEATHER’s popular 1963 play.

1966: GEORGE LINJERIS by JAMES D. GOSSAGE and DONALD L. BROOKS by Sal Terracina as suspect and detective in my Indecent Exposure, directed by LANFORD WILSON, lit by JOHN P. DODD with one light bulb.

1966: This review is all that seems to remain of the lighthearted drug revue, Psychedelic Follies, book and lyrics by GEORGE HAIMSOHN, author of Dames At Sea, choreography by DON PRICE, music by JOHN AMAN, who also starred. The show moved Off-Broadway as “Now.”

Song lyric from “Psychedelic Follies.” c 1966 by GEORGE HAIMSOHN. Composer JOHN AMAN and DONNA DESETA did a lovely Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers-type dance to this tune, choreographed by DON PRICE Hear me sing this song HERE.

1966: Program for JOHN GUARE’s first double-bill of his plays. (He earlier had one on a bill with a SALLY ORDWAY play.)

At my 1966 Halloween Hermit, MERRILL MUSHROOM (top) amused patrons by having them act out comic-book pages. 1966: Next time a show didn’t appear, DONALD L. BROOKS (bottom) suggested using a comic as script.

It turned out to be “Wonder Woman!” See actual pages of DONALD’s light-booth copy of the comic-book HERE!

1966: Within an hour, H.M. KOUTOUKAS as Wonder Woman was fighting monster DEBORAH LEE Photo by HERVE GLOAGUEN.

1966: JACQUE LYNN COLTON and ONDINE in SOREN AGENOUX’s Chas. Dickens’ Christmas Carol, director MICHAEL SMITH. Photo by BILLY NAME/OvoWorks, Inc.

1967 – JANE BUCHANAN and VICTOR LIPARI turn on in BOB HEIDE’s MOON (photo, JAMES D. GOSSAGE)

1967: MICHAEL SMITH’s production of SOREN AGENOUX’s stream-of-consciousness surrealist play, “Donovan’s Johnson.” OLYMPIO VASCONCELOS and ONDINE cross the oddly-shaped stage. Read director MICHAEL SMITH’s story of this production HERE!

“Donovan’s Johnson” was forced to close early and this was the recourse.

JOHN P. DODD and JOE CINO in an undatable “Invocation.” Photo by JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

1967: My New Works: Lights, Camera, Action, were three “mini-plays” experimenting with ideas based on the Minimalist sculptors’ work. “Camera” and other ten-minute plays comprised the Off Broadway “Collision Course”, a “dramatic revue” of short plays by numerous writers. Lanford credited me with inventing the “mini-play.” 2001 performance of “Camera” HERE.

In case anyone doubts that I invented the term, “mini-play,” check the date. (:

1967: New blood: SYLVIENNE STRAUSS, DAN LEACH,
and author GEORGE BIRIMISA in Daddy Violet.

1967 – WALTER HARRIS unforgettably introduces a tangled “family of friends” in LANFORD WILSON’s “The Sandcastle,” while his mother TANYA BEREZIN watches approvingly and ZITA LITVINAS and ROBBIE MCCAULEY lounge idly. See what BILL HAISLIP and Robbie get up to HERE, and see Walter saying “Goodnight” HERE. This JAMES D. GOSSAGE photo was taken at La Mama just before the production moved to the Cino.

1967: LANFORD WILSON’s “The Sandcastle,” New York Times.

1967: PHOEBE WRAY as Marie Antoinette in JOSEF BUSH’s French Gray.

1967 New York Times.

1967. “Vinyl,” author RONNY TAVEL and his director-brother HARVEY TAVEL’s intensely chic s/m version of the novel “A Clockwork Orange,” Vinyl starred MARY WORONOV. Photo: Billy Name/OvoWorks, Inc.

Poster and program for Empire State by TOM LABAR — the last playwright introduced at the Caffe Cino. Nothing remains of the two Cino productions of plays by Charles Kerbs, who just preceded him.

1968: LINDA ESKENAS and BOB FRINK display he extremes of emotion in in the revival of BOB HEIDE’s “Moon.” Photos by JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

1968: Revival and sequel: HELEN HANFT and STEVE DAVIS in TOM EYEN’s Why Hanna’s Skirt Won’t Stay Down; CONNIE CLARK, STEVE, and HELEN in Who Killed My Bald Sister Sophie? Photo by JAMES D. GOSSAGE. At this point after Joe Cino’s death, the Cino was so besieged by licensing officials and police, Helen and Steve would sometimes have to hop off the stage and sit, in costume, with customers while a cop looked the place over, then when he left, hop back onto the stage and resume the show.

DIANE DI PRIMA’s monologue play, “Monuments,” was the last production at the Cino. The characters were Cino people, some played by themselves, some by others. The outstanding scene was of Freddie Herko, a dancer who had killed himself leaping from an apartment a few doors north of the Caffe. This photo is of a revival done in the street by Peculiar Works Company in 2008. Another photo of the Peculiar Works revival HERE.

Fred Herko, Village Voice, April 27, 1961 (He died October, 1964.)

See JOHN BORSKE’s exciting bio HERE.