Fame and the Fire

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The Caffe Cino re-opened with a play by house-poet H.M. KOUTOUKAS, With Creatures Make My Way, directed by ROBERTA SKLAR. The publicity and support occasioned by the fire revealed and increased the Off-Off community’s respect for the Cino, and also attracted new artists–and new audiences for them as well as for the Cino regulars. Above, prop-maker HENRY ANSELM, “clutter coordinator” RENEE MAUGUIN, actress JUDY ECKHARDT, and KOUTOUKAS stand in the doorway decorated by KENNY BURGESS. Photo James D. Gossage.

BENEFIT PERFORMANCES: LANFORD WILSON’s “The Sand Castle,” which later played both the Cino and La Mama (MICHAEL WARREN POWELL in red), and Gertrude Stein’s “Three Sisters Who are Not Sisters,” directed by MICHAEL SMITH, with Diane Fisher, DEBORAH LEE/LAWLOR, and MARVA ABRAHAM (later played at Judson Church). H.M. KOUTOUKAS’ “Pope Joan,” TOMMY GARLAND and unidentified. DONALD L. BROOKS in BOB HEIDE’s “The Bed.” “Pope Joan” photo by JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

At that same benefit: H.M. KOUTOUKAS, PAUL FOSTER, ELLEN STEWART, and MARY MITCHELL. Photo, JAMES D. GOSSAGE.

Joe and Edward Albee at one of several benefits for the Cino after the fire. I’m at their feet, folding programs. Photo: JAMES D. GOSSAGE

Off-Off Broadway was SO illegal. Joe got away with the Cino, it was said, by “family” connections. Ellen had to call La Mama a “club,” and charged minimal dues (two dollars a week) for which one got unlimited coffee, tea, or “all the powdered fruit punch you can drink,” as Ellen announced before shows.

Cino at La Mama: JEAN-CLAUDE VAN ITALLIE’s “Pavane” with The Open Theatre, directed by MICHAEL KAHN. Kahn’s production of Van Itallie’s “War” was the show burned-out at the Cino. Photo: Phill Niblock.

On KENNY BURGESS’ exuberant set, LINDA ESKENAS and HELEN HANFT with unidentified men in TOM EYEN’s “Frustrata.” Photo: James D. Gossage.

Joe on Kenny Burgess’ La Mama set for Tom Eyen’s “Frustrata.” Photo: James D. Gossage.

Ellen Stewart

DAVIS STARKWEATHER, RENEE MAUGUIN, BOB DAHDAH, H.M. KOUTOUKAS, and JOE demostrating for help after the fire. Photo: Fred McDarrah.

Joe examines the damage. Photo: Fred McDarrah

But there was wonderful generosity and community Off-Off Broadway. When the Cino burned down, Ellen Stewart, “La Mama” of La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, gave Joe her stage to produce on.

The Times article aroused such bad feelings that when Life Magazine summoned writers for a rooftop photo (which they never published), I stayed home. I deeply regret not going. I should like to see myself among my dearest friends, when we were all young and alive.They are (1) Ted Harris, (2) David Starkweather, (3) Mary Mitchell, (4) Tom Eyen, (5) Unknown, (6) Asif Currimbhoy (7) H.M. Koutoukas, (8) Claris Nelson, (9) Maria Irene Fornes, (10) Jean Reavey, (11) Unknown, (12) Sam Shepard, (12-a) Bob Heide, (14) Susan Sherman, (15) Lanford Wilson, (16) Story Talbot, (17) Paul Foster, (18) William M. Hoffman, (19) James Eliason, (20) Leonard Melfi, (21) Jean-Claude Van Itallie, (22) Megan Terry. (Photo by DanMcCoy, courtesy Albert Poland.) See another funny photo story, bottom of the page HERE.

On December 5th, 1965, The New York Times Magazine at last chose to notice Off-Off Broadway. The only individuals whose photos it printed were JOE CINO, SAM SHEPARD, and me. Sam and I were no way the movement’s most prominent playwrights. PAUL FOSTER and LANFORD WILSON were, hands down. I suspect that it was because Sam and I photographed as dissolute and decadent (probably corresponding to some Times editor’s idea of what playwrights must look like who worked for free), that the journal chose to depict us. After all, the article was called “The Pass-the-Hat Theater Circuit.” Much jealousy was roused by our two silly pictures in a milieu that had until then seemed disinterested in approval or acclaim from the boring uptown world.