The ‘OBIE’ and After Joe’s Death

 

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In 1965, critic MICHAEL SMITH presented JOE CINO and ELLEN STEWART with the first Village Voice “Obie” (“Off-Broadway,” “O-B,” “Obie,” get it?) Award to be given for Off-Off Broadway achievement.

See amazing Obie presentation photo HERE!

In 1965, critic MICHAEL SMITH presented
JOE CINO and ELLEN STEWART with the
first Village Voice “Obie” (“Off-Broadway,”
“O-B,’Obie,’ get it?) Award to be given for
Off-Off Broadway achievement.
Photo: JAMES D. GOSSAGE

Ellen Stewart

The Obie Citation

The first show to open at the Cino after Joe’s death in 1967 was CLARIS NELSON’s “The Clown,” with (l. to r.) me, LANFORD WILSON, and director MARSHALL MASON, as well as other writers and directors, with fantastic costumes by MICHAEL WARREN POWELL (below). We were much criticized for playing a lyric comedy at such a time by those who did not understand Joe Cino’s spirit. We were also criticized for showing up at the “Obies” soon after Joe’s death in joyous costume. Joe called us his “Rockettes” (entertainers who went on making merry whatever happened) and it was in that spirit that we dressed. (photos: JAMES D. GOSSAGE)

MCHAEL WARREN POWELL, a major “temple slave.”

Charles Stanley took over the Cino, then confidently yielded it to Joe’s great friend and supporter Michael Smith with Michael’s partner Wolfgang Zuckerman. Shows included Lanford Wilson’s brilliant This Is the Rill Speaking (below); the comic book shows,Snow White, Goethe’s Faust (the Classic Comics version), and Archie and His Friends; revivals of plays by Bob Heide, Tom Eyen, Chekov, Wallace Stevens, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti; original plays by Soren Agenoux (Donovan’s Johnson) , Charles Stanley (Opening July 4th: for Joe and Vultures Over Miami) and me (The Warhol Machine and New Works: Lights, Camera, and Action), plus new-to-the-Cino writers George Birimisa, Haal Borske, Ronny Tavel, Charles Kerbs, Josef Bush, and Tom La Bar. The last Cino production was Diane DiPrima’s lyric poem-play, Monuments.

This Is the Rill Speaking, directed by Marshall W. Mason, with (l. to r.) Claris Nelson, Phillip Clark,
Jacque Lynn Colton, Tanya Berezin, Marvin Peisner, and Fredric Forest (Photo: JAMES D. GOSSAGE)

Read Michael Smith’s Cino memories HERE!

THE CINO MEMORIAL AT JUDSON CHURCH

At a memorable tribute to Joe Cino at Judson Church on April 10, 1967, dozens of artists performed. Again in Joe’s spirit, along with somber and serious works by (just for example) TOM O’HORGAN with the La Mama Troupe, dancer Remy Charlip, actress MARY BOYLAN, and playwright H.M. KOUTOUKAS with composer Al Carmines, lighthearted and even frivolous pieces were done. Here are:

DEBORAH LEE did the hilarious “America’s Song and Speech”
from ARTHUR WILLIAMS’ “The Pageant of the Four Continents”

DAVID CHRISTMAS and BERNADETTE PETERS, who with
other cast members did the sweetly sentimental ‘Raining In My
Heart’ from BOB DAHDAH’s brilliant production of ‘Dames at Sea,’
by GEORGE HAIMSOHN, ROBIN MILLER, and JAMES WISE.

Dancer/actor EDDIE BARTON, in a stunning
tribute to Joe walked on his hands all around
the enormous Judson Church auditorium with
his body covered in glitter.


CHARLES STANLEY’ S EXPRESSION OF GRIEF

CHARLES STANLEY, briefly managing the Cino after Joe’s death, did “Opening July 4th: For Joe,” a terrifying schizophrenic monologue expressing his anger and grief. I vividly recall him balancing a real Bowie knife by its tip on his finger and growling, “Ya wanna get tough?” Photo: JAMES D. GOSSAGE. courtesy MICHAEL SMITH.

MICHAEL SMITH’S BRAVE ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE CINO

As summons piled on summons, MICHAEL SMITH went to court to try to save the Cino. JAMES D. GOSSAGE took three photos of the Cino interior, (1) with chairs and tables and no playing space to prove that it was just a coffee house and not violating its license, (2) with the chairs and tables pulled back to make a playing space, proving that it was an avant-garde space that deserved support, and (3) with a conventional curtained stage to prove that it was a traditional (licensable) theatre. Poor Michael had to present these three photos to a judge in a specific order at specific spots in an intricate legalistic rubric. Alas, it did not avail and the Cino closed in March of 1968. JAMES D. GOSSAGE writes of photo (3) above: ” The photo of the curtained stage is CT 6162, photographed March 3, 1968. Inside the curtain is the set, background painting by Josef Bush for Tom Eyen’s ‘Who Killed My Bald Sister Sophie?” It is part of a series Michael Smith asked me to provide to help in getting or keeping a City license to keep Caffe Cino open.” I attended court with Michael and sat in the audience reading “Rosemary’s Baby” on my lap. It was no more unreal than what I was watching poor, brave Michael being put through. [NOTE: although the figure in the photo looks incredibly like JOHN TORREY, it cannot be. Jim Gossage speculates that it is MICHAEL SMITH.]

See how DONALD L. BROOKS expressed his grief dramatically HERE.